SMHolmans wrote:Hi all. Greetings from the UK.
I am about to install the bow eye and I am wondering how much 3M 5200 to use and where. I can easily see how to apply it on the outside of the stem, to cement the fitting to the hull, but what about the inside? Is it necessary or wise to cover the bolt eye threads and nuts in sealant?
Views very welcome.
I thought I used plenty of sealant on my bow eye, but halfway through last summer I noticed seawater in the bow compartment, and the
next time I was sailing I observed drops of water seeping in through the bow eye. I let it dry, removed the backing plate,
gobbed more sealant around the bolt threads, and put even more on top of the nuts and backing plate. That cured the problem.
The bow eye gets yanked around a lot, so the sealant is under a lot of stress.
Doug