[Rhodes22-list] Deck Joint repair question

[Graham Stewart]

Rodney:

I did a complete repair of my hull deck joint a number of years ago. These were the steps I followed:
* I removed the rub rail, destroying it in the process. 
* I cut the deck in half just fore of the cabin top, and removed the foredeck, 
* I removed the liner and the plywood core material from the foredeck and then rebuilt it with epoxy and multiple layers of marine plywood,
* I reinstalled the deck with screws and filled and glassed the joint and gunnels to hide the join,
* I tore out the complete interior of the boat and removed the liner where it overlaps the hull-deck joint so I had access to the joint from the inside,
* I then and glassed the joint on the interior with multiple layers of cloth and epoxy,
* I then removed all hardware from the deck and painted it with multiple coats of epoxy paint. While I was at that I replaced all of the windows.
* Finally I  then attached a new rub rail using sealant, and rivets. 

 You might wonder if this was overkill but I assure you I no longer have that annoying trickle of water getting in.

Ok, to be honest, I was doing a great deal more than just fixing a small leak.

If I were addressing the problem you have I would be much more modest and not go to even the lengths you suggest. I would use whatever tools I had to scrape out as much of the sealant from the joint as possible and then reseal the joint with an appropriate sealant. Do NOT use 3M 5200 or similar. It will be impossible to remove in the future. You want to use a sealant that remains reasonably flexible, flows well into the joint, and is not a strong adhesive.  Butyl might be a good choice.  

This is a one-day job unless you want to do what I did in which case it is a two year job - at least.

Like Peter, I would not worry much about the odd trickle of water that come aboard when severely healed. The water is a nuisance but will not damage anything. If there are no other issues that need to be addressed I recommend that you just redo the sealant carefully and thoroughly and go sailing. 


Graham Stewart
Agile, Rodes 22, 1976
Kingston Ontario





-----Original Message-----
From: Rhodes22-list [mailto:rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org] On Behalf Of R Brown
Sent: Thursday, March 24, 2022 2:30 PM
To: The Rhodes 22 Email List
Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Deck Joint repair question

Hope everyone is having a great week.  I purchased my Rhodes in Jan, and the owner mentioned that he was planning on resealing the deck joint this year (she leaks a little water on the starboard side galley are when the gunwales are buried). The search function lead to me to 
a few threads on this topics, but left me with questions.  (My boat was built in 2001)
  

A. What to parts should I expect to replace?   I’ve read mention of drilling out rivets when resealing the joint.  

Some one mentioned replacing rivets with bolts. Are there thoughts about the pros and cons of bolt vs. rivets? 
Does anyone have a suggestion on what size rivets I’ll need? Also, where is a good source to purchase them?
Should I plan on replacing the rub rail while doing this? 

B. How much time should I budget for this repair? 

C. Lastly, would anyone be willing to talk live to share the experience on this repair.  If so my cell is 405-496-5533


Thanks in advance for helping this rookie out. 


Cheers,

Rodney