Floor board sealing (or not)

[Don Davis]

Hello I’ve been working on my new to me 228G Seafarer and removed the floor panels to access and inspect and clean the water and fuel tank Compartments. I spent about 2 hours scraping and cleaning the old Sikaflex off. I realize that the floor panels need to be sealed for the majority of water and blood to flow out the scuppers but was wondering if everyone reseals them along the edges or just lets some of the water and blood drain into the bilge? I know this might be a dumb question but it’s the first self bailing Hull that I have owned, thanks and hope everyone is staying safe with this virus around.

 

[leeccoll]

Don,

No such thing as a dumb question, or else you would not have asked.

You need to seal them both along all the edges. Tape off the areas for a clean job!

GE silicone II in almond is the best color match in my opinion, but other sealants will work also.

Lee

 

[Fishtales]

Agree with Lee. If you want put fishing line in first and have it exit the area near the back. You can trim the exit point back and in the fall simply pull up the mono and you get a nice clean cut. Use some painters tape and a wet plastic spoon back to smooth out. It goes fast. One tube of caulk and one beer usually.

 

[Ky Grady]

Agree with Lee and fish, seal it up, you don't want that funk going into your bilge and sure don't want saltwater all over your fuel tank. Painters tape will give you a nice edge and easy to remove.

 

[Don Davis]

Awesome thank you guys very much appreciated!

 

[wrxhoon]

Agree with Lee. If you want put fishing line in first and have it exit the area near the back. You can trim the exit point back and in the fall simply pull up the mono and you get a nice clean cut. Use some painters tape and a wet plastic spoon back to smooth out. It goes fast. One tube of caulk and one beer usually.

I agree on the painters tape even the spoon for a nice smooth finish. It does go fast but so does the beer, it is still summer and hot so you may need several beers!!

 

[seasick]

Silicon is easier to remove later if needed. Sikafliex is not and as long as the panels are mechanically secured. One hint that I have discovered over the years for caulking is that you get a more flexible seal by limiting the depth of the caulk to 1/4 inch in general. So if your groove is deeper, it is best to pack in some foam backer rod so that the caulk doesn't get too thick. That also makes later removal a lot lot easier.

 

[Fishtales]

The GE Silicone II is good for the application. Cuts easy and you can run a standard razor blade down the sides and remove it all very quickly.

 

[Sibs]

When I have pulled my up, I always lay a piece of nylon twine around the perimeter 1 1/2 times. The next time you need to access, you can use a small pick and pull twine up slicing threw the silicone. It also fills the gap some so there is not as much silicone deep in groove to clean up.

 

[seasick]

When I have pulled my up, I always lay a piece of nylon twine around the perimeter 1 1/2 times. The next time you need to access, you can use a small pick and pull twine up slicing threw the silicone. It also fills the gap some so there is not as much silicone deep in groove to clean up.

I have read about this on several forums but I haven't tried it. One thing I didn't mention about the use of a backer is the material adheres on the two sides only and not the bottom since that is in contact with the foam backer rod. That keeps the sealant from being pulled from three directions as it stretches or contracts from movement or temperature changes.It is also a lot easier to cut out since the bottom edge is not attached to anything solid.

 

[Blaugrana]

With regards to the GE silicone 2, is there a preference for the bathroom/ kitchen or door/ window version? About to purchase it but not sure what the difference is....

thanks!

 

[leeccoll]

At Home Depot.

 

[Sparkdog118]

Yes. That is the ge silicone I used. The way I do it is run a nice even bead down the middle then spray it immediately with a spray bottle of water and a little dawn dish soap. Spray generously and work it in with your fingers. I use a rolling motion with my fingers to take off the excess and shape it the way you want it. It takes a little practice, but it comes out like factory. I learned this at sea ray school when I was a sea ray tech for the new boats. Wal Mart has it also.

 

[Sparkdog118]

It is a little dirty now but loose new when I sealed it up. Still need to do the other hatch. Lol.

 

[Blaugrana]

Thanks...Going to do some this weekend. There are a few spots right below the throttle that I always see water coming from after I wash the floor and think the sealant just broke down over time.

As for the fuel tanks, debating on just caulking over what is there now as it’s about a half inch recessed and then taking care of later when I inspect the tanks and clean them. Concern I have is that the tanks looks dirty and not sure spraying water in the access plates will do much.
How long does it take to remove the fuel tank covers and clean them? Boat is already in the water and not sure if this is a job to do or should I wait for fall.

 

[Sparkdog118]

I woul not spray water on the fuel tanks. They need to stay as dry as possible. Removing the hatch can be a little time consuming but may not be necessary at this time. If you use 100 grit sandpaper in the groove ( careful not to sand the top gel Cote ) and clean with acetone you can recaulk the hatch with the ge silicone. If you figure out the soap trick, you will get addicted and want to recaulk everything. Lol.

 

[seasick]

I woul not spray water on the fuel tanks. They need to stay as dry as possible. Removing the hatch can be a little time consuming but may not be necessary at this time. If you use 100 grit sandpaper in the groove ( careful not to sand the top gel Cote ) and clean with acetone you can recaulk the hatch with the ge silicone. If you figure out the soap trick, you will get addicted and want to recaulk everything. Lol.

The Grady owners manual recommends rinsing the tank as routine maintenance ( once a season I guess). The theory is that there will be moisture in there no mater what you do and if there is caked up salt buildup on the tank, the tank can suffer corrosion.

 

[SeanC]

Hello I’ve been working on my new to me 228G Seafarer and removed the floor panels to access and inspect and clean the water and fuel tank Compartments. I spent about 2 hours scraping and cleaning the old Sikaflex off. I realize that the floor panels need to be sealed for the majority of water and blood to flow out the scuppers but was wondering if everyone reseals them along the edges or just lets some of the water and blood drain into the bilge? I know this might be a dumb question but it’s the first self bailing Hull that I have owned, thanks and hope everyone is staying safe with this virus around.

Grady has all ice boxes / killtanks on the 228 above floor level / water level so they can drain out the side and not get blood and guts in the bilge.

 

[Fishtales]

Tanks are going to go where water collects on top and where they sit inside the hull. If you have the deck up (many have the aft one up every year for winterization, for all means wash down, but I don't think I would ever pull a deck to wash the front tank. Did it at the 12 year mark. The tank looked good from what I could see but could be going on the bottom. Not worth the aggravation to pull the forward deck IMHO for a deck wash.

 

[Ky Grady]

The Grady owners manual recommends rinsing the tank as routine maintenance ( once a season I guess). The theory is that there will be moisture in there no mater what you do and if there is caked up salt buildup on the tank, the tank can suffer corrosion.

Yep, tanks need a rinse. Best to remove the floor panels to get to the tanks. Spraying water through 6" inspection plates doesn't do much, but better than nothing. My efforts were to late though, damage was done before I bought the boat. Both tanks had leaks.