Sealant for teak stern rail

[Kelkara]

I am replacing the 48 year old teak stern rail on my boat, which was starting to disintegrate. It supports the fairleads for the stern docklines at the corners, but across the stern is mostly cosmetic.

When I removed the old rail it looked like it had gobs of something like butyl (was that available in 1975?).

The fairleads are throughbolted, but the wooden rail is just screwed into the fiberglass of the hull/deck joint.

Would butyl be a good bedding for this application, or should I be looking for something else?

I managed to acquire some recycled teak from an old wooden boat getting chopped up, and it's going to look great ... The old rail lasted nearly 50 years, and I'd like to make this just as durable.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Kelkara

I am replacing the 48 year old teak stern rail on my boat, which was starting to disintegrate. It supports the fairleads for the stern docklines at the corners, but across the stern is mostly cosmetic.

When I removed the old rail it looked like it had gobs of something like butyl (was that available in 1975?).

The fairleads are throughbolted, but the wooden rail is just screwed into the fiberglass of the hull/deck joint.

Would butyl be a good bedding for this application, or should I be looking for something else?

I managed to acquire some recycled teak from an old wooden boat getting chopped up, and it's going to look great ... The old rail lasted nearly 50 years, and I'd like to make this just as durable.Attachment 282170Attachment 282171

Butyl would work but I think the sealant you found may also have been a polysulfide, which was sold as 3M 101. Today you can get it from BoatLife, called LifeCaulk.

[Kelkara]

Thanks Jedi, I've found some lifecaulk ... I'll try that.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Kelkara

Thanks Jedi, I've found some lifecaulk ... I'll try that.

Great I find that it cures to a rubber when exposed to the air, like on teak decks, while it stays liquid where not exposed to air, like under chainplates etc.

[Fuss]

On my aluminium boat I use sikaflex 298… if you want a teak deck on an aluminium boat you need to use the right stuff. strangely enough many don’t. there probably is alternatives to sikaflex 298 but I am only familiar with this. now let me give you an example of how good it is….
as a test I brushed off with my hand a dusty unprepared place in the anchor locker and stuck a teak block 20x20x20cm to it using 298… that was 6 years ago and it’s still stuck solid… no other sikaflex would do that… 291, 292 no chance.