When we had it trucked up from Mexico we removed the bow pulpit for 14′ clearance. In doing so, we discovered that the stainless bolts were inextricably locked to the aluminum (?) backing plates (which were 50% gone from corrosion, especially the ones in the anchor locker). So we ground off the heads of the bolts on deck, leaving the issue for the Berkeley workyard.
Our excellent friend John Ryan made us up some replacement backing plates out of stainless. We put it back together with neversieze on the threads and lifecaulk as the bedding sealant. I’ve settled on lifecaulk–a polysulfide sealant–as my number one preference. I used to think that I would use 5200 on everything, until I started trying to take apart old stuff that was put in with 5200. Now I stick with the lifecaulk. And I have gone sort of crazy with the neversieze–everything we take apart is a chore, requiring pounding, heating, lots of penetrant, extractor bits, and half the time we still end up drilling it out and replacing it. With the neversieze, I expect you’ll be able to take it apart pretty effortlessly for decades. But I still hate the stuff. My dad uses it (and used to make me use it when I was growing up on the farm) all the time, and it’s messy as hell. It gets all over everything and it spreads infinitely and it only comes off with gojo. Hate the shit, but I find myself using it on everything.
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