Vented Stanchions (Starboard), with fibrous Plug or Filter

[Roger Rathbun]

Had to remove both Stbd and Port midship stanchions since both had been heavily 'leaned on' while fending off during less than perfect docking manoeuvres resulting in plate distortion and small water leaks.
I recalled when filling the Stbd water tank earlier this year, water often bubbled (erupted) up the intake even the tank was not full. So when the stanchion came off, looking up the vent pipe I discovered this plug - filter? I extracted it by blowing on the upper small vent hole, while holding a finger over the lower small hole. It came out in pieces. Picture 2236 (2).
Q1 Anyone ever seen this? Is it required (keep the bugs out?) I think some insect may have been in mine.

When re bedding both sides, I decided to leave the distortion (raised outboard edge) in the plates and bed with lots of butyl (as per MAINSAIL with countersunk holes etc) I'm sure those stanchions will get "PUSHED ON" again and if the plates were flattened out back to their original shape, then they would simply lift again (more easily) and leak again. It is true that re installing them with their raised plates forms a larger dam holding slightly more water on the uphill side of the stanchion along the deck at the rail, but there is always water held there anyway. The distortion is about 3/16" at its max. see pics 2223 and 2222
Q2 Any thoughts? (even though they're already back on). I'll try to report next year.

[Roger Rathbun]

Pics for the bent plates

[Roger Rathbun]

This is tedious!

[Dave Spencer]

Roger,
I've never seen anything like what you pulled out of your stanchion vent.  I'd pitch it and do without.

I did exactly what you did to my bent port side stanchion a few years ago.  Zero leaks since then.   
Link here:
http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,7327.0.html

[Steve W10]

Hey Roger, I think everything you've done will work just fine.

Q1. Just looks like cotton or such, I suspect you are bang-on that perhaps the PO had some issues with insects getting in there(or s/he thought they might).  I'm with Dave, leave it out; easy enough to add something in there later if you develop a problem.

Q2. I'd say you're fine like that.  When I did a pretty big deck repair years ago I took the time to straighten all those plates but made sure that they still fit flat on the deck (test fit without butyle first); if you over-do it and they wobble you're totally asking for trouble, but if they are solidly flat I'd say that is best.  The added benefit, for me anyway, was when I flattened them out the geometry went back to the way the factory assembled them, all at the same angle from the deck.... I know it's only aesthetic, but made me happy :).

A PO of my boat moved the vent to the hull as many others have done.... love it.

When I did mine I was sure to "sleeve" (as I call it) every hole and of course the vent extension out the bottom of the stanchion was cut off and big hole in the deck filled with epoxy.  Backing plates can help strengthen the area as well.

Absolutely drives me crazy to see people fending off with stanchions, especially seasoned sailors!  Zero concept of physics.

All the best
Steve

[Roger Rathbun]

Thanks Dave & Steve
The stanchions had gone back on before my original post (without any plug and without straightening the raised base plates). I was primarily interested in what people thought about not straightening the base plates and filling with BUTYL. You both seem to concur. By the way, I took Mainsail's advice to not tighten down too hard initially, but come back several times over next few days/weeks and tighten a little more. Each time we would squeeze out more butyl and that's good, cause I was worried about the rather thick 'pad' of butyl necessary to fill the void under the raised portion, and whether it would squeeze out appropriately. It had rained several days through all of this and no leeks at any stage.

Steve: see you're from Etobicoke. My boat #647 was originally owned by someone from Burlington and sailed out of Mimico Sailing Club.It was named 'For Pete's Sake'. I used to race a Shark out of Kingston, often in Toronto, Port Credit, Hamilton and St Catherines. No racing these days! Only two sails: one on the front, one on the back, and they don't look like much (think the main is original!) Lots of great cruising though, in the Pacific North West.

[Ron Hill]

Roger : I had a similar problem, but the bends were much shallower.  I just put the plate on the stanchion in a bench vice and flattered them back out!!  The flatter the better for the best seal!

Also the best deterrent to keep the butyl rubber seal from ever leaking again - is to call Garhauer and have them make you backing plates for both the port and starboard vented stanchions!!

A thought

[KWKloeber]

Also the best deterrent to keep the butyl rubber seal from ever leaking again - is to call Garhauer and have them make you backing plates for both the port and starboard vented stanchions!!

A thought

Ron!

The backing plates for the trapezoidal bases are actually standard items, not made to order.  Those are for stanchion ST-52 and ST-58.  
The catalog no. is ST-52 B/U and 5 yrs. ago was < 5 when I got one to verify that it fit my '84 stanchions.

I attached the dimensions so anyone can verify that model plate will fit their stanchion bases.


Cheers,
Ken K

[attachimg=#]

[Ron Hill]

Ken : Thanks for publishing those backing plate part numbers!!

The backing plate is the real KEY to having a dry vented stanchion!!