I decided before the winter really comes to re-bed the chain plates. In the Don Casey book "Sailboat Maintenance Manual" actually the recommended material is polysulfide sealant. I visited more than 5 shops here in Netherlands, and I did not find such a sealant. Because of that, I started to look for alternatives. I found several reviews and sailors in Internet who actually recommend the use of polybutyl tape when sealing movable deck hardware like the chain plates and stanchions. I found such a tape in the shop called KOK-Watersport: poly butyl tape KOK watersport. 3 meters of it cost just 6.50 Euro. The procedure which I found is pretty basic.
1. Remove chain plates.
2. Clean and Dry chain plates and the through holes.
3. Repair the deck with epoxy if necessary.
4. Apply the poly butyl tape.
5. Tighten the chain plates.
6. Remove the excess of the poly butyl tape.
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| Cleaned chain plate. |
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| Poly butyl tape applied. |
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| Tightened chain plate. |
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| Removing the excess of the sealant. |
