2020 05 Haulout

After returning from the Exumas, we pulled Flight Risk out of the water as soon as possible, so we could perform some maintenance, check the paint, and fix a chronic leak in the shaft tube.  I hit the sand a few times while in the Bahamas, so I had the keel repainted.  Flight Risk was also very dirty with river stains and salt.  Charles Webster did a fantastic job cleaning up everything.  It was worth the money.  

The chronic leak in the shaft tube has been a problem since our trip to Maine.  At that time, Beneteau advised us to just reseal it with 3M 5200, which we have been doing each time we haul out the boat.  They sent us the diagram below to explain the process.  See the label that reads "Fillet of 5200".    Below that you see a typical installation of the 5200.  

Unfortunately, the seal gave out on our trip to the Exumas before we even reached Bimini.  I had to deal with the leak the entire trip.  So, I wanted a better solution.  

I worked with John Cobb and David Duvall at Cobbs Marina to devise a new and hopefully permanent solution.  You can see the final installation below.  I did not get a picture before I painted it with Barnacle Barrier, but the ring is stainless steel with a gasket under it.