I would like to remove the boomkin from my 1983, Sam L. Morse BCC for re-finishing purposes. The BCC construction manual appears to indicate that 3M 5200 sealant was used in its instalation. If that is the case, then I assume it will be difficult or impossible to remove without damaging it or the deck.
Has anyone had any experience in removing their boomkins? If so, can it be done without damaging anything?
Gently applied, hydraulic pressure from below, was the way the yard crew removed the boomkin from my boat. They used a bloody forklift !
Yes it was bedded down with 3M 5200, and when it broke free it did not take any gelcoat with it, phew !
This was the second removal.
On the first removal, I unbolted everything, and took out one leg at a time, by using wooden wedges driven in all around. Much less tramatic !
Douglas
In the past removal of 3M 5200 bedded items I have used a piano wire saw to release the compound between the fitting and deck. This is a length of thin piano wire with a wooden dowell attached to each end for handles. Place the wire on the seam and see-saw it back and forth pulling on the attached handles. Some upward pressure on the fitting can help if possible. Once the cut is started you can start a wedge in the cut to help open the seam. The wire, having no teeth like a saw, will track thhrough the compound and not damage the mating surfaces.
Bob & Lois
BCC Jolie Brise
I replaced my boomkin in April. The old one was easy to remove. Whatever was used to seal it simply gave way when I stood on the end.
I replaced it instead of refinishing because my boomkin was full of old holes from equipment installed and later removed by previous owners. A local woodworker charged me about $300 to duplicate it (most of that charge was for the wood). I installed the replacement with silicon, not 5200.
Craig Lund
BCC 95
I have used “Boatlife Release” to remove items bedded on my wooden mast. I had mistakenly used 5200 to bed the radar support and its cable. When I recently had the mast unstepped for painting and rerigging I was about to leave the radar in place because of the bedding and my concern for damage to the mast. The rigger handed me a bottle spray of the release and it broke the seal remarkably easily with minimal damage. It did lift the old paint at a couple of sites only.
Tom
“Terrier” #31
Thanks for all the good advice!
It’s my understanding that Sam L. Morse Co. bedded bumkins and rudder cheeks with Dolphinite. I used Dolphinite twice rebedding the rudder cheeks on my FC and most recently to bed a new teak bumkin. After 10 years the rudder cheeks had no problems on their backsides and were easily removed from the rudder. The old fir bumkin also came off with very little struggle, so presumably was bedded with Dolphinite.
ron walton
editor: FC News
I just searched for Dolphinite on the web. It has changed owners and name. This appears to be the current version: http://dolphin-company.com/TDS/sealants/DOLP3400SERIESTDS.pdf.
I would have used that instead of silicon had I known it existed.