Flybridge seal with upper deck

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deising
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Flybridge seal with upper deck

Post by deising »

After completing over 16K nm in 4 years, we are taking time off from cruising to go over the boat for some really thorough cleaning. While the enclosure on the flybridge is quite spacious, I do not fit in there. With the dual helm seat in place it is very difficult to even look inside. There are some baskets we keep in there to stow things, as well as many of the spare parts for the engine and generator.

We were both pretty shocked to see how much mold and mildew had accumulated in there. Thankfully, my tiny Admiral elected to crawl in there and do the deed. Gotta love her!

We noted that there was a lot of dirt, small leaves, and hair inside that compartment. It wasn't until we started hosing off the deck that I realized there was essentially no seal between the flybridge and the deck. All those years of washing and rinsing apparently had pushed a lot of debris through the space.

I plan to apply caulking from the deck side of the joint (not from inside the enclosure). I just thought I would post this in case it helps anyone else or if someone has any relevant comments.

Cheers,
Duane Ising
m/v Diva Di
Punta Gorda, FL
2006 PDQ MV 34 - hull 91, 75HP, 3-blade
Expatriate
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Re: Flybridge seal with upper deck

Post by Expatriate »

I have noticed the same thing on our 2005 M/V 068. Our single helm seat removes for easier access, but I can get inside without removing it. I am 6 feet tall and weigh about 200 lbs. If I slide in feet first, I have no problem getting in and out. Once inside, I can see light coming under where the flybridge meets the deck. I am thinking of caulking the joint. It will help in wet weather, but will not be ideal as the doors are not really water tight either. Still, it has tons of storage.

Tim
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Re: Flybridge seal with upper deck

Post by boatpf »

Gaps?
Are you guys talking about the gap on the outside of compartment looking from the or the gap on the outside of the compartment at the bottom of the nonskid looking standing on the flybridge .
Not sure if drainage may be blocked if gap is caulked and water gets in the compartment.
I was thinking of climbing in compartment and caulking from the inside to keep water entering from the outside , but maybe not a good idea.
Any thoughts or updates after caulking/sealing the compartment gaps?

Thanks,
David
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AMCarter3
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Re: Flybridge seal with upper deck

Post by AMCarter3 »

We do several things to manage mold and crud build-up inside the upper helm console. Since we store seat cushions and canvas covers inside that huge cavern, I've tried caulking the gap between the non-skid deck and the cabinet from the outside and the inside. That helps, but the movement of the helm is enough to break the caulking seal in some areas. It helps and is not a sufficient solution.

The flybridge exterior appears to be designed to flex - hence the gaps all around. I found that some of the gaps have old caulking is a flexible, black, very sticky, stretchable caulking "rope" like material. It was hard to find, lasts forever and is easy to install. You stuff it in the gap and mold/shape it to fit best. I found some in our local hardware store. Apparently it's common in the marine and construction industries. I forget the product's name, but it is designed to fill large gaps and stay flexible over time. It comes in various diameters. I used 1/4" to fill the gaps at the helm and on the port side lockers.

We also added Dri-Dek inside all flybridge lockers and inside the entire helm area. It is fairly expensive, but it works extremely well to reduce mold. See: https://is.gd/keWzd3

Lastly, we deep clean inside the flybridge lockers and helm and the drain channels every year. We have to... otherwise the mold just grows there.
Mac Carter
2006 34' PDQ PowerCat "All Heart"; MV 98; twin 100 HP Yanmars
Home Port: Bellingham WA 98229
Ortolan
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Re: Flybridge seal with upper deck

Post by Ortolan »

An alternative to Dry-Dek tiles is Hypervent Condensation Preventer. It’s normally used under bed mattresses to allow airflow. The cost is only $10/yd. for 39” wide & is 3/4” thick. I had some leftover from our mattresses. It has a fabric coating on one side which easily peels off, leaving only plastic.

In 2 years I haven’t had to clean it - maybe the air flow helps. If you do need to clean it, you could probably clean in place with cleaner, bleach & hose, or if lots of debris, just curl & pull it out.
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Russ
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Re: Flybridge seal with upper deck

Post by Gusto »

I caulked the flybridge seam over a year ago from both inside and out. It made a tremendous difference. I was able to get into the area under the console by sliding the seat all the way back and wiggling my 78 year old body through the access doors. Once inside, there is adequate room to get to both sides. Oh, it's fun getting out of there too. Feet first or head first? I haven't decided which hurts less. I put lots of sealant on the inside after thoroughly cleaning the area with a wire brush and portable vacuum. We do a yearly spraying of 50/50 bleach and water mix on the fiberglass surfaces under the console (Not the electronics!) as well as inside the forward deck lockers. Result, not much mildew any more. Anyhow, I think that the sealing inside is way more important than the little bead that you can put on the outside.

Oh, we're headed from the Miami area to Bimini, the Berries (Flo's), and Abacos (Hopetown) through the Bight of Abaco in early to mid April through mid June. Anyone else heading that way?

Cheers,

Bob MacNeill
Gusto, 2006 34' mv
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Re: Flybridge seal with upper deck

Post by AMCarter3 »

By the way, I found a good online source for high quality marine grade butyl-based hybrid-elastomer bedding (Bed-It Tape). This is what I believe was the original tape used to caulk our flybridge structure to the deck.

"Due to EPA regulations, the old school butyl used by boat-builders 30-40 years ago, is long gone.We attempted to find a tape that could survive long term in the marine environment & pass rigorous testing procedures but it was not to be. In the end we had to develop our own hybrid formulation. After months and months of going back and forth with my lab we finally landed on a formulation that checked all the boxes and passed all the testing. Description:
Bed-It Tape is light gray in color. The color is a light as I can make it without impacting the performance. The fillers needed to make it white or off-white destroy the performance characteristics of the product. Bed-It is specifically extruded at 1/16" thick and 1/2" wide and the roll is 50' in length. It is the perfect consistency.

This site is also an source for excellent reviews on a lot of marine products. See:
https://shop.marinehowto.com/products/bed-it-tape
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Mac Carter
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MikeH
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Re: Flybridge seal with upper deck

Post by MikeH »

Easy Riders has stopped in at New England Boatworks for a little work, courtesy of the Bavaria 46 that hit me while I was on my mooring at Block Island.

I saw the yard technicians doing some caulking on the bigger yachts, and asked them to re-caulk the flybridge (The Legendary Hull #29 flybridge configuration is different that the newer models).

They dug out the old caulk, cleaned the channels with acetone, taped everything out with masking tape and frog tape to control the mess, and used Sikaflex 295 UV for the new caulk. The application went fairly quickly.
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Mike Hendry
M/V Easy Riders, Gulfport FL
2003 PDQ MV 34
The Legendary Hull #29
75 HP, 3 Blade
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