Silicone on bunks

[Mr_Shamrock]

Well I looked like a real bonehead at the ramp yesterday. Our pontoon has always been hard to slide off the bunks so the last time we went out I siliconed the bunks as recommended in a thread I read here. Well let me tell you it works - in my case a litte too good. We have always unhooked the boat from the trailer and backed down the ramp and the boat eventually would float off. Yesterday I backed to where the boat was just touching the water and to our surprise it slid off scaring the "you know what" out of me. It's a bad feeling to watch your boat slide off the trailer uncontrollably. The motor caught the bottom and chipped off about an inch of the skeg so I started off my supposedly relaxing Sunday in a real bad mood. Luckily the rest of the day went very smoothly and we still had a great time. It wasn't my day to be designated driver so after about 3 beers I actually forgot about the skeg and unwound a bit. So now I have to find a welder to fix the skeg. If anyone knows a good one around the Greenville, SC area please let me know. And yes I know I will need to keep the boat connected to the trailer from now on.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Silicone on bunks

Well sounds like the damage is minimal and no one was hurt.....

This is NOT the first "unexpected" launch we have heard of from using silicone.

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Silicone on bunks

You could always bolt on a Skeg Guard and not worry...

 

[robert graham]

Re: Silicone on bunks

Sorry about your silicone slide adventure, but nobody hurt, so feel lucky! I'm in Greenville,S.C. also, and have used City Welding on Rhett Street, about a block from the Army/Navy Store. They've done some welding on my aluminum canoe and outboard motor lower unit, and work seems fine. If it was me, I'd just get him to weld an aluminum plate on the bottom of the skeg and then I would file and grind it to shape to suit myself, some touch-up paint and you're good to go! Good Luck!

 

[Mr_Shamrock]

Re: Silicone on bunks

Sorry about your silicone slide adventure, but nobody hurt, so feel lucky! I'm in Greenville,S.C. also, and have used City Welding on Rhett Street, about a block from the Army/Navy Store. They've done some welding on my aluminum canoe and outboard motor lower unit, and work seems fine. If it was me, I'd just get him to weld an aluminum plate on the bottom of the skeg and then I would file and grind it to shape to suit myself, some touch-up paint and you're good to go! Good Luck!

Thanks man, I will give them a call. I looked at it again today and I could feel my blood pressure rising! I should know better!

 

[johnson89]

Re: Silicone on bunks

least the damage was small...Any time you do something too your trailer that may affect the loading or unloading of the boat always take extra care too see how you need too change your routine.I have the plastic strips on my trailer an never unhook till in water an when I load, hit trailer at idle only.........

 

[cookbayou]

Re: Silicone on bunks

I did the silicone thing also but my boat was unhooked at the top of the hill. Well when I got about a foot away from the water it came off the trailer slid down into the water and put about a foot of water in my boat. Good times

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Silicone on bunks

doesn't matter how slippery or sticky your trailer is, you NEVER want to unhook it before your boat is touching water. What if a kid darts off and you slam on the brakes while backing up... best case, your boat comes off the trailer. worst case, there is a kid under your boat.

But yeah, silicon makes a HUGE difference! My boat is about 1500 pounds or so, and I can push it off the trailer if the bunks aren't even touching the water!! (which I have to do now, the river I normally boat is up 8 feet or so, the ramps are completely under and you are more or less unloading from the parking lot.)

 

[Mr_Shamrock]

Re: Silicone on bunks

I got the boat back from City Welding today and I am not real happy with their work. If anyone knows about welding maybe they can answer this for me. The guy told me that the metal the skeg is made of cannot be welded and then ground smooth because that will take the weld away and the piece will just break right back off. I know I have seen things welded and then smoothed, but I am not an expert on this subject by any means. It looks better then it did but there is a bulge where the 2 pieces come together and then there are a few small indentions that are very unsightly. Does anyone know of a filler that can be used on a skeg and not chip away? I am thinking that I want to make it look as good as I can, paint it with the matching paint I bought, and then just put a skeg guard on it to hide the ugliness. I am still sick over this stupidity...I have been boating too many years to make this kind of mistake!!!!!

 

[26aftcab454]

Re: Silicone on bunks

Aluminum & some alloys have "fat ugly " welds- you do not grind them down.
"it it what it is.."

 

[Mr_Shamrock]

Re: Silicone on bunks

Aluminum & some alloys have "fat ugly " welds- you do not grind them down.
"it it what it is.."

OK, well that makes me feel better. I am going to try a skeggard to cover up the ugliness. Hopefully that will do the trick. Thanks for the input.

 

[109jb]

Re: Silicone on bunks

Well now I will make you feel worse. Skegs are welded on all the time and then ground and painted so that you don't even know there was damage. How do you think they repair aluminum props if you can't grind them after welding. Whoever welded your skeg didn't know what he was talking about or he didn't prep the weld by beveling and knew that when you asked him. Don't just take it to any welding shop. Call your local marina/boat dealer and ask them who they use. If they have been in business for any amount of time they will know who does skegs and does them right.

The other reason not to just go to any welder is because that guy might not know to keep the think cool to prevent melting the seals in the lower unit. Aluminum when welded gets really hot and the heat travel up the skeg to the gear housing and the seals can be melted pretty easily if you aren't careful.

 

[j_martin]

Re: Silicone on bunks

I've had minor notches and nicks in my skeg welded, and they only show by a slight color change. Last time through I had the prop shop put a torque tamer on the trailing edge, which made a huge difference on how it handles with the prop piercing the surface at WOT.

A good shop does it all with weld metal unless a large part has to be replaced, and then they go to great lengths to make a zig-zag joint, well prepped that doesn't concentrate the side forces on the weld itself. I think they use a heavy copper backing plate to both disipate heat and hold the puddle.

A bulge required. You got to be kidding.

 

[Mr_Shamrock]

Re: Silicone on bunks

That's what I was thinking. This place came recommended by a guy here on this site and they said they do them all the time. I hope that these guys didn't do any seal damage. I ordered a skeggard and it got here today so it will cover the crappy weld. It's about par for the course with everything I get done around here. I am getting to the point where if I can't do it myself I just live without it. That is one of the few things I miss about living in South Florida.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Silicone on bunks

Aluminum & some alloys have "fat ugly " welds- you do not grind them down.
"it it what it is.."

That's talk from someone who doesn't know how to weld. There is more than just firing up the welder. Fitment of the two pieces and beveling is important.

Check out how 45auto repairs his:

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=282896&highlight=skeg

 

[Mr_Shamrock]

Re: Silicone on bunks

Wow yeah that guy has some skills, and to think I took it to a welding shop and they can't do it as well as a guy who seems to only weld when needed. I guess any redneck with a torch can start a welding business here! I Just went through the same thing with our local "professional" powder coater. They promised me a week max on some motorcycle parts - well after a month they finally got them done and EVERY part (10 of them) was flawed. It's amazing you don't hear about more people getting seriously hurt over crappy work.

 

[Mr_Shamrock]

Re: Silicone on bunks

Just to assume the worse here how would I know if these idiots damaged a seal in the lower unit?

 

[75TowerOfPower]

Re: Silicone on bunks

How did you cover your bunks in silicone?

Like a zig zag pattern with a caulk gun? Or more like stripes on it and smeared the beads down kind of flat?

 

[foodfisher]

Re: Silicone on bunks

Not caulk or implant. Lubricant, comes in an aerosol can.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Silicone on bunks

Just to assume the worse here how would I know if these idiots damaged a seal in the lower unit?

Pressure test.