On Sun, 01 May 2005 19:52:27 -0700, Evan Gatehouse
wrote:

Adam wrote:
Hi

Thanks for replies to my earlier posting about securing my new fairleads. I
have managed to gain access to underneath the relevant bit of the boat, so I
can hopefully do a proper job viz a vis backing plates. Is it ok to use
stainless nuts and bolt with aluminium - if not, what should I use?

TIA

Yes, if you don't mind a semi-permanent connection

Use TEF-GEL (NOT Tuf-Gel) and the bolts won't become one
with the aluminum. If this is an aluminum backing pad and
not a cast aluminum fairlead you're talking about, then just
drill oversize holes.

FWIW:

I've retrofitted almost everything with 1/4" aluminum I've custom cut
myself (replacing original dished fender washers and "acorn nuts") and
that's what I do. Overdrilling the plates by, say, 1/8" allows an
easier fit below deck, too.

I seal the holes through the deck with epoxy, drill through that, coat
the bolts with sealant, coat the piece (say a cheek block) with
sealant on the bottom, pop in the bolts, get my wife to hold the SS
bolts with a screwdriver, and then I put a bead on the plate below,
put the plate on the bolts, and tighten LIGHTLY until I get sealant
ooze.

Then I lead the sealant set up for 24 hours to a week, depending on
what I'm doing. Occasionally this means covering the piece on deck.

I dog down the piece snugly and trim with a razor any excess.

The key parts are sealing the core with epoxy and coating the shaft of
the bolt with a very thin spiral bead. This leaves the head of the
bolt sitting in a little ring of bedding and prevents water getting
down the shaft, never mind into the core.

And the backing plate makes everything a lot stronger due to the
spreading of compression forces.

R.