Deck caulking, silicone or non-silicone

[russp]

Hi, I have a deck leak to port side somewhere under the mainsheet traveller and have noticed that the caulking in the seam around the deck plate over the companionway sliding cover has cracked and shrunk so first step is to remove old caulk and redo.

So question is, does anyone have a view of whether to use Sikaflex or equivalent for this, or a non-silicone caulking compound like butyl-mastic. The original material used by Catalina is not silicone.

Also, a weird circumstance I can't explain, the water that has been dripping through above the nav table has been captured in an ice cream container. The water is viscous and feels slippery, any thoughts why this might be?

Regards
Russ Peel
Avalon #150

[R.B.]

Hi Russ,

If you are rebedding the traveller I would use a good butyl mastic, but if you are just removing caulking for sealing I would use a non-silicone based sealant. Something like Sikaflex 291 or other UV -resistant caulk.