[Public-list] Electrolysis on cutlass bearing housing, and caulking question

[FINNUS505 at aol.com]

Heya,
 
The cutlass bearing housing is usually not protected by a zinc, as it is  
isolated from the shaft zinc by the rubber cutlass bearing itself.
 
I saw a really good solution to this problem. Attach a small zinc disc to  
the hull just forward of the cutlass bearing housing. Then connect this zinc to  
the housing with a strip of copper. One end of the copper strip goes between 
the  zinc and the hull,  and then the other  end of the copper strip is  
attached to the housing by putting one of the housing fastening bolts through  the 
copper strip.
 
Caulking question;
 
I removed the ss rub guard from the toerail-hull seam, to get to the leaks.  
Interesting what I found in there; it was some linseed oil based bedding  
compound. Some of it was still pliant, but most was either powder, or volcanic  
rock. I wouldn't be surprised if it dated from 1967. The guard was not removed  
when the boat had been awl gripped blue in the '80's, as the color under the  
guard was still the original gel coat white.
 
I am going to have to replace the toe rail someday, so I don't want to put  
3M 5200 in there now, and then have to deal with removing it later. What have  
you guys used in there? 4200? Boat Life? What do you think has the right 
balance  of strength, and removability, for this application?
 
Thx,
Lee
Stargazer #255