[Public-list] Cockpit Coamings and Companionway Cover

[Don Campbell]

Gord;
    From a plant physiologist, you might not be aware that the moss will be using
the coaming as part of its required environment for living, a receptical for ion
exchange,  particularly H+ ions which do a fair job of acidifying things when mixed
with water, and perhaps one of several sources for minerals  for its own structure.
So in the end the coamings will lose their structure as the moss becomes ever more
entrenched and consumes more and more materials from the coamings. It then becomes
a question of which you want to preserve,  the living or the structural materials.

Don # 528

Gordon Laco wrote:

> Aboard Surprise I caulked the outside of the coaming at the deck but not the
> inside on the principle that the bottom of the wood would be dryer if I did
> not trap water.
>
> I should not be admitting this but when we bought the boat in 2000, there
> was a bit of moss about an inch long growing where the coaming meets the
> cockpit. At first we made jokes about it but quickly grew to like it.
> You've got to respect its tenacity.    In rainy or rough weather when there
> is a lot of water on deck the moss gets cheery and bright green... On hot
> dry days it hunkers down and survives.
>
> We are very careful not to disturb it when sanding and varnishing etc.
>
> Gord #426 Surprise
>
> > Meinhold, Michael J wrote:
> >> I removed the cockpit coamings. Can anyone reccomend what sealant to use and
> >> where to put it?
> >> Should I just apply it along the edges after the coamings are back on?
> >
> > I used 2" wide by 1/8" or 1/16" thick neoprene gasket behind the coaming
> > (at Bug Dolber's suggestion).  This has worked very well.  Look up
> > "gaskets" in the yellow pages to find sources.  You might want to call
> > around, as the prices seem to vary and for the size you need, you might
> > be able to find scrap.  The stuff I got had adhesive on one side.
> >
> > Then I caulked the coaming/deck joint, too.
> >
> > - George
>
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