Spartite Problem
My boat is keel steeped and I needed to deal with the through the deck problem after re-rigging. I saw the job a pro-rigger had done on a boat in the marina here in Turkey and it was impressive. He swore by the stuff and kindly he gave me a few tips.
I arrived in Turkey this week and prepared everything to install Spartite to fill the gap between the partners and the mast on my boat. I prepared the mast partners by liberally smearing the inside with Vaseline and used the provided putty to block the gap below. I was ready to start. The weather is about 14C (57F) late this afternoon (coolish).
I shook both part A & B tins of the product, poured the small tin into the large tin and mixed for about 15 seconds and then poured the now mixed product into the provided plastic pale as instructed. I walked the pale of stuff up to the deck from the galley where I mixed the product. This is an 11m boat so that is not far. Realising I had forgotten the funnel I went back down below and got the funnel from in cupboard to make it easy to pour into the gap. I took a deep breath and started to pour into the funnel and I noticed the it was already thickening. The funnel had a 13mm outlet (West System), I poured the now thickening (4 mins from start max ) Spartite product into the funnel and it started to flow but very slowly. I expected it to run more freely but it was like very thick honey and not flowing out the funnel. I was then shocked by the heat being generated in the cup full of product still in the funnel. I went below and grabbed a spatula believing I could work it down the funnel with a pumping action. Didn't work as it was like gum now. I was now in trouble, I returned to the pale and the heat was incredible and it was going off like a bomb.
I am very used to handling epoxy products and I know large batches are a problem. Needless to say I got less than 30% (or less) of the product around the mast. It was now like rubber and could be pulled out and stretched into long thick strands which I pulled out by hand to tried to shape it into the gap around the mast. It is a total failure and the product in low temperature set within 10 minutes.
What did I do wrong? Is Spartite just a rubbish product or did I get a dud batch? It was coolish so normally I would get more time but I had less than 5 minutes where it could be poured. Is this what I should expect?
Needless the say the cleanup is going to be horrendous. I will probably have to step the mast to clean it up I expect the Spartite as a company is useless and it will be all be my fault because it was too cold, or the boat is too old, or it was only a quarter moon and it says in the fine print only pour on full moon days. Not funny.
Bateau
Nicholson 35
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