1983 13 Super Sport sealant for seat clamps question

[Kochisp]

I just finished restoring a 1983 BW 13 with a super sport style mahogany interior from specialty marine. Now that everything is in place I want to make sure it stays that way for the next 33 years. Simple question, maybe a stupid one... does it make any sense to try and seal the gap between the seat clamps and the hull? This area seems like it will be difficult to keep clean and prevent any buildup of salt and sand. I was thinking to put a small bead of sealant there (5200??) but not sure if this is a good idea or not. Thoughts?

[Pescatore]

I just used the 5200 behind the screws. 5200 is not easy to work with.

[Jefecinco]

3M 5200 is most often used as an adhesive rather than a sealant although it is a good sealant. The problem with the product is that it is a very tenacious adhesive. So tenacious that it can be extremely difficult to separate two items held together with 5200 when it becomes necessary.

Your seat clamps will require refinishing more than once in the next 33 years. To refinish them properly they will have to be removed. I recommend against using 5200 as a sealant for your seat clamps.