I still don't know why on earth the vendor/manufacturer would be saying silicone caulk. Silicone is *not* a suitable structural caulk. It's one of the weakest on the market. Suitable only for sealing up the gap between a counter top and edge at resturants and such. It barely does the job on aquariums. You can rub silicone caulk off with your thumb!

I would use the 5200, though there is one other that's perhaps better. I can't remember what it is, and I don't have my catalogs here to look it up. Something like 100 I believe. In any case, reading the label will tell you how it works. If you've got a big boating store near you, they'll be even more helpfull at making sure 5200 is the best, or if it's second best.

I would *not* do the multi-layers your engineering friend suggested. That's a road to disaster. You'd get cured layers of lumpy caulk to try bonding to instead of smooth plastic. Coat the joining surfaces with the 5200, clamp/tape/whatever them together, let it cure. If you can get to the inside seam, run a bead there as well. To give you an idea of just how strong 5200 is, it is the normal method of fastening splashwells onto the transom of power boats. You know, those splash wells people stand in all the time, and throw gas can in and such.

> While I was in the water I thought some water seeped in between the deck
> seams and thought I could get away with recaulking but then when I turned
> the boat on its side while on land, it seemed as if water was coming out
> along several places but am not really certain. The designer, Joe, said I
> should take the cap off and recenter the hull and deck pieces, using
> either the silicone or the 5020 caulking and reattach the cap. An engineer
> friend thought that I should first attach and caulk the hull, let it sit
> overnight, attach and caulk the deck, let it sit overnight and then caulk
> again and attach the cap - Any thoughts about which would work the best?
> Thanks for the input. Alice