How to install a sailboat winch pad

If you're installing a winch on a sailboat, you may want to install the sailing winch on a teak winch pad. I just re-seated a new stainless steel chimney flue on this winch pad. The deck of my Newport 30 sailboat has a curve right in the spot where the stove pipe exits the deck, so the teak pad lets me flatten out the plane of the chimney flue. The pad is generally used as a platform for winches, but it also worked out well for this project.

Teak winch pad used to mount a fireplace chimney

I think you can find these at some boating stores, perhaps West Marine, not entirely sure. I found this teak winch pad online,  Its the one in the pictures, its a nice piece of teak and looks good with a coat of varnish. 

For my application, I drilled out a 5 inch hole with a circular drill bit, then sanded down the base of the winch pad, till the slope of the pad was complimentary to the slope of my boat deck. Then I laid down some 4200 sealant and drilled the teak pad down into the balsa core fiberglass deck of my boat. This makes for a solid, water-proof attachment. I've never seen a leak on the inside of the boat.

we drilled a 5 inch hole in the teak winch pad

This is the pad I used. Looks pretty, ages well...