![]() The 26″ water column might represent a worst-case scenario of rough water. The pipe I had on hand, 26″ in length, would create less pressure than their test, but more than the draft of any of my boats would. Stay Afloat’s documented testing depth of about 9′ provided much more underwater pressure than a small boat’s leak would be subject to. My leak-testing device created pressure equivalent to that of 26″-deep water. Common sense: the bigger the hole the more you use.” It also depends on how much material you use and how big the damage area is. The FAQs on the Stay Afloat website say: “Stay Afloat has been tested…at 3 meters deep for 24 hours with no compromise. ![]() It’s a plywood box with a piece of 7″ plastic drainpipe connected to it. To test the effectiveness of Stay Afloat I wasn’t about to poke holes in any of my boats, so I made a gizmo that could simulate leaks. None of my boats had suffered enough damage to let water aboard, but that’s a possibility worth preparing for. Stay Afloat is soft, sticky wax-like material meant to fix small leaks of the sort I get with my older lapstrake boats. If you’ve been lulled into complacency by a boat that doesn’t leak, a little unexpected trickle of water could lead to a sinking. A small boat kept on a trailer isn’t going to sink while it’s idle, but leaks can occur when it’s in use, so it’s a good idea to be prepared to fix them. If you know a boat’s likely to take on a bit of water, you’re going to keep an eye on it and be prepared to do something about the leaks. “ A leaky boat never sinks,” or at least that is what my father led me to believe when he kept a 27′ carvel-planked sloop at my hometown’s marina. Stay-Afloat is a soft, sticky, wax-like material made of treated petroleum byproducts.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |