Magic Eraser saved my boat from sinking!

[Davidhoy]

Yesterday I was running up the Intracoastal waterway in Hollywood FL, heading to Playboy Marine to unstep my mast to replace the standing rigging and do some other preventative maintenance. We hit a rock in the channel, and immediately started to take on water. Turned out a through hull sheared off, and the bilge pumps were not keeping up with the inflow. The wood plug tied with a string by the through hull would not stay in, and eventually we got the hole plugged with, of all things, a Magic Eraser sponge! Once the inflow was stopped the bilge pumps quickly got things stabilized, but it was pretty hairy for as bit. Boat is now hauled so we can fully repair the damage.

Big shout-out to the manufacturers of Magic Eraser! i doubt they ever considered this particular scenario for their product, but it worked amazingly well. Also a big shout-out to the Coast Guard who helped out, thanks guys! And to the crew of the motoryacht Mamamia who came along and rendered assistance in the form of an extra pump with 110VAC power using a long extension cord from their boat!

-David

[transmitterdan]

David,

Well done! Magic erasers have embedded fine grit that gives them an edge in holding on to a slippery wet surface. So I am not surprised by your story. Maybe the people that make those fancy red foam plugs that are as slippery as proverbial goose $/|t should take notice.

[belizesailor]

Good Job! [emoji106]

While its a common practice to secure wooden plugs at thru hulls, I dont think its a good one. To work a soft wood plug must be dry (so it can absorb water and expand)...if its stowed in the bilge it aint likely to be dry. Would your wood plug just not stay in place?

[Davidhoy]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

Good Job! [emoji106]

While its a common practice to secure wooden plugs at thru hulls, I dont think its a good one. To work a soft wood plug must be dry (so it can absorb water and expand)...if its stowed in the bilge it aint likely to be dry. Would your wood plug just not stay in place?

Every wood plug I've seen is pretty hard, even the extra ones I had in a plastic bag stored elsewhere. The wood did not stay, even briefly. The Magic Eraser was, well, magic!

[a64pilot]

Nerf footballs seem to be a favorite as well. I believe the wood plug idea is to hammer it into the metal part of a broken off thru hull.
I believe wood has been used for a very long time in steel ships.

But what can work amazingly well is anything similar to say a piece of yoga mat applied from the outside.
I had to change a thru hull valve and dove the boat and placed a piece of mat on the thru hull and removed the valve. Didn’t leak a drop, then after replacing every thing as it was the waste thru hull I figured I could flush the electric head and blow the piece of yoga mat off, well it wouldn’t even blow it off the pressure from outside had it held on so tight.

I’ve even heard of a sail, like an anchor riding sail or maybe a staysail etc used to cover a large hole from the outside.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I’ve even heard of a sail, like an anchor riding sail or maybe a staysail etc used to cover a large hole from the outside.

It's called "fothering". Traditionally with canvas sails, they increased the water resistance by various means such as threading bits of rope through the sail and fraying them or some other means (see below)


I recall that there was a boat a couple of years ago on the Pacific route that did this for a few hundred miles to safety (There's quite a few thread on the subect here on CF)


Cook's Journal 13 Jun 1770:

"The leak now decreaseth upon but for fear it should break out again we gave got the Sail ready fill'd for fothering the manner this is done is thus, we take Mix ockam & wool together, / but okam alone would do / and chop it up small and then stick it loosly by hand fulls to the sail all over the sail and throw over it sheeps dung or other filth. Horse dung for this purpose is the best; the sail thus prepared is put hauld under the Ships bottom by ropes and if the place of the leak is uncertain it must be hauld from one part of her bottom to a nother untill one find the place ^is found where it takes effect; while the sail is under the Ship the ockam &Ca is washed off and part of it carried along with the water into the leak and in part stops up the hole- Mr Munkhouse one of my Midshipmen was once in a ^Merchant Sh Ship which sprung a leak and made 48 Inches water per hour but by this means was brought home from Virginia to London with only her proper crew, to him I gave the deriction of this, who exicuted it very much to my satisfaction "

[CarlF]

Magic Eraser is pretty clever.

The tapered plugs are useless in many common situations. They require a perfectly round hole - like a hose falling off. In that case, most people would just put the hose back on. The plugs won't work on a crack in the fiberglass or even a split hose.

This is what I keep aboard - and actually used once. Available at Defender.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_c...ature=emb_logo

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by CarlF

Magic Eraser is pretty clever.

The tapered plugs are useless in many common situations. They require a perfectly round hole - like a hose falling off. In that case, most people would just put the hose back on. The plugs won't work on a crack in the fiberglass or even a split hose.

This is what I keep aboard - and actually used once. Available at Defender.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_c...ature=emb_logo

I've got toilet ring wax. Is that stuff substantially different?

[gtwashio]

Good thinking to save the boat. What I want to know is WHERE is that rock, in what channel?????

I go to Playboy every two or three years for my "annual" haulout and I DON"T want to hit that rock.

Thanks, Tom

[JoeRobertJr]

Originally Posted by StuM

... Horse dung for this purpose is the best; ...

Adding horse dung to my damage control kit.

[skipmac]

I would like to see the answer to the two questions asked. Where is that rock (been to Playboy several times over my boating career) and is a toilet ring any different from the Stay Afloat material?

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by JoeRobertJr

Adding horse dung to my damage control kit.

You need a wooden boat for that to work

[LostBiker]

Originally Posted by JoeRobertJr

Adding horse dung to my damage control kit.

And the winner is JoeRobertJr for making me spill my coffee. We keep toilet rings and odd pieces of foam around for any leaks - not happened yet - but the magic eraser we have several and its good to know it works as a plug.


John

[JoeRobertJr]

Originally Posted by skipmac

I would like to see the answer to the two questions asked. Where is that rock (been to Playboy several times over my boating career) and is a toilet ring any different from the Stay Afloat material?

Maybe a partial answer from the stayafloatmarine.com web site:
"What is it? Stay Afloat is a thick blend of a petroleum by-product sourced from the refining process, which has been severely washed, cleaned and treated." I did not find more specific details on ingredients.

From woodcentral.com: "The English, who invented what has become the modern toilet, used beeswax to seal the connection between toilet and pipe. But as the newfangled toilets gained popularity, they outstripped bees' ability to make wax. Modern wax rings are made of vegetable and petroleum waxes, with polyurethane additives."

[dennismenace111]

Originally Posted by gtwashio

Good thinking to save the boat. What I want to know is WHERE is that rock, in what channel?????

I go to Playboy every two or three years for my "annual" haulout and I DON"T want to hit that rock.

Thanks, Tom

Me too. I keep my boat up the New River and frequently motor down the ICW when it's too rough outside. I'd like to know Where you found tgat rock.