Emergency leak repair putty?

[suiramor]

I have discovered a slow leak where one of my sea-cocks is fitted through the hull. I have arranged to take the boat to a shipyard to have her hauled out and repaired but that's still 20 away from where the boat is now. I believe there is an epoxy putty I could apply from the outside to seal the leak temporarily (found one called Stay Afloat Leak Sealant). Are these any good? Are there other ways to ensure the sea-cock does get completely lose in transit?

[Lepke]

Stay Afloat works. Why is the seacock loose? Normally there's a nut or valve that tightens the thru hull stem. How much water is leaking?

[S/V Illusion]

Unless you can ensure the thruhull doesn’t turn and exacerbate the problem while you put a wrench to the sea cock to tighten it, it may be better to let it leak and use any underwater epoxy - they all are essentially the dame thing.

I used the Ace Hardware brand on a similar problem.

[thinwater]

Stay Afloat is a soft wax, not an epoxy. Different thing.


Yes, they work. However, applying underwater is not easy while breath holding. First, you need to clean the surface--it can't bond to bottom paint or growth. Then it really wants to stick you your hand and takes some time to rub down.


You might be able to do it from the inside . They'll have to grind it out anyway. But don't go overboard.

[CarlF]

StayAfloat will work from the inside. I've used it on a hull crack and it completely stopped the water. You just squeeze a big blob over the leak. Not a permanent fix but should get you to the yard OK.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=888wQhRcmjQ

[stormalong]

Go to almost any hardware store and buy plumbers epoxy putty. It comes in a small cylindrical container. Cut off as much as you need and Knead it until uniform. It sticks to wet surfaces. I would not consider it a permanent fix but it will get you to the boatyard.

[Mike Banks]

Use wet area wet-use silicone from a builders' supply store. It will get you to a haul-out place where you can fix it properly.

The epoxy you mention is a type of two pack stuff water-based and mixed like putty--there are several brands of it but the one I use is Ferropre. It is use by plumbers, can be bought at a hardware or builders' supply depot. It comes in two tins--mix if 50/50. It will set wet and stick to CLEAN surfaces under the waterline. It is of sufficient quality that it can be used for a permanent fix on some hard to fix surfaces such as Ferrocement, but of course used when on the slips.
.

[thinwater]

The most available and fastest cure is JB Waterweld. Any hardware will have it, and I've used it on active boat leaks.


Petite Splash Zone is stronger, slower, and very good. Chandleries only.

[hpeer]

Toilet bowl wax.

[Coolerking]

Originally Posted by hpeer

Toilet bowl wax.

works great, if it works, if it doesn't, there's no going back.
Get some 36 grit, and give it to the diver, scratch it up good and seal it.
Use epoxy, preferably sea going, but any good 2 part underwater type will work, do it the day before.
Then before you leave, plan for a solid method to pump the water out faster than the now missing thruhull will allow in....

Dm me for lots of other ways to keep water outside the hull...(first rule right?)
Don't ask how I know.

[TravelinLight]

Sorry, could not resist:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xzN6FM5x_E

[George DuBose]

Although I have never had to use Stay Afloat in any emergency, I do keep a large container on board in a handy spot. I have softwood cones to hammer into a broken hose, but for hull cracks and other leaks, Stay Afloat is great.

Although it is soft in the can, it hardens in contact with water, but it should be much easier to remove for proper repair than any epoxies.

Stay Afloat is quite sticky and can be applied underwater from inside or outside the hull.

There was an article in a sailing magazine about using Stay Afloat to repair a large gash in one of the hulls of a catamaran and then the cat sailed hundreds of miles to get a proper repair.

Having Stay Afloat, softwood bungs and a large collision mat give me a lot of peace of mind.

[Sojourner]

I'm pretty sure stay afloat is 100 percent toilet bowl wax seal material marked up 10000 percent. So go to Ace and grab a handful of those brown rings for a few bucks and smear one onto the leak. Keep the rest for the next emergency.

[George DuBose]

Originally Posted by Sojourner

I'm pretty sure stay afloat is 100 percent toilet bowl wax seal material marked up 10000 percent. So go to Ace and grab a handful of those brown rings for a few bucks and smear one onto the leak. Keep the rest for the next emergency.

This is a response from the manufacturer of Stay Afloat I found on another blog...

The idea did came from Bowl Wax, which I used several years ago, it was sort of an underground knowing. The problem was that there are many different kinds of this wax and some work, while others do not. I researched this wax and found the best formula. We then had it modified to work better, stickier and more dense. This wax is a complex blend of petroleum byproducts. So, yes, it is similar but not the same. This is nothing new to us and there will always be those who compare it. We never dodge this question, we say, yes it is similar, but it is a better formula. As far as them talking about the pressure they should look at the articles on our site, especially the crash test review. There is also a picture of a thru hull showing water shooting in and then our product stopping the leak. Lastly the cost difference is not much per ounce and we have put it into a rugged container which will last for years.

If you have any questions please feel free to e-mail me at olsenscove@gmail.com.

Regards/Gary

[timjf]

Hi can anyone please tell where in Australia I can purchase the "stay afloat" product
Thanks regards Tim