Wooden Plugs ?

[David M]

Originally Posted by CharlesFCook

I work on large wooden schooners. In the event of a hull breach I have access to misc wood plugs and plywood etc. I also have a bunch of cordless power tools. I have always wondered what would happen if I used an 18v cordless drill with all that water rushing in.

Anyone ever try it?

Unless waterproof ones are made I think the answer is obvious.

[zeehag]

toilet ring seal is bees wax. is tan and makes into a shape to fit anything. works great, as i learned well. yes it sticks to your hands, gloves, etc, but it WORKS.

[Kettlewell]

I have a wide variety of wooden plugs onboard, along with lots of smaller corks, dowels, and a box full of small odds and ends of wood. I have used these things in anger. A 37-foot wooden boat of mine was being launched and the idiot boatyard crew had managed to rip the depth transducer completely out of the hull with a pad on the hydraulic trailer, but it was on the side opposite where the crane operator was so he didn't see this. Luckily I came skidding up in a cloud of dust in my car as my boat was being lowered into the harbor with the transducer dangling from its wires through the hole. The boat was swung back to shore by the crane, I drove in a bung covered with epoxy, sawed it off flush, slapped some bottom paint on it, and used the boat that way for an entire season.

One of the best repair items is underwater epoxy. Don't know if it is still available, but Petit used to make a good one. It was two part and came in various sized cans. Get more than you think you need. I have put this stuff on underwater to plug small leaks and cracks, and when the boat was eventually hauled it was very hard to get off with hammers and chisels. Of course you get covered with the stuff when you are applying it underwater so wear old clothes and use your crappiest dive gear.

[zeehag]

underwater epoxy=splashzone, marine tex, other names--yes still on market and is still good.

[Bruce626]

OK, for a small hole that a wooden plug might fill - and since the issue of plumbing supplies has been brought up, how about using one of those toilet plunger things. They seem to be made of fairly thick rubber and they form a seal. Perhaps one could unscrew the wood handle and put the cup over the hole from the outside. It won't stick by suction because of the hole, but if one epoxied a loop or ring to the inside center, one could put the handle across the hole on the inside and tie it down to the cup with a loop of cord that one could then twist to tighten. Just a thought while one is in the plumbing supply section anyway.

[osirissail]

On the silly side, if you attached that toilet plunger rubber base to the outside of the hull, a passing baby whale or dolphin might mistake it for a place to get some milk food and then you would be in more trouble than just a hole in the boat. . .

[S/V Alchemy]

You'd go tits up is what you mean?

[zeehag]

toilet plungers are great to use for replacing thru hulls in the water. takes a diver to hold it while the inside worker does the hard part. keeps a world of water out when bad breaks happen. before being able to do tha tkind of repair, one can stick a plug plain or a plug and toilet wax into the gape and make it less nasty and much less scary.

[Capt Phil]

Reading this thread reminded me of a holing situation I experienced working towboats off the west coast of Vancouver Island as a young 'decky' back in the 50's. Fortunately, the mate was an old salt who had sailed wooden fishing schooners in Europe and spent several years in the merchant marine on convoy duty during WWII. We had hit a deadhead and split several planks forward and were taking on water at a fearsome rate, certainly more than the pumps could handle.
We turned stern to the sea and the mate broke out a large piece of heavy canvas and flossed it aft over the split planks with pieces of line around each of the four corners then stuffed a split mattress between the hull and the canvas with a pike pole, hardened up on all 4 corners of the canvas and ran several lines over top of the canvas to hold it in place.
We proceeded at slow speed into Tofino where there was a tidal grid to pull the boat for repairs. I'd forgotten about this ingenious method and the guy who had the knowledge and ability to act swiftly under a lot of pressure. I recall him treating the whole episode lightly later but I had forgotten this time tested technique until reading this thread.
Since then I've read a few accounts of this method being employed on men o' war in the 1700 and 1800's. Bungs are a great idea but only if you have a symetrical hole to fill like a through hull. Hitting an object like a container or a deadhead can easily result in a jagged, longitudinal split that is very difficult to deal with offshore and anyone venturing out there should have a well thought out plan to deal with that emergency. Great thread to get us thinking about what to do in a holing situation. Capt Phil

[psneeld]

Originally Posted by Capt Phil

Reading this thread reminded me of a holing situation I experienced working towboats off the west coast of Vancouver Island as a young 'decky' back in the 50's. Fortunately, the mate was an old salt who had sailed wooden fishing schooners in Europe and spent several years in the merchant marine on convoy duty during WWII. We had hit a deadhead and split several planks forward and were taking on water at a fearsome rate, certainly more than the pumps could handle.
We turned stern to the sea and the mate broke out a large piece of heavy canvas and flossed it aft over the split planks with pieces of line around each of the four corners then stuffed a split mattress between the hull and the canvas with a pike pole, hardened up on all 4 corners of the canvas and ran several lines over top of the canvas to hold it in place.
We proceeded at slow speed into Tofino where there was a tidal grid to pull the boat for repairs. I'd forgotten about this ingenious method and the guy who had the knowledge and ability to act swiftly under a lot of pressure. I recall him treating the whole episode lightly later but I had forgotten this time tested technique until reading this thread.
Since then I've read a few accounts of this method being employed on men o' war in the 1700 and 1800's. Bungs are a great idea but only if you have a symetrical hole to fill like a through hull. Hitting an object like a container or a deadhead can easily result in a jagged, longitudinal split that is very difficult to deal with offshore and anyone venturing out there should have a well thought out plan to deal with that emergency. Great thread to get us thinking about what to do in a holing situation. Capt Phil

collision matts...sold commercially...mentioned by me in this thread before...often used in recent times...sails can be used in a pinch.

Anyone with military damage control training should be aware of this technique....

[Boracay]

It looks like a kit of emergency repair gear is a good idea. So far it would hold:-
1) Wooden plugs - several reported uses.
2) Foam plugs - more versatile.
3) Collision mat - this triangular one looks useable.
4) Toilet wax, or the marine equivalent.
5) Underwater setting epoxy.
6) A selection of childrens' plastic balls.
7) An oval piece of ply, hole in middle, rope to suit, neoprene foam around edge.
8) Sink plungers

and after reading the manufacturers' instructions and trying it again:-
9) Self amalgamating rubber tape.

I've a few of these on the boat already. I just need to find a suitable box and keep it somewhere handy.

[zeehag]

i found before i left san diego some marine grade toilet seal wax--in a tub, is 50 dollars for exactly what i bought for under 5 dollars. i think i will stay with the toilet seal wax.