Quandary
Well-Known Member
For years I have always kept a tube of this stuff on-board, in the tube, unlike filler in a tin it keeps for ever, is easily measured out and mixed, it is exothermic so can be used at much lower temperatures than epoxy. The tube I have just finished was purchased in 2013 in the Fishermens Chandlers in Stornaway.
My faith in it goes back to a race in the early nineties, we had started from Bangor (NI) on a windless Friday night, it was pitch dark and we were stiil in the Copeland Sound, at last making good speed lee bowing the tide, we misjudged our speed and direction and manage to collide with one of the channel buoys, the lifting lug on the side of the buoy punched a cricket ball sized hole just below the boot top, by tacking and keeping all the crew to lee we were able to keep the water out. A tube of said filler was mixed, a rope round my ankles and I was able to shovel it in the hole and smooth off, it went off in less than 20 mins and we were able to keep going without loss of time. Despite doing it inverted the finish was good enough to alow us a victory, in fact it was a couple of weeks before we were able to haul the boat over and tidy up the repair. So I always carry a big tube hoping never to use it , but eventually it gets used up on minor repairs demanding good adhesion and strength.
But it has disappeared, Henkel are now selling something with a different name, in tins rather than the long lasting tube. Anyone know of a replacement or substitute?
My faith in it goes back to a race in the early nineties, we had started from Bangor (NI) on a windless Friday night, it was pitch dark and we were stiil in the Copeland Sound, at last making good speed lee bowing the tide, we misjudged our speed and direction and manage to collide with one of the channel buoys, the lifting lug on the side of the buoy punched a cricket ball sized hole just below the boot top, by tacking and keeping all the crew to lee we were able to keep the water out. A tube of said filler was mixed, a rope round my ankles and I was able to shovel it in the hole and smooth off, it went off in less than 20 mins and we were able to keep going without loss of time. Despite doing it inverted the finish was good enough to alow us a victory, in fact it was a couple of weeks before we were able to haul the boat over and tidy up the repair. So I always carry a big tube hoping never to use it , but eventually it gets used up on minor repairs demanding good adhesion and strength.
But it has disappeared, Henkel are now selling something with a different name, in tins rather than the long lasting tube. Anyone know of a replacement or substitute?