There are six items that every boater should have onboard in case of an urgent, on-the-water quick fix – some of which you would never have expected to be useful in any emergency situation, let alone boat repairs.
One of our biggest fears as boaters is to become stranded at sea. If you take the time to maintain your boat properly (learn how to in our Crucial Care Tips feature in our March edition) you are much less likely to find yourself in this kind of pinch, but it could still happen. Nowadays we have manifold modes of communication to notify someone of a serious predicament, but in the worst-case scenario these could also fail. This is where these six household items could come into play to save your behind. The best part is, you probably already have most of them tucked away in a broom closet, pantry, or your wife’s underwear drawer! Simply transfer them to your boat and leave them there – you’ll thank us later.
Epoxy Sticks
If you were to take only one thing on this list we’d recommend it be this. This stuff can perform miracles and you can use it to patch up just about anything from steel, aluminium, copper, titanium, plastic, wood, masonry, as well as gelcoated fibreglass, and if you get the right type you can even use it below the waterline. Quick and easy to use, epoxy putty hardens in minutes to a high strength and can then be machined, sawed, tapped, drilled, sanded and painted to provide a reliable and permanent repair. Each colour-coded stick is a two part, co-extruded, polymer compound that requires no tools and is simply kneaded by hand to a uniform consistency before applying to the required area.
