Nearly all wooden boats eventually develop leaks at their seams.
Caulk is a material that is forced into the seams of wooden boats to keep them from leaking. When the caulk breaks down, as it eventually does, your wooden boat will eventually leak. When it does, it will almost certainly leak at a seam -- a joint where two pieces of wood join each other. When the leak finally occurs, you will do as wooden boat owners have done for millennia: Apply caulk to the leak.
Instructions
1. Mark the tip of the nozzle of a tube of marine silicone caulk about 1/4 inch.from the end, with an indelible marker.
2. Cut the tip of the nozzle off at the mark. Make the cut at a 45-degree angle, with a pair of stout shears.
3. Set the tube of caulk into a caulking gun frame. Push the caulking gun's right-angled handle into the tube of caulk and squeeze the caulk gun's trigger until the plunger on the end of the charging handle is fully engaged with the bottom of the tube of caulk. You will see caulk begin to appear in the caulk tube's nozzle.
4. Place the end of the nozzle on the leaking seam at about a 45-degree angle, so that the tip of the tube sets flat on the seam. Squeeze the caulking gun's trigger, causing caulk to come from the nozzle.
5. Push the caulking gun and the tip of the nozzle away from you along the leaking seam, trailing the caulk behind the tip of the nozzle. Work slowly and apply 1 1/2-times as much caulk as you need to cover the leaking seam at all points along the seam. Release the plunger from the bottom of the tube.
6. "Strike" the caulk by running a finger down the length of the seam to force the caulk into the seam and displace excess caulk away from the seam. Feather the edges of the caulk away from the seam with a small blade putty knife.
7. Allow the caulk to cure for at least 24 hours or longer if the caulk's instructions call for a longer curing time. Sand the repair by hand with 220-grit sand paper and paint, if desired.
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