"Blue Tape" Report

[Dan Johnson]

I was finally able to get down to my boat today at the top of the Chesapeake Bay. I was an advocate of using blue painter's tape to seal up all hatch seams, which I did to prepare for Huricane Irene.

All hatch seams were still taped and the tape was intact around all of them, despite the pounding of rain and wind. 3M tape was used, applied to clean, dry surfaces last Friday, a sunny day in the 80's.

After application, all flat surface contact was rubbed by hand to ensure positive adherance. The key is that the surface MUST be dry. The tape won't stick if it's applied to a damp or wet surface.

No evidence of water penetration past the tape could be found.

Not as scientific as one of Maine Sail's reports, but just as satisfied with the results!

 

[Rick Webb]

Good to Hear

I was wondering about puting down the blue tape and then covering it with Duck Tape to keep the water off of it. It sounds though like for a single storm that is not necessary.

Here is an "Ammo Guys" hint with Duck Tape:
If you are wrapping the tape around an item for instance the halyards and shrouds onto a mast while it is on a trailer. Make the first couple of wraps with the sticky side out the flip it around and wrapit like you normaly would. It can then be left on for months with no fear of it leaving a residue on anything.

 

[All U Get]

Re: Good to Hear

For winter I just used some scraps of shrink wrap around my unstepped mast.
All U Get

 

[txtowman]

gaffers tape works and looks just like duct tape without the sticky residue, for that you pay twice the price. it's worth on some applications.

 

[Rick Webb]

Gaffers Tape

Can I get it a the local WalMart?

It may be worth twice as much if I can half as much to get the same result.

 

[thinwater]

McMaster/Carr Has Gaffers Tape

Black or white. Lasts for at least a season of full exposure to salt, sun, and spray. Often it lasts several years (I have used it on tramps to protect stitching in traffic areas) ( I have used it on the end of my boom to keep birds from nesting--I meant to something with metal, butthe gaffers tape is 3 years old and going strong). Great stuff.

However, the applications are a bit different than gaffers tape. It doesn't wrap in the same way and is stiffer. Get some and play with it.

 

[Jmac]

I too used blue tape. And after I returned from taping up every crack and crevice I thought water might get blown through, I came home and started my daily reads on this site. Throughout the hurricane all these bad posts were coming in about blue tape..needless to say it made me more than a little nervous about the condition I would find her in after the storm! BONE DRY and looking fine she was when I went down to the dock. All blue tape in place and easy to remove.

 

[Scott T-Bird]

I'll admit that I am surpised by the reports. I have used blue painters tape (Scotch Brand - I believe) for sealing areas during water tests of windows and the first exposure to water and air pressure has caused it to lose adherence to drywall and finished wood. (the reason I use it on drywall is to avoid ruining the painted surface when lifting it off). I'll have to try it again ...

 

[Ross]

Scott, If you are using 3M bl;ue masting tape on drywall and it removes with no damage Check to see if it is the sensitive surface tape with an orange core. The regular blue sticks like a brother.
I must brag a bit here my boat stayed dry without any tape. I planned it and built it that way.