Sinking boat/wax toilet ring? *pop

[Don s/v Tellico]

Excellent article in this month's Passagemaker magazine about a Riveria sportsfisher hitting a whale off the CA coast. Apparently the impact pulled one of the drive shafts out of the hull. The story really keeps you on edge as the owner and a crewmember try to save themselves and the boat. Really scared the bejeezus out of me.The author mentions that one of the teams that came out to help included the harbor master from one of the CA ports. Apparently the harbormaster keeps onboard several of those wax rings that you use to reseat a toilet, and he used one of them to temporarily stop the flow. Says he always keeps them aboard for this purpose. I just can't get an image of how you'd use a wax ring for this purpose. What am I missing?BTW, they ultimately replace the ring with a wooden plug from the water.

 

[Rick Webb]

I Can Imagine A Couple of Ways

If you wadded it up and stuck it in the hole coverd it with somthing stiff then braced it it would hold well. I imagine you could even screw a peice of plywood to the inside of the hull with the wax inbetween and it would seal pretty while for more than a short time.

 

[Doug L]

Play dough

The wax is very pliable, like play dough. I expect they took a handful & shoved it into the hole.

 

[Rick D]

Worked For Me

..in a less-extreme way. Had a leak in a valve that was a problem but didn't warrant an immediate haul. The wax worked for the couple of months to stop the leak until the valve was replaced. I keep a pair of seals on the boat. Most of the emergency services here have them. RD

 

[Ctskip]

Thats it

I'm getting me some of them wax rings tomorrow Thanks and by all means Keep it up,Ctskip

 

[Ross]

I did a test for stopping

holes. A disposable diaper pushed into a 2 inch pipe will stop water from flowing after about two quarts have been poured into the upper end of an eight foot pipe held at chest height on one end. Try it, the durn thing swells up to where you can't pull it out.

 

[Terry]

Wax ring

Good idea. A 6 inch diameter piece of 1/2" plywood with a small hole in the center, and a 6 x 1 inch piece of 1/2" plywood , with a hole in the center. A bolt long enough to reach through both pieces of ply, the wax ring and hull, would make a pretty good temporary plug for an irregular hole up to the inside ring diameter.  The wax ring is thick enough which would help with irregular surfaces. Also keep the wax rings in a cool place as they seem to be softer than actual wax.Sail On...Terry

 

[Rob Morton]

Wax ring and towel

The wax rings are a little softer than regular wax. They are just bee's wax. We keep a couple on the boat with an old bath towel. I had heard that some wax on a towel makes a good stopper if a plug won't work. We have not had to try it yet and hope we don't. I also hold our transducer in place with it in the front compartment. Rob MortonS/V Euphoria

 

[Gary Wyngarden]

Draw me a picture, please.

I like the sound of this but have no idea what to look for or where to look for a wax ring. How big are they? Who carries them?Thanks.Gary WyngardenS/V Wanderlust h37.5

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

Gary, Home Depot, Lowes or any hardware store

that has toilet parts will have wax rings. Stop by one and tell 'em you want to see what it looks like. Normally, it's used to provide a seal between the base of a household toilet and the floor...they last 10-15 years...you know it's time to replace it when you start to see a puddle around the base of your toilet. You can learn more about wax rings, what they do, and how to replace one than you prob'ly want to know here: http://www.toiletology.com/wax-ring.shtml

 

[Fred Ficarra]

Gary

I love it when guys show their 'experience'. So you never installed a toilet huh? Go to any 'home' store. Hell, even Safeway might have 'em. Ask for a wax ring. They'll fix you up.P.S. Peggie beat me again! I hate it when that happens.

 

[Gary Wyngarden]

Thanks, Peggie

nm

 

[Gary Wyngarden]

Now Fred

The rules at my house are these:1. If it's on the boat, I fix it.2. If it's not on the boat, somebody else fixes it.Good rules, eh?Gary WyngardenS/V Wanderlust h37.5

 

[patrick]

Gary,

I like your rules. Don't know if I could get away with it though.

 

[Don s/v Tellico]

OMG...leave it to Peggy...

to send us to a site named "Toiletology"..And how on earth has this topic escaped HOW in the past. I'm a pretty thorough reader and don't recall it ever discussed?????Off to Home Depot to buy a couple now that I've learned I'm behind the learning curve on this one.

 

[Bob W.]

"Coasters"

"Don--" If you haven't left for Home Depot yet, I suggest you buy a half dozen of the wax rings. You'll really find them interesting and they are good conversation getters. I use four of them as place settings on the dining table and my guests can put their beer cans, coffee cups or what ever in them and there great in rough weather.

 

[Seattle Scott]

Kids put a toy down the toilet

I unbolted the toilet, tipped it over and hit the cast iron tub, toilet broke in half, wife gave me the yellow paged opened to "plumbers", I made the call.

 

[Gary Wyngarden]

Speed

How's this for speed? Was going to the hardware store this afternoon anyway to buy some stainless steel fasteners (boat project) so I bought a wax ring too.Can't see how it will work though. Doesn't say "marine" on the packaging and it only cost $1.35!Gary WyngardenS/V Wanderlust h37.5

 

[Ken13531]

Marinized version of the toilet ring now available

Gary.You must have bought the wrong ring for $1.35.I am going to sell the "Marinized" version for $135.00. Of course that is Canadian dollars so you are getting a deal. In a pinch you could even use them at home to repair the toilet.Ken

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

When one of my toilets at home needed one...

I weighed the risk that I'd end up cracking the toilet (the d'd things weigh about 75 lbs) against the paying a plumber...and called the plumber. I know a lot about toilets...but that doesn't mean I have to bite off more than I chew to prove it!