Unsung Hero: Aluminum Tape

0

Duct tape, parachute cord, and cable ties. We carry a boat full of tools and spare parts, but these three make every sailors list of indispensables for temporary repairs. We’ve reviewed conventional duct tape (If you Cant Duct it, Tough Duct it, Practical Sailor, December 2009), self-bonding tapes (Atomic Tape, PS, December 2005), and gaffers tape, but somehow skipped over foil duct tape. It does a few things ordinary duct tape just can’t.

Sealing Stink. While testing sanitation hoses (Marine Sanitation Hose Test, PS April 2013) we learned that a wrapping of foil tape reliably blocked odor. While not the preferred cure for failing hoses, gases simply can’t go through metal, no matter how thin. This is why Mylar balloons stay inflated for months-a mere 0.5 micron aluminum coating is all that is needed to render the plastic impermeable to the smallest of gas molecules-helium.

Sealing Paint Cans. A tightly sealed lid is best, but if the rim is dented or gummed-up, or if you simply want a little extra protection for your $200-per-gallon bottom paint, a tight wrap of foil duct tape will retain the solvents just as securely as a factory seal. Solvents go through vinyl duct tape.

Ducts. Conventional tape is superior where you need some stretch-sealing the cover of an insulated flexible AC duct to an outlet fitting, for example. But when fabricating the ducts themselves and sealing flanges between sections, rigid non-stretch support and complete impermeability to moisture are better. Quality aluminum tape is a permanent solution.

Because it is non-stretch, it is most effective on smooth and regular surfaces, where it can be applied carefully and without wrinkles. For sealing cans, wrap the rim smoothly, and then bend it over while circling in one direction.

Maybe you don’t need to keep this one on the boat, but it should certainly be in your tool bag at home.

Contacts
Darrell Nicholson
Practical Sailor has been independently testing and reporting on sailboats and sailing gear for more than 50 years. Supported entirely by subscribers, Practical Sailor accepts no advertising. Its independent tests are carried out by experienced sailors and marine industry professionals dedicated to providing objective evaluation and reporting about boats, gear, and the skills required to cross oceans. Practical Sailor is edited by Darrell Nicholson, a long-time liveaboard sailor and trans-Pacific cruiser who has been director of Belvoir Media Group's marine division since 2005. He holds a U.S. Coast Guard 100-ton Master license, has logged tens of thousands of miles in three oceans, and has skippered everything from pilot boats to day charter cats. His weekly blog Inside Practical Sailor offers an inside look at current research and gear tests at Practical Sailor, while his award-winning column,"Rhumb Lines," tracks boating trends and reflects upon the sailing life. He sails a Sparkman & Stephens-designed Yankee 30 out of St. Petersburg, Florida. You can reach him by email at practicalsailor@belvoir.com.