On Tue, 6 Oct 2009 08:36:10 -0400, "mmc" wrote:



I was a Navy EOD Diver and an on and off inshore commercial diver for a few
years afterwards. Too many spoiled - college drop out - dope smoking punks
in that business for me. I decided I needed to do something else when I came
up the ladder one night and found the dive supe and standby diver smoking
pot. Me and another diver were relying on those idiots to help us if we got
into trouble. I knew they'd eventually get someone killed but it wasn't
going to be me.

Whoa. Not too confidence inspiring.
I was working for a plumber back during the Reagan admin after I got
laid off from my first IT job.
We're laying sewer pipe in a 5 foot ditch in an apartment building
basement when him and a friend of his who dropped by light up joints
and offered me one. I was never really into that, and certainly not
when working, so I passed. Maybe my 6th or 7th job with him.
Didn't bother me that Roy lit up, though it surprised me a bit.
Hardest working guy I ever saw, and a real good plumber.
Besides, unlike your situation, I could keep an eye on him.
And I already had 4 kids to feed.
Funny thing is he never called me back after I turned down that joint.
HE didn't trust ME.
The tokers I've run across were either stupid or paranoid.
Just my experience. Haven't known many.
Roy wasn't stupid.
When I was washing trucks at UPS a trailer sweeper kid who had totaled
his car was asking for a ride to work until he replaced it.
Same start time as me, so I told him I'd pick him up. Cost me maybe
10 minutes. Not even enough to ask for him to kick in for gas.
First day I stop in front of his house, he keeps me waiting 5 minutes,
then gets in my car with a lit joint. I laid down the law about that
real quick, and told him to be ready when I pulled up.
Reading a clock ain't exactly rocket science.
Next day he still keeps me waiting, and just reeks up the car with the
pot smell on his clothes. Told him not to keep me waiting.
Couldn't even talk to this guy during the 20 minute ride.
He was too pot-befuddled.
Third day same thing, and I told him to find another ride.
He was stupid. Too bad. But his folks probably loved him.

The commercial schools used to turn out good divers, now they're just like
too many things, as long as daddys check clears, junior is going to get a
certificate.
In 2nd class diving school, we were trained to use tooker patches, and use
soft patches, cut and weld .
A friend told me of an instance where he mixed up a bunch (2-3 cups) of
epoxy glue and put it in a paper plate which was then folded in half. The
target was a 4-5 inch hole in a hull caused by rubbing on a piling. He dove
down, unfolded the plate and jammed it against the hole, holding there for
the 10 minutes or so until the epoxy kicked. Afterwards, they raised the
hull to the gunnels by crane and pumped the water out.

I looked around for underwater glues and only found 2-part epoxies.
Was looking for a quick stickum to outline a hole, then slap a piece
of heavy visqueen on it. Just an idea. No scuba gear.
A tube of roof tar might work if water action isn't too bad.
Needs experimentation. Just talking about small FRP boats.
Another thought comes to mind. Stick an inflatable PFD in the hole
and pull the cord. Might be useful to carry some for that purpose.
Could be "armored" with something flexible and tough to prevent holing
the PFD.
Here's another idea.
An open plexi box maybe a foot square and 2 inches deep.
Open edges lined with thick soft foam to conform to hull.
Hole in middle of plexi to take nozzle from can of expanding foam.
Slap it against any hole not too big for the box, insert can and
inject foam.
Foam displaces water in the box and mushrooms inside hull, leaving
a 2 inch foam plate on the outside held by the mushroom inside.
Now you've got time to mix some epoxy and glue a sheet of something
stronger over the patch, and even pop open a bottle of beer if you
dare.
Just an idea. Details like what kind of expanding foam, force needed
to hold plexi box against hull, etc., to be determined.
I'll leave that to Froggy.

I agree that a simple patch kit would be a darn good idea: a piece of 3/8"
plywood could be stowed under a cushion, the cushion itself, a scrap of sail
cloth and line bundled, tapered wooden plugs and a mallet, and some sort of
plan that the skipper has shared with the crew.
Tapered plugs and a mallet are a definite must have. I believe more boats
are sunk by fixture failures than running into things.
So, why not have a boat Vic? Even just looking at boats is theraputic.

Can't keep a boat here. Have to wait until I move. Florida.

--Vic