Hi, Mike and others -

We use 3" closed cell foam bulkheads for our wooden (stripper) boats and caulk them with a good marine quality silicone caulk. After 5 years of heavy saltwater use, one of my bulkheads needed to be recaulked, but it was easy to repair. Others recommend using the stripwood bulkheads, but we have not had any problems with the foam. I think it is important to use a thick foam like the 3" thickness you typically get from Chesapeake Light, Mad River or other outfitters.

(BTW, nice to meet you and Barbara at the Rendezvous!)

Judy

> My impression of the bulkhead leaking problem is that a lot of rotomoulded
> boats use foam bulkheads which eventually leak. These boats tend to flex a
> lot and are a difficult surface to bond to. I'd suspect that 3"
> minicell and 3M 5200 would work quite well in a strip kayak.