Hatch Tape

[martin]

Hockey tape will stretch when putting it around your legs or stretching it out straight but it wont sit on a flat deck where you have to bend or stretch the tape against its width. Also it wont go round where you have say the front of the hatch curved where it sits in the appature in the deck especially where you have a double curve where the hatch slops up as well. The best stuff for these type of double curves is without question pvc electrical tape which if you apply with one finger pressing the tape in whilst going around the curves & the other hand spooling the roll of tape you get a perfectly flat seal on the tape, Electrical tape is also water resistant. Martin.

[ray schrauwen]

The new 3M Hockey tape sucks I've heard. Not nearly like the Renfrew stuff. Too bad Canadian Tire is starting to phase out the Renfrew for 3M hockey tape. Not nearly as sticky, might as well use Scotch tape.

[marko500]

I use hockey tape and have never had a problem at the overlaps either.

[martin]

Where the hockey tape overlaps itself in the corners you get a white ish mark along the overlap, Thats where its not stuck. You can run your finger nail along to press it in but it comes up again because the tape is to thick to to bend tightly over the other piece of tape. This isnt a bad leak at this point but i want to eliminate every possible potential leak especially if my boats sitting upside down for some time untill i can get to it. Martin.

[martin]

Perhaps its just me being extra cautious as i always use a double seal on my boats, I have a thin clear sheet that sits in the top appature of the boat which is sealed around with tape then the hatch is fitted & also sealed all round. Not one single drop of water enters the boat even if its upside down for some time or up the shaft tube. Steps worth taking when you run on salt water all the time. Martin.

[Doug Smock]

I like hockey tape

You fellas that are having problems with the hockey tape leaking through the overlap are spending too much time upside down.

Doug

[driftah]

I love the aquacraft grimracer hatch tape...its like acetate and is very strong..comes in a larger roll than electrical tape too and cheap still,not the best for curved taping areas tho may have to overlap it

[m4a1usr]

HUH? Hockey shin pad tape doesn't stretch?

You could be right. Maybe what I have isnt actually Renfrew hockey tape. Never having played I dont know what to look for. I bought my tape off Fleabay "advertised as Refrew hockey tape". Regardless, the tape I use is clear on a 3" roll and thick. You might be able to stretch it if you were Schwarzenegger or a NFL line backer but a mere mortal like me cant. What ever mine is called its been the best tape I ever tried and has the tenacity to cling and adhere like none of the other tapes I have tried. Luckily I purchased a dozen rolls a couple years ago and still have several more years worth to go.

And Doug your right. I dont spend too much time inverted. Unless its with mama :)

John

[RCKong]

The clear electrical tape is BOSS... WalMrt for a buck a roll, and goes right around curved hatches, no residue... NICE

[BHChieftain]

It stretches when padding up, not when applying to a boat. Thats the key. You're not TRYING to stretch it on your hull. I'm clueless to why you'd be getting leaks at the overlap. I never have.

I also use the OSE hockey tape, and it works great for me *provided* I really run my fingers across the tape to seal it well-- otherwise I've seen leaks,

Chief

[martin]

I also dont spend much time inverted as i make most of my boats self righting so they hope fully dont spend much time upside down. When you run self righting boats you tend to drive taking more chances & having a bit more fun turning the boat running flat out & putting full rudder & turning very sharply, If it goes over at this speed it dosnt matter because it self rights immediately. Personally i find it gets kinda boring just going up & back in a straight line or being restricted to large ovals turning basically in one direction. Because i do a lot of experimenting getting my boats to self right they spend a lot of time inverted,Not because they have turned over but because i put the boats in inverted when perfecting the self righting. So i also use various tapes that are around when doing this & get a good idea of what tapes seem to work the best for me. So if for what ever reason one dosnt self right i wont to know theirs a good chance no water gets in. If i see the smallest drip on water in the boat i wont to know how & cure it. I simply wont buy a boat that dosnt have a good shape between the deck & hatch ie some hatches have all sorts of irregular shapes that the deck dosnt so is very difficult to seal & you end up with a mass of small bits of tape trying to seal the hatch. Martin.

[martin]

I also dont spend much time inverted as i make most of my boats self righting so they hope fully dont spend much time upside down. When you run self righting boats you tend to drive taking more chances & having a bit more fun turning the boat running flat out & putting full rudder & turning very sharply, If it goes over at this speed it dosnt matter because it self rights immediately. Personally i find it gets kinda boring just going up & back in a straight line or being restricted to large ovals turning basically in one direction. Because i do a lot of experimenting getting my boats to self right they spend a lot of time inverted,Not because they have turned over but because i put the boats in inverted when perfecting the self righting. So i also use various tapes that are around when doing this & get a good idea of what tapes seem to work the best for me. So if for what ever reason one dosnt self right i wont to know theirs a good chance no water gets in. If i see the smallest drip on water in the boat i wont to know how & cure it. I simply wont buy a boat that dosnt have a good shape between the deck & hatch ie some hatches have all sorts of irregular shapes that the deck dosnt so is very difficult to seal & you end up with a mass of small bits of tape trying to seal the hatch. Martin.

[tiqueman]

The clear electrical tape is BOSS... WalMrt for a buck a roll, and goes right around curved hatches, no residue... NICE

You liked my demo on the curvy MG hatch the other day huh Brian

For quite some time I only used GE clear electrical tape. Never had a problem with it. I few weeks ago I had a small order from OSE and decided to try a roll of the Hockey tape. It seems it stickes a littel better. No scientific testing on that, just more resistance while pulling off. Mostly I like that its a bit wider. Ive had 60+ mph blow overs using GE tape and everything stayed put. We had a race gathering last weekend and someones boat rolled who used hockey tape. It broke loose on one side and let a bit of water in. I will continue to use both until I have a problem w/ one or the other. I use the GE on hatches w/ bends and hockey on the straight stuff. I also used some LHS bought "radio box" tape. It was about as wide as electrical tape, super thin and almost too tacky. Cant remember the brand. It was ok, but kinda a pain.

[RCKong]

Yea, being able to tape down curvy hatches is a plus for sure. Last week hockey tape actually took a small chunk 1/2' by 1/4 out of the gelcoat finish of my SV27. Not cool at all.

[FighterCat57]

I'm actually having trouble finding the GE tape online. It's GE Part # 18161 3/4" x 66ft "Clear Electrical Vinyl Tape".

This is the "Duck" equivalent. http://www.duckbrand.com/Products/di...ical-tape.aspx