Bulkhead sealent
Posted by: pirateoverforty
on Sep-21-12 10:45 AM (EST)
There is a brand called "Lexel" that's carried at Lowe's and Home Depot. That's the stuff to use. Best technique is to think of it as applying it to the hull with the bead against the bulkhead instead of trying to apply it to the foam with the bead against the hull. A minor difference that can make it slightly less messy.
My wife and I have learned to carry an extra two qt canteen we call big red. We take all the water we think we could possibly need and then add in big red. A water purifier would probably make more sense but they are not cheap.
While you're in the hardware store pick up a sponge from the tile grout section, that's for the paddle drip accumulation that a bilge pump won't get.
They also make a splash deck, which is kind of a half skirt that doesn't go around your waste and does not seal the cockpit behind you. Keeps out paddle drips, lets you reach things in the cockpit, doesn't interfere much with air flow. Does not help though if you flip your boat. A low angle stroke will help keep the drips out of the boat, but mostly I've found it's just a matter of getting use to it.