I am looking for suggestions on buying and installing a bulkhead in a Wilderness Pamlico 135T. This boat seems a natural for a bulkhead. Someone must be addressing the aftermarket need for such a kit. Any suggestions?
Looking for Floatation or Storage?
– Last Updated: Oct-11-07 7:57 AM EST –
If it's just floatation, you could probably get some minicell and carve it out to approximately fit in the end, secure it with Lexel (any good hardware store for the Lexel). If it's a storage compartment you want, more complicated. Same idea would work but it'd be more time-consuming to carve and fit in a bulkhead.
I don't know this type boat well enough to know if there is an after-market kit for this purpose.
floatbags
Rotomolded plastic is a difficult material to bond to, so getting a really good seal between your bulkhead insert and the boat would be a difficult home project.
You might consider using large inflated floatbags instead. No time spent installing, no risk of materials not bonding to your hull or making a mess, you can use the float bags in other boats, for other purposes, and if you should get another boat in the future you can take the float bags along and use on your new boat.
Easy project
I agree, a boat with a hatch deserves a bulkhead. 3" Minicell foam is the way to go and a good adhesive caulk will secure it in the boat. Every plastic boat needs to have the bulkheads resealed from time to time so do not worry if the caulk doesn’t hold for the life of the boat.
Before hacking away at the foam, try using cardboard for a template. Make sure to account for the tapering of the deck and hull.
With all the materials gathered, this should take you less than an hour.
Wilderness systems makes bulkhead kits
for their boats…call them up…