Guess what the postman brought today? Nothing, unfortunately, I missed him. It seems like the majority of my post doesn’t make it to me these days. I think they wait for me to go out then run over with their pre-written red slips! Anyhow, after a trip to the parcel office I managed to collect a new sample for review; non-other than the newly packed Captain Tolley’s Creeping Crack Cure.
Table of Contents
What is it?
Developed by Peter Tolley in 1986 for use in the marine environment, as well as caravans and cars, Captain Tolley’s Creeping Crack is a 1 part leak finder and filler that is available in 60ml or 250ml bottles in liquid form. Tolley’s has been a favourite amongst boaters and chandleries for many years.
Captain Tolley’s is a penetrating sealant that can be can be poured into cracks that are no bigger than 0.8mm wide. It has the consistency of water and essentially works its way into cracks in a similar fashion. Filling cracks via a capillary action; its low viscosity and specially blended, acrylic copolymers create a watertight seal preventing leaks and those annoying drips! It’s also a strong and flexible adhesive which makes it useful for many marine applications.
Captain Tolley’s Creepging Crack is generally used above the waterline on deck fittings, coachroofs, wooden decks, hatches, windows, portholes and rivets and was also developed for use on motorhomes and cars.
It’s also non-toxic meaning it can even be used to piece together broken ceramics which is great when you live on a boat as things generally seem to get smashed to pieces!
Our Review
Captain Tolley’s Creeping Crack Cure is a great penetrating sealant and the small 60ml bottle makes it ideal for stowing away. My first attempt at using Tolley’s failed because the trim around my boat windows had a large amount of water trapped and not visible. After a few applications, I waited for a day of heavy rainfall to test and unfortunately the window I had applied it too oozed a milky water as the rain made its way past the old seals and into the U-trim frame. I had a second attempt on the same window, this time waiting for a few days of hot weather. Success! I had no more leak. The only downfall with this product is the fact it needs to be applied to a dry surface. By using a heater, hairdryer or waiting for a good spell of weather you can create a waterproof and lasting seal. Sometimes re-sealing deck equipment and windows can be a massive task especially when you are living on your boat. Tolley’s does an amazing job at patching up areas that need a bit of maintenance where a complete re-fit and seal is not possible.
The General Review
Digging through marine forums the general consonances for Captain Tolley’s Creeping Crack Cure is that it’s a great product and is a staple in many toolkits. Some forumites have described using the product for 5-10 years confidently. The only negatives we could find are people who have had the same experience applying it into wet conditions where it has failed to work due to not following the instructions.
PROS
- Non-toxic and can even be used on caravans and cars.
- Elongation: 500% (flexible once set).
- Strong adhesive properties.
- Sets clear.
- Compatible with a wide variety of materials; rubber, glass, wood, hard plastics, existing sealants, concrete, ceramics, metals and fibreglass.
- Affordable – £6.95 for 60ml and £11.49 for 250ml with free UK shipping.
CONS
- The area must be dry to work properly.
- Takes 24 hours to properly set.
I have used captain tolleys crack filler on numerous occasions and have always been happy. Thanks for sharing chap and keep up the reviews!
And p.s good luck filling those cracks
Thanks Graham will do- There’s nothing better than getting presents in the post especially ones that can be used on your boat.
Thanks I’ve been thinking about sorting my leaky windows since we were batterd with rain last month i’ll definitely be giving this one a go.
Love the name as well!
I had a persistent leak on the downside of my car windscreen leaking into fascia and fuse box. Not knowing exactly where the rain water was passing the rubber trim. Saw Capt. Tolley’s online and as it mentioned boats I went to a chandlers and sure enough they sold it. I waited for several days of hot dry weather and added to the top of the screen channel. To make sure it got enough, I kept adding it for a couple of days. Then a thunderstorm and afterwards checked the car and no more water anywhere. Brilliant stuff and it goes a long way my 60 mls.
I used for the same reason and I now have multiple leaks. What started off with 1 annoying small leak for 3 years I thought we’d try this stuff I now have water coming in places that have never had water before. Wish I never used the stuff and don’t know what to do next going forward 👎👎