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Lost at sea diaries
Kathy Sykes's diary about the challenge for the Lost at Sea programme, from the BBC/OU series Rough Science 5
Working with Ellen. A rare delight! We’re making Kate a lifejacket. Ellen’s optimistic. I’m a bit less so. The difference is - she’s seen rubber being tapped and hardened before. I’m unconvinced we can make something completely watertight.
Ellen’s keen to use kapok. It comes from a tree - and is what used to be used for lifejackets. Sounds a promising beginning. It’s pretty good at being water resistant, but will sink if it gets waterlogged.
I’m keen to use something in addition to the rubber we plan to tap to keep the kapok dry.
We have balloons. I imagine filling them with kapok, and blowing them up with some extra air too. And also including some small balloons just with air in to add some extra buoyancy.
The latter idea - great. The former idea - hopeless: to get the kapok in - I had to crush it like mad, which forces all the air out, and defeats the whole object.
We spent the day sewing. It feels hideously girley. I am so lousy at sewing, too. Ellen’s stitches are all neat & beautiful. Mine all random & all over the shop. We made up a ridiculous orange, flowery lifejacket - all ready to be rubberised.
Kate looked distinctly unimpressed!
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Content last updated: 26/01/2005
