A SAILOR told today how a �6.98 tube of glue saved his 50ft yacht from sinking.

A SAILOR told today how a �6.98 tube of glue saved his 50ft yacht from sinking.

Stephen Spencer panicked when water started filling his �50,000 ketch and the pumps were not enough to stop it sinking in Poole Harbour, Dorset.

The 44-year-old marine engineer then went to a hardware store and bought a �6.98 tube of Evo-Stik adhesive to patch up the five-inch hole at the end of June.

Mr Spencer, from London, said: “It's quite an eerie feeling stepping on board a boat that is filling with water.

“I admit I was sceptical. When I got back to my boat, I found some cork and some plywood and, with an enormous amount of cynicism, stuck it down with Wet Grab.

“To my astonishment, it didn't get washed away but stuck like a barnacle to your worn out anti-fowling.

“I squeezed the remainder of the tube into the gaps and, without even having to wait for it to dry, the leak stopped.

“I was able to pump out the water and after 48 hours, I took the boat out to sea and sailed to Fox's Marina in Ipswich without taking on a single drop of water.”