Testing for leaks is a matter of pressurizing the strakes and seeing if that pressure drops over time. It took me a couple of days of fiddling and getting bits to have my working manometer. I’ve just taped a ruler to the back to use as a scale.

I found that if the column of water is too small it is easy to add pressure which blows past and makes bubbles which limits the possible pressure.  So a little more water in the tube helps that.

A pressure change of about 18″ equals 1500′ on an altimeter, plenty for this test. Too much and you can blow the strakes. I think around 14″ is enough really. I’ve plumbed it up with a couple of shut off valves and a tire valve (one way) for getting some air into the system. My rather anemic tire pump is not powerful enough to do any damage quickly.

I’ve blocked off the tank openings and done a test. Of course it wouldn’t hold pressure. That’s all those pipes so I’ve disconnected from the strake and I’m still finding a slow leak in the fittings. I’ll flox those over tonight. I suspect my strakes will be fine and the challenge will be getting the test to prove it!