A combination boat and distressed boat flotation apparatus, a distressed boat flotation apparatus, and methods of installing and using a boat flotation apparatus are provided. The material is selected to increase in volume on exposure to at least one predetermined fluid, such as a wellbore fluid. Thus, the left and right leads for each test structure are electrically isolated from each other in their \u201ctrack width\u201d region. A connection inlet is attached to the valve on the side opposite to its surface attached to the vacuum tank.