Hippocampus
Guru
- Joined
- Jul 27, 2020
- Messages
- 4,182
- Location
- Plymouth
- Vessel Name
- Hippocampus
- Vessel Make
- Nordic Tug 42
Several excellent points have been repeats of my prior thoughts.
Unless you have a very large boat carrying around a gas dewatering pump would likely be problematic. Take up a fair amount of room, gas is smelly and potentially dangerous. If not in a permanent installation setting it up is time consuming and difficult in a seaway. Likely time is better spent controlling the leak, asking for assistance and getting ready to abandon. Don’t think is too practical for the average 40-50’ boat. Agree with Peter if the system is designed as seen in nordies is a +1.
A pre installed diversion of the main engine intake doesn’t take up room, require an additional fuel source and only requires turning a valve so takes up nearly no time at all. Regardless of output every contribution to dewatering the boat is of value.
Many boats have a low and high water bilge pumps. In a seaway by the time water hits the high water pump it’s splashing around and causing additional damage and risks. Even with batteries in appropriate battery boxes risk of all electrical pump failures comes in to play. Of course extremely likely if floorboards floating. Prior boat had led lights that told you which bilge pump was running. Both low and high. On watch even with no high water alarm if the low stayed on for more than a few seconds everyone was awakened and we tracked it down.
Seawater hitting a hot engine makes the bilge areas most unpleasant. If water hits intakes engine intakes failure can occur. Although there’s excellent systems such as on the nordies many boats have intakes in the engine room and separate engine room ventilation.
The sea in open water is cold except in the tropics. It remains cold in the boat. It can be quite difficult to find point of ingress. It can be quite difficult to control. Partial and occasional total immersion maybe required to address the leak. Ideally it’s done quickly to the degree volume doesn’t exceed pump capacity and before pumps cease to work. Ideally done before individual doing the work becomes hypothermic. First goal is to control leak. Once that’s done if it takes 10 minutes or 20 minutes to dewater it isn’t a huge deal. Obviously quicker is better. Given it’s pretty miserable to be on a partially flooded boat having some form of pre installed manual pumps is worthwhile.
You can dress up a pig but it’s still a pig. There’s a multiplicity of differences between a blue water boat and a coastal boat. Put all the pumps, emergency supplies or whatever on a coastal boat it’s still a coastal boat. Retrofits don’t change that. There’s a large difference between quality of design and execution between the various A rated boats. Structural elements at time of building set them apart from coastal boats which generally can’t be changed. Collision bulkheads, compartmentalization, dewatering systems, design elements to decrease downflooding risks, partial or total double bottoms and so many other design elements. You pays your money and take your chance. My only experience with significant water ingress was in near gale. Person who fixed the leak was rendered hypothermic. All ships comms were lost, all electricity was lost, one crew was rendered useless and an obstacle due to emotional decompensation, we received no help from SAR so self rescued. After that look at much posted here with a jaundiced eye as not being practical on a 40-50’ coastal (B rated) boat. Unless you’re in a very well designed BWB if you have the means to rapidly identify the leak and control it you can save the boat. Otherwise you’re getting in a raft. With all due respect PSN makes the very valid point the vast majority of cruising power has inadequate dewatering systems. I would further suggest getting to the level of truly adequate and bulletproof capabilities would require space and money most of us would not wish to or are capable of creating in a boat not designed from initial build to survive significant ingress. Yes have no issue of doing what you can to dewater rapidly in the event of a minor leak. Any increase can increase the time you have to achieve control. But think it’s a fool’s errand to think you can make a pig into a princess.
Returning to the OP. Get trained. In doing so you will learn what changes to do and supplies are worthwhile to carry. Once trained practice. If you have crew teach them and do training with your boat. Carry appropriate signaling for your setting. Carry a certified raft, MOM and other appropriate safety equipment. Train crew. Forget trying to make a B into a A.
Unless you have a very large boat carrying around a gas dewatering pump would likely be problematic. Take up a fair amount of room, gas is smelly and potentially dangerous. If not in a permanent installation setting it up is time consuming and difficult in a seaway. Likely time is better spent controlling the leak, asking for assistance and getting ready to abandon. Don’t think is too practical for the average 40-50’ boat. Agree with Peter if the system is designed as seen in nordies is a +1.
A pre installed diversion of the main engine intake doesn’t take up room, require an additional fuel source and only requires turning a valve so takes up nearly no time at all. Regardless of output every contribution to dewatering the boat is of value.
Many boats have a low and high water bilge pumps. In a seaway by the time water hits the high water pump it’s splashing around and causing additional damage and risks. Even with batteries in appropriate battery boxes risk of all electrical pump failures comes in to play. Of course extremely likely if floorboards floating. Prior boat had led lights that told you which bilge pump was running. Both low and high. On watch even with no high water alarm if the low stayed on for more than a few seconds everyone was awakened and we tracked it down.
Seawater hitting a hot engine makes the bilge areas most unpleasant. If water hits intakes engine intakes failure can occur. Although there’s excellent systems such as on the nordies many boats have intakes in the engine room and separate engine room ventilation.
The sea in open water is cold except in the tropics. It remains cold in the boat. It can be quite difficult to find point of ingress. It can be quite difficult to control. Partial and occasional total immersion maybe required to address the leak. Ideally it’s done quickly to the degree volume doesn’t exceed pump capacity and before pumps cease to work. Ideally done before individual doing the work becomes hypothermic. First goal is to control leak. Once that’s done if it takes 10 minutes or 20 minutes to dewater it isn’t a huge deal. Obviously quicker is better. Given it’s pretty miserable to be on a partially flooded boat having some form of pre installed manual pumps is worthwhile.
You can dress up a pig but it’s still a pig. There’s a multiplicity of differences between a blue water boat and a coastal boat. Put all the pumps, emergency supplies or whatever on a coastal boat it’s still a coastal boat. Retrofits don’t change that. There’s a large difference between quality of design and execution between the various A rated boats. Structural elements at time of building set them apart from coastal boats which generally can’t be changed. Collision bulkheads, compartmentalization, dewatering systems, design elements to decrease downflooding risks, partial or total double bottoms and so many other design elements. You pays your money and take your chance. My only experience with significant water ingress was in near gale. Person who fixed the leak was rendered hypothermic. All ships comms were lost, all electricity was lost, one crew was rendered useless and an obstacle due to emotional decompensation, we received no help from SAR so self rescued. After that look at much posted here with a jaundiced eye as not being practical on a 40-50’ coastal (B rated) boat. Unless you’re in a very well designed BWB if you have the means to rapidly identify the leak and control it you can save the boat. Otherwise you’re getting in a raft. With all due respect PSN makes the very valid point the vast majority of cruising power has inadequate dewatering systems. I would further suggest getting to the level of truly adequate and bulletproof capabilities would require space and money most of us would not wish to or are capable of creating in a boat not designed from initial build to survive significant ingress. Yes have no issue of doing what you can to dewater rapidly in the event of a minor leak. Any increase can increase the time you have to achieve control. But think it’s a fool’s errand to think you can make a pig into a princess.
Returning to the OP. Get trained. In doing so you will learn what changes to do and supplies are worthwhile to carry. Once trained practice. If you have crew teach them and do training with your boat. Carry appropriate signaling for your setting. Carry a certified raft, MOM and other appropriate safety equipment. Train crew. Forget trying to make a B into a A.