Why Boats SINK [And How To PREVENT It] | BoatUS
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- čas přidán 20. 07. 2024
- Nothing strikes fear into the heart of boaters faster than a sinking boat (or the thought of one). But have you ever wondered why boats sink? Did you know that your bilge pump is unlikely to help keep your boat from sinking if you have a burst hose or you hit something? If you find yourself in a situation where unwanted water is coming in your boat, do you know what to do? BoatUS Magazine contributor Mike Vatalaro goes over some critical info that every boater NEEDS to know.
⚓️Here's what you should have in your onboard kit in case of a flooding emergency: www.boatus.com/expert-advice/...
Special thanks to
--Turkey Point Marina, Edgewater, Maryland (www.turkeypointmarina.com).
--The TowBoatUS fleet for supplying B-roll video footage
Videography and editing services: 410 Films (www.410films.com)
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#boatus #boating #boatingsafety - Auta a dopravní prostředky
as another note; once did the right-to-passage forgetting of the plug. a guy at the launce said "i'm not trying to crack wise, but i think you forgot the plug" due to the water shooting from the bilge pump outlet. I was very grateful, because i never would have noticed and we had a boat full of people. never avoid telling someone, even if they get ticked at you..could save a boat.
Oopsies! You are not alone there. I'm not sure every boater hasn't forgotten that at least once. I recall it happening on my uncle's runabout when I was a kid. He couldn't figure out why he was having such trouble getting it out of the hole for waterskiing. I think water poured out the entire hourlong trip home! Thankfully you had an astute bystander who kindly mentioned it before you headed out. Another GREAT piece of advice here!
Some years ago, I was at the helm of a 37' Richardson cabin cruiser in the middle of the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay with 5 or 6 people on board when one or two of them moved from one side of the boat to the other and the engine stopped at the same time. I asked them to move to the other side so I could open the hatch to check the bilge and the other engine stopped. I found that the water coolant line from the engine to the exhaust pipe had come loose at a joint and the engine coolant water was being pumped into the bilge and shorted each battery as we moved people from one side to the other. Well with both engines now dead no more water was flowing in but we had considerable water in the bilge. I had repaired the connection and the USCG vessel dropped a hose into the bilge, and we were dry in about a minute. It would have taken our bilge pumps hours to do the same. All turned out well thanks to the USCG.
Thank goodness it all turned out well, Ranny! So many folks don't realize their bilge pumps are unlikely to remove water fast enough in a situation like that. Glad the Coast Guard was able to get to you and get you dry quickly. It's crazy to see how fast those pumps work!! Most of our TowBoatUS captains have them as well. Thanks so much for sharing your experience. We don't want to scare people, but we want to be sure they are prepared if necessary.
Was this just and old bad hose or think human error in tightening?
The presentation was excellent, providing valuable information. While boats can sink at times, the issue often arises from being reactive rather than proactive. This leads to infrequent checks of our bilge pumps. With various boat remote monitoring systems like Siren Marine or Locmarine available, avoiding this problem should be simple.
Thanks for your comment, Erick. You are absolutely correct: A lot of the issues (though not all) that cause sinking can be avoided with regular maintenance and visual checks. Our aim through our magazine/online content is to help boat owners be more aware of those items and avoid problems that could get in the way of fun time on the water. Monitoring systems are becoming much more common and they are useful, though I wouldn't put all my eggs in that basket. They can certainly notify you of some things earlier than you might have known otherwise but the crystal ball function is not quite there yet! ;-) Thanks so much for sharing. No doubt folks will find this a good reminder.
I agree
One thing you can do is to prepare by having the appropriate sized plugs for through hulls, and a small tarp (for hull breaches) on hand. In winter, drain any water inlets and close the valves. Always check those drain plugs. Twice. Do a haul out inspection as recommended. 😉
EXCELLENT advice all around, Andrew. We like to say, if you haven't forgotten to put in a drain plug, either you're lying or it's only a matter of time! And, yes, plugs are absolutely key. (Keep one tied to every seacock along with some extras in a disaster kit.) We've got a list of useful items to include in a disaster kit here: www.boatus.com/expert-advice/expert-advice-archive/2022/september/facing-a-flooding-emergency but, if the worst happens, use whatever you have to stop the water ingress -- extra life jackets, tarps/canvas, clothing, etc.
Thanks for the tarp idea! It beats sails and cushions. I'll get one on my boat right away.
On my Bristol 35.5 sloop in installed all new seacocks right after purchase, wired a bung to each one, and put a rubber mallet in easy reach. I exercise the seacocks every couple of months. I installed a Whale Gusher10 manual bilge pump at the helm and a 2000gph automatic bilge pump. The old 350gph automatic pump is still in place and always on auto for safety at the dock. Our harbormaster patrols the dock daily and will call if anything is amiss. I visit my boat at least once a week and always check the bilge. I'll buy a tarp and attach lines for quick deployment.
Thanks for these great reminders, Fred! Exercising your seacocks is a critical maintenance item that lots of folks forget. You don't want to discover they're seized when you're having an emergency! Glad you have a great harbormaster keeping an eye on things, and it sounds like you're doing all the right things. Love that you are adding a tarp to your kit. May you never need it!! Thanks so much for sharing -- there's so much great info to take away.
re-floored a tri hull years ago. because the boat is very low to the water, and we swam and got in an out of the boat while soaking wet, it was not unusual for the bilge pump to kick in...but the next handful of times out on the water we noticed the it kicking in more than usual and pumping more out than usual. after more careful inspection, i had cut a slit through the bottom of the boat while removing the old floor. you couldn't see it if the trailer bunks were blocking it. was only 1/8" 3" or so, but man that let the water in!! luckily never any issues though, and very easy fix. still have the boat and have re-floored it again since lol !!
Good for you for knowing what was normal -- and not -- for your boat, Todd. It's amazing how much trouble such a tiny hole can cause. Glad you caught it when you did and you didn't find yourself without a vessel somewhere offshore. Lesson learned, and thanks for sharing your experience with others. No doubt our viewers will find it helpful!
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, but if one ever finds oneself in such a situation and plugging the hole isn’t an option,, don’t forget that grounding a boat on a sandy, muddy or gravely bottom is way better than sinking.
Thanks for watching, Robert. This is certainly one possible option to employ provided it's a safe one given the specific location and circumstances. Appreciate you taking the time to share your knowledge!
A cracked baitwell pump casing about put my boat on the bottom of the lake during the very first time I had it out with the family. Thankful that the first thing I did after purchasing it was install a new bilge pump. Noticed it responding sluggish, stopped and noticed a filled ski locker. Booked it back to the ramp as the pump ran continuously. Got her on the trailer within a few minutes and haven’t had an issue since. Will NEVER forget it though!
Ouch, C Dub! But good thing you found it -- and fast! That's a common issue, especially if you don't tend to use the baitwell. Some good friends of mine recently lost their new-to-them boat to the same issue. Went down in the slip -- only took about 90 minutes to fully submerge and flip. Total loss. Good thing you were paying attention, knew the signs of a major problem, and got back to land safely to float another day. REALLY appreciate you sharing your experience. You may save someone else's boat (and life).
@@boatus Yes - I had just purchased the boat a few weeks prior. I think the original owner was chasing some “taking on water issues” as he replaced all of the transom seals and such. We also found a cracked exhaust manifold that was leaking water into the bilge. We thought we had it all buttoned up until the baitwell pump casing decided to fight for our attention.
We ALWAYS check the bilge a few times at the beginning of the season and periodically as the season goes on. Always a good habit. Check gear lube levels and check for oil leaks at the same time, too.
I bought a new Beneteau flyer 9. It was delivered with a cracked fitting in the AC cooling water line and the through-hulls all open. I came down to my boat the next day to test the 120V systems on shore power and noticed the bilge pump running. Luckily the broken fitting held long enough to close the through-hull. When I loosened the hose clamp the fitting bard fell off. So I almost sank my boat at the dock within 24 hours of taking delivery. I am very against plastic barb fittings with female threaded connections. Plastic not great in tension when you tighten them. The folks at Beneteau put so much teflon tape on it that when they tightened the threaded wall cracked. Bronze fitting cost 5x as much, but your boat won't sink. The fitting walls on the bronze fitting are also about 4x thicker than the plastic one. Close your through-hulls when your boat is sitting at the dock. It is good to exercise them anyway so they don't freeze.
SO many good reminders here, rfenton! I'm so sorry to hear you had such issues in a new boat, but this is a good opportunity to remind folks to get a survey, even on new boats. I've heard of a host of nightmare situations like yours where hoses weren't connected, construction debris in the bilge, and more. You also make a great point about the fittings. Plastic is useful in some situations, but I wouldn't trust it below the waterline. Bronze fittings are way more reliable. And also an excellent reminder about exercising those seacocks. You definitely don't want to have them seized when it's an emergency. Glad everything worked out OK, and thank you for sharing your experience! We can all learn from it.
Thank you for mentioning a warning light connected to the bilge. I do believe it will be worth the time to wire a light to my auto bilge switch. Thanks again.
You're very welcome, Rickey! It's really useful to have a light or alarm because you're probably not going to hear the bilge pump while underway. The earlier you can catch an issue, the better -- ESPECIALLY in regard to unwanted water in the bilge. If you're looking at adding one, you might find this article handy: www.boatus.com/expert-advice/expert-advice-archive/2017/october/how-to-monitor-your-bilge-pump
The top half of my bass boat hull separated from the bottom half. When I throttled up to get on a plane, the aft squatted, exposing the crack to water intrusion. I thought the plug came out. I beached the boat and let the bilge pump pump out the water. It wasn’t until the second time I attempted to get on plane that I realized what was going on. I got everyone except myself off the boat and trailered it. That’s how I ended up with a new boat.
YIKES Jeremie! That sounds terrifying, but we're happy to hear everyone was safe. Good thing you were able to beach the boat to allow the pump to catch up with the water and stop additional intrusion. Do you know why the hull separated? Age? Maybe it's not so bad that you got a new boat out of it! Thanks for watching and taking the time to share your experience.
Great video!
Thanks for watching, Scott!
Recently had water filling the boat above the floor level, a few miles offshore, it didn't make any sense, but the bilge was working flat out for 15 minutes as we headed back to shore. 1 inch hose connected to the bilge. Up on the trailer we found a tiny 3/8 inch drill hole below the water line. Must of been an incorrectly filled hole where a fish finder was previously installed. The 40% figure is dead on real. The boat really was filling fast once the hull was full of water even though the hole was tiny.
That sounds scary, Rodger! Glad you were able to get back to the ramp safely and found the problem quickly. I'm sorry you had to confirm the stats for yourself, but that does drive home the point to other boaters. We really appreciate you taking the time to share your story. There are some useful takeaways.
Good information especially about how much faster water comes in when breach is below water line.
You said most boats sink at the dock. A slip neighbor's boat sunk a couple months ago, and ive heard other stories. Would like more information on how this happens and what to insoect to make sure it doesn't happen to me!
Glad you found it useful, Mike. Sorry to hear about your slip-neighbor's boat. Such a bummer! The same thing happened to some good friends of mine. I don't think they'd even had their boat for a year when it sunk in the slip. Fully submerged and flipped within 90 minutes. The hose in the fishbox went. They didn't fish and never looked in there, so they hadn't hought to check it. Total loss.
So yours is an excellent question. Like your own health, prevention and awareness goes a long way. Have a checklist of maintenance and inspection routines -- both yearly and every time you're on the boat. Check ALL the hoses. They have expiration dates. Look for cracking, soft spots, or brittleness. (If you don't know how old they are or they're questionable, change them! Cheap insurance.) Use good quality hoses made for the purpose. www.boatus.com/expert-advice/expert-advice-archive/2018/august/choosing-the-correct-boat-hose
Check ALL the hose clamps. www.boatus.com/expert-advice/expert-advice-archive/2020/november/all-about-hose-clamps Make sure there are no signs of rust or the clamps cutting into the hoses. Ensure the hoses that need double clamps have them. (Also use high-quality marine-grade clamps--NOT those from your local big box hardware store!)
Check all below-waterline hardware (especially those made from plastics) for cracks, damage, or leaks. Make sure you know where your seacocks are and exercise them so they work in an emergency. Keep scuppers and drains clear of debris and ensure they drain. Check that your bilge pumps are working properly. If you have them, inspect your rubber outdrive bellows, especially in the folds, for cracks or deterioration. We have a whole spring commissioning checklist and other related articles and videos at www.boatus.com/spring that might be helpful.
That said, aside from regular maintenance and inspections every time you're on the boat, be aware of what is normal for your boat. Know how often your bilge pump comes on. If you hear it kicking on more often than usual, look for a problem. Consider installing a bilge pump light or alarm. Check on your boat often, or ask a friend or dock neighbor check on it for you if you aren't going to be around. And consider going high-tech, if possible -- look into remote boat monitoring technology like Siren, Sensar, and others, for extra peace of mind.
If you aren't already a BoatUS member, sign up for $25/year for basic membership (www.boatus.com/membership). In addition to savings from national partners, at fuel docks and marinas, a free MMSI registration, and much more, you'll get 5 issues of BoatUS Magazine, which contains a lot of handy maintenance and DIY info. Even if you don't do maintenance yourself, the info will help you become more aware of potential issues and what to look for. You'll also get boating news, cruising & chartering destinations, and wonderful features. And you can use the great resources on the BoatUS.com website. This doesn't insure 100% that your boat won't sink, but the odds are in your favor if you employ some simple inspections and upkeep.
And while you hopefully will never need to use it, make sure you have good insurance and that the policy is in force and up to date.
Hope this helps and thanks for watching!
I have a 2006 Sundancer 260. I left the marina and everything was fine. I got about 200 yards from marina and engine began cutting out. I headed back to marina and docked. When I opened the engine hatch I could see the hot water heater hose fitting had corroded and broken loose. This is the hose that circulates hot water from the engine. So as long as the engine was running it would continue to pump water into the bilge. It overwhelmed the bilge pump which then shorted out and tripped the breaker. I am lucky it happened so close to the marina! If I were more than a mile away the boat would have sunk in a couple of minutes. After that I disconnected the hose from the hot water heater. I don't need hot water when underway that bad!
Yikes, Gary! Those hoses can really ruin a day. Good thing it happened so close to the marina. We find that many boaters (especially newer ones) don't realize their bilge pump(s) isn't meant to handle more than nuisance water. Thanks so much for watching and sharing your experience. We can all learn from it. Bottom line: Glad all ended up well and you were safe.
Thanks, Hope some others can learn from my experience. A fellow boater with a 2004 SD 280 had the exact same thing happen to him.@@boatus
Another great reminder to check hoses regularly. They have an expiration date. I'd rather change them too soon than a day too late!
270DA with similar experience while waiting for a space to tie up at the launch ramp to retrieve on a busy weekend. Our problem wasn’t the heater hose, but glad to know of that possibility. Our issue was a water pump impeller housing bursting. I had my SeaDoo in tow and quickly used it to tow the boat to the ramp for retrieval. By that time the 2nd automatic bilge had activated but was not keeping up. We boat in a large sandy lake and replace the impeller every year, now making sure that includes a new housing.
Thanks for sharing, @210doc9. Sounds like you got lucky, too. Another good reminder about the maintenance items that need to be checked regularly. Glad you and the boat were safe. Appreciate you sharing your experience -- if it helps save just one other boater from dealing with the same thing, it's worth it.
I installed a @locmarine system.. Affordable and reliable...
I wasn't familiar with that one, Pulsat, so I looked it up. For anyone wondering, it's a boat monitoring system. Those are absolutely helpful for checking the systems aboard remotely. No doubt it's helpful to notify you of issues before you realize there's a problem. While I wouldn't rely on it 100%, it's a very useful tool. Thanks for taking the time to share -- I know others will find it useful.
A wild guess before the video starts. Does boats sinking have to do with them filling up with water?
Am I to assume that is written in "sarcastic" font, Harry?
No
Thanks for responding. Can you give me some more context for your question?
keep your motor running
Yes. Water INSIDE your boat is bad.
💯. Thanks for watching, Maleko
Excellent presentation, but when you wear those shades, you really prevent us from getting a full video experience of who you are.
Thanks for the honest feedback, southerngs. While we'd prefer to not have folks wear shades on camera, on very bright days like this, they are staring directly into the sun while we're shooting. I'd rather risk a little negative feedback than causing our folks extreme discomfort or even eye damage. We certainly drop the shades when it's overcast enough.
Captain Obvious. I gotta get one of those jobs.
Obvious to you, perhaps, Chez, but not everyone realizes their bilge pump is meant to remove nuisance water only and isn't going to literally bail them out in an emergency. Thanks for watching though and taking the time to comment.