the concept of unsinkable yachts

[Johnno]

It was interesting reading the responses to what I posted before my last trip to the Pacific.

I was warned at the time that certain people on this site use it as sport for some perverted tag team to seek and destroy. Predictably the post was not been immune from that.

Essentially my post was to warn intending buyers that the concept of unsinkability was not all it is cracked up to be. I was concerned about the blind faith that an intending cruiser was putting in the concept. No - I am not a salesman and have no grudge against any particular yacht manufactuer. The post was purely altruistic unlike some of the venom that it inspired.

When I mentioned the potential loss of keel and the merits of using a longer keel rathen than a fin, somehow that turned into a full blown diatribe on keels which we have all heard before. Then when I mentioned the relative merits of various materials that issue went into a relative dizzy spin too. Lets just say if those donkeys who always want to tear things down want to address that issue properly then they should simply post the correct figures. If they know them - which is probably the real issue.

There was a whole lot of other rubbish posted as well probably by people who have very few sailing miles under their keel anyway. You will notice that I even queried one of the respondents before I went away. His post did not make sense! The response then just confirmed what was going on. Pity because sites like this have the opportunity to impart a lot of knowledge.

I don't know how all the gremlins got in the language either. You can thank Sailnet for that. Makes for interesting reading tho. Lets hope this post doesn't suffer from the same malaise.

Where were you all when I was anchored off Vanuatu?


Johnno

[sailingdog]

I would take any boat manufacturer's claim of unsinkability with a large grain of salt. The full keel vs. fin keel debate is about as likely to draw blood as the multihull vs. monohull debate.

[jared]

Mike Plant was lost when Coyote lost her keel in 1992--although the hull remained afloat. Years earlier, Thursday's Child also lost her keel. Both were fixed deep keels built by highly recognized designers--but built scantly for racing. So lost keels are nothing new. And keel damage from rocks is nothing uncommon.

But I've never heard anyone say "I'M GOING TO BUY AN UNSINKABLE BOAT!" much less ever try to look for one. Sounds like something a nervous delicate wifey would insist her browbeaten hubbie buy before she would let the kids go on it.

Sorry, folks, but the thread comes out as a diatribe against ETAP and nothing more. The issues of safety, sinking, floating, don't seem to be the point. ETAP chose to make a boat that is more likely to remain afloat when flooded. OK. So? Just one point among many to consider when buying a boat. If some fool thinks that will make them invulnerable and able to girdle the globe on their first day...well, that's the freedom of sailing.

[Johnno]

The April article in Boat Owner (the British Mag) relating to the loss of Maquini sadly reignites the issues that I raised previously.

Moquini was a 43 foot South African yacht which was found floating upside down minus her keel and her crew. All six aboard presumed dead. It is devastating to imagine what they went through and what their families are now going through. As a sailing community something like that touches and resonates through all of us.

My point was that unsinkability in itself based on bouyancy has its limitations. Loss of keel being just one example. And that is so whether the concept is being pushed by Etap or anyone else. Unsinkability has to be seen in context. As far as I can tell even my critics seem (because it is not always apparent from their posts) to agree with that.

My post was not a diatribe on Etap or anyone else for that matter. Although anyone reading the recent post which alleged that would have to wonder about the sensitivity of the author of that post. An employee or stooge of Etap perhaps?

It is worth noting that Moquini which by all reports had a standard hull floated anyway.

Doubtless that will incite a further flood of invective from Etap. But that's their problem. My thoughts are with the crew of Maquini.

Johnno

[sailingdog]

The other point to make is that even if the boat is "unsinkable", that feature does you little if any good, unless you are able to stay on the boat. It is very difficult to stay on a boat that is tipped at 70+ degrees, and heaven help you if you're out on the deck of one that rolls through 180+ degrees.

I went with a trimaran, because I feel that the lower angles of heel and greater beam will greatly assist in keeping crew on board. Yes, a multihull will not self-right... but I'd don't intend to put the boat in a position where that is a problem. Most modern multihulls are very resistant to capsize, and have fewer risks of it, if sailed properly.