We're Sinking!

[cranki]

I used to rig and comission sailboats. (like 25 years ago!) I was taught to put through-hulls in easily seen and accessable places. At one brokerage I was called to task by an irate owner and salesman for putting the knotmeter transducer in the middle of a locker under the berth in the salon. "That's where I was taught to put them" was the only reply I had. Wish I had your story to tell them.

[sailingdog]

I don't know why you would not want the through hulls in easily accessible locations. Makes doing maintenance on them a hell of a lot easier too.

[labatt]

Funny.. that's the first time I've actually heard of someone using the wood bungs/plugs to plug a hole! Glad to hear it worked out for you and thanks for sharing the story.

[Boasun]

The moral of story is: Plan ahead. Think of everything that can, could, would go wrong and then you can work out the procedures to correct, or at least plug, or jury rig what ever corrective action necessary to be able to return to port safely.
And you could make a game of what if, with yourself and crew. So that people will develop the habit of correcting said problem in a safe manner with little or no panicking.
What would you do if you had to deal with:
Galley fire.
Engine fire.
Cabin fire.
Assorted Medical emergencies.
Man/woman/child over board. (include captain over board on this)

Flooding:
From Shaft packing gland.
broken through hull.
hole/split in hull.
Broken piping.

Rigging:
Ripped/blown-out sails.
Lost halyards.
Lost sheets.
broken shroud.
broken stay.

Navigation:
Recovering position. (GPS/Loran is down)
chart plotting.
Entering strange Ports, (Done this on a fog bound moonless night.)

It is all a game until you have to do the real thing. But then again you get the opportunity to figure out what to do if you did have to face an emergency.

[teshannon]

Labatt,
I used to do diving repairs on boats. I've plugged a number of thru hulls with wooden plugs on boats that were left in the water over the winter and had them crack because of ice. I always did it from the outside ond once they swelled up they provided a good watertight seal.

[labatt]

Tom - That makes you the second person I've ever heard using wood plugs, and on the same day no less! Well, I've got a big bag of them in different sizes in our emergency locker (right next to our rubber bathmats, hacksaw, large bolt cutters, flares, etc.) and I hope to never have to use them (or anything else in our emergency locker)!

[teshannon]

Chris,
Hey thanks, I forgot about putting a hacksaw on the boat!

[sailingdog]

The what if game is a good way to get more points in your black box. I'm a big believer in preparing for the unexpected.

Originally Posted by Boasun

The moral of story is: Plan ahead. Think of everything that can, could, would go wrong and then you can work out the procedures to correct, or at least plug, or jury rig what ever corrective action necessary to be able to return to port safely.
And you could make a game of what if, with yourself and crew. So that people will develop the habit of correcting said problem in a safe manner with little or no panicking.

[sailaway21]

The 7 "P"s are: Proper Prior Planning Prevents Piss-Poor Performance.

with thx to,
Captain Robert Meurn, USMS, ret.

[christyleigh]

Originally Posted by sailingdog

A two-and-a-half gallon mop bucket is probably better than a five gallon bucket, since it is easier to handle and easier to store.

Inside that mop bucket I keep a giant laundry detergent plastic jug (the type you can only find in the Big Box stores) with the top cut off. Makes a one handed 2 gal or so jug that you can really fling some water fast with and has a secure handle that doesn't flop around.