We're Sinking!

[sailingdog]

Stan-

I usually cut the bottom of the bottle off and glue the top in place... makes a better bailer IMHO.

[christyleigh]

Originally Posted by sailingdog

Stan-

I usually cut the bottom of the bottle off and glue the top in place... makes a better bailer IMHO.

..... and lets hope we... Never find out

[sailingdog]

I'll second that... Better to be overprepared and underwhelmed, than underprepared and overwhelmed..

Originally Posted by christyleigh

..... and lets hope we... Never find out

[jhulmer]

I am enjoying the posts; Very good information. These responses hopefully will prevent the problem, but will surely provide the forethought to minimize the situation should it happen to anyone that follows these posts.

[Raggbagger]

What a great story , glad it had a happy ending , wooden plugs ,hacksaws all good stuff . A ditch-bag was allways standard in our cruising voyages (passports , phone numbers ,all that stuff you dont want to be looking for in a pinch) the other thing we had aboard was cordless tools .Bosch and Dewalt both make some fine reciprocating saws and other demasting/de- rigging quick tools well worth the money.If your budget allows EPIRBS are sweet and so are Sat phones but nothing replaces a well thought out "what if" plan . I agree with the others , you should send the story to the press they'd publish it

[hertfordnc]

As a former Coast Guard small boat SAR guy with no sailing cred at all, I read this thread and wondered when anyone would talk about the RADIO and the COAST GUARD- and do you know what you would say?

Sailors have self-sufficiency in their DNA so I am not surprised the conversation stayed on the issue of stopping the leak but really, on the other end of that radio there's a bunch of bored men and women sitting around waiting for the magic words.....

MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY..... WE ARE TAKING ON WATER...

It's what they live for and they are good at it.

Make that radio call first, give your postition first. No one will mind if you call back and say you got it fixed and they can stand down.

Obviously if you're way off shore and rescue is hours or days away then the first few minutes might best be spent addressing the casualty but if you're in cell phone range my FIRST move will be to pick up the mic.


Even if you get it under control there's no certainly your repair won't fail. If you are still afloat when the Coasties arrive they will loan you drop pump.

Forgive my bias but the United States Coast Guard is the single greatest bargain the taxpayer gets.

[hertfordnc]

ooops, also forgive my arrogance, typical American, I realize this is an International forum and many other countries have fine life saving services in place

[sailingdog]

LOL... yes, the coast guard, lifeboat service, or whatever name they do go by is a bargain.

BTW, cell phones are really less than useful in an emergency.

Cellphones are point-to-point, and only the person on the other end has any idea you're having a problem—with VHF everyone around you will know.

Cellphones are harder to locate—the coasties have pretty good RDF capability in many places for triangulating or locating a VHF broadcast.

Cellphones are limited to LOS to the nearest tower—VHF can be relayed from boat to boat and then to shore.

Modern DSC-capable VHF units will even broadcast your position, provided you have it properly connected to the GPS. Makes finding you really simple for the good guys.

Originally Posted by hertfordnc

ooops, also forgive my arrogance, typical American, I realize this is an International forum and many other countries have fine life saving services in place

[CapnHand]

I just almost witnessed a sinking last week. I was up the lake from here at Bayfield ON for a few days. I was just getting up and I see these two large men in a small (18' or so) wooden home built project boat. As I wave and wish them well I'm thinking, pretty little boat, nice cuddy cabin, hope the lake has settled down, wind is still up a bit.

I walk into town to get a coffee and on the way back I hear sirens. The coast guard (Canadian) has a big zodiac at the dock and there's an ambulance at the dock.

The dock hand at the marina says that two guys were out in a sailboat and sank it. Two fairly big guys? I ask. Yes says he adding 'they went to turn around and caught a wave over the side'. A fisherman on the peir came and told us and we called the coast guard. They came down from Goderich. Are they ok? They got some hypothermia, but they'll be ok. Too bad about their boat, it was nice.

The coasties left and a little later I went out. I saw them towing the sunken boat in with the zodiac. They don't have to do that, it was nice of them. I heard later from another boater that they got the boat out and up on it's trailer.

[Drylander]

Originally Posted by hertfordnc

If you are still afloat when the Coasties arrive they will loan you drop pump.

As my sailing instructor said: "...no pump is as powerful as a scared man with a bucket..."