Buoyancy In Old Boats

[Romeo]

I sail a half decked boat which carries quite a bit of ballast. If she swamped with her ballast in, she would probably sink...... pretty quickly. So far in 80 years of sailing this has not happened. Some of those in my club who sailing dingies that seem to capsize all the time throw their hands up in horror at my fool hardiness at not trying to fill the boat with buoyancy bags.

What would your approach be?

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Well, you could use flexible buoyancy bags lashed underneath the thwarts. That's what our family Heron had, back in the 60s. I guess that might ensure she retained some positive buoyancy.

But she isn't comparable to the dinghies your fellow club members are comparing her with. The half-deck itself makes her far less liable to being swamped, and the ballast should keep her upright. Capsizing her should be nigh-on impossible in any conditions you'd be likely to sail her in. Of course, I don't know the details of your half-decker.

It's worth remembering that most decked yachts will sink if flooded - it's the topsides that stop that from happening, and your half-deck goes a long way to ensuring that she won't flood quickly enough for it to be a problem. Shackleton's James Caird, which crossed from Elephant Island to South Georgia across the Southern Ocean was kept buoyant by a canvas deck. Even though she was swept by the massive waves of those parts, the ingress of water was kept to a level that the crew could keep up with. A canvas insert in the cockpit area would also stop water from reaching the bilges, and limit the amount of flooding - but that might not be practical.

 

[Even Chance]

Maybe fix foam sheets to the underside of the decking if possible. I did this, and under the tafts in my old open ballasted lugger. I used 50mm thick white polystyrene foam, and it didnt look out of place after boxing it in to cover the sides. I also had a pair of old copper flotation tanks under the side seats that looked in keeping. They were in it when I got it.

 

[Mad Pad]

Oh, Antarctic Pilot.
What these guys did in the James Caird was something else.
Arriving , let alone finding ,South Georgia and then trecking over the top to the whaling station on the eastern side was extraordinary....and all wearing tweed jackets!
I believe the same west to east treck wasn't don't again until the 1950's by the marines.
As we know all ended well when they charted a ship to go back to Elephant Island and pick up the rest of the crew?

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Oh, Antarctic Pilot.
What these guys did in the James Caird was something else.
Arriving , let alone finding ,South Georgia and then trecking over the top to the whaling station on the eastern side was extraordinary....and all wearing tweed jackets!
I believe the same west to east treck wasn't don't again until the 1950's by the marines.
As we know all ended well when they charted a ship to go back to Elephant Island and pick up the rest of the crew?

Yes - and they were crossing completely unknown terrain on South Georgia; no-one had crossed the island before them. Doing that with minimal equipment, few supplies and waning physical condition was amazing. You may be aware that their exact route across the interior is still somewhat uncertain; there are inconsistencies in Shackleton's account that make it difficult to be quite sure of the detail, especially towards the end. The current best estimate is on www.sggis.gov.gs (you can log in as a guest).

Shackleton was the only Antarctic explorer of the Heroic age who did not lose anyone under his direct command (3 men of the Ross Sea Party of the Transantarctic Expedition died, but they were the other side of Antarctica from Shackleton!). I like his saying "Better a live donkey than a dead lion!"

 

[Woodlouse]

If it's never sunk in 80 years and half decked then I wouldn't worry too much about adding bouyancy. Just sail it sensibly, keep the rail out of the water and you shouldn't even come close to swamping.

 

[Wansworth]

Years ago I recall a middle aged man used to come down to the club bad set off un his little half Decker with his dog, out through the rough entrance to Littlehampton harbour owner and dog looking steadfastly ahead, he smoking his pipe whilst the racing fraternity where on their ears.....