Crew save sinking yacht using cement

It is normal for ships to carry cement for just this purpose! Just build a cement box at the leak and forget about it till repairs can be effected.
 
Certain RN ships like the previous HMS Bulwark have been rumoured to be carrying a whole buiders' yard around. I carry fast setting underwater epoxy in case my little boat gets holed, but I'd guess fast cement would do for larger craft ?

The snag with ferro- cement boats is that one can't stuff anything like a blanket or bag into a hole because of the wire armature, as a few 1970's blue water cruisers discovered after contact with coral...
 
That's a great story, full marks to everyone involved!

I knew of someone who hit a submerged object, was taking on water quite quickly so they pushed a lifejacket into the hole and pulled the cord. The pressure formed a good enough seal to get them into the nearest harbour. A trick I would certainly try if ever faced with a similar situation.

Pete
 
Halcyon Yachts said:
That's a great story, full marks to everyone involved!

I knew of someone who hit a submerged object, was taking on water quite quickly so they pushed a lifejacket into the hole and pulled the cord. The pressure formed a good enough seal to get them into the nearest harbour. A trick I would certainly try if ever faced with a similar situation.

Pete
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I did that when I was head and shoulders through a hatch and snagged the yellow toggle. Wondered what that whooshing noise was until I couldn't move....:)
 
Still can't read the story. Even if I browse direct rather than follow the link I get a plain page with the text "Default Five oh Three" and nothing else!
 
A couple sailing a ferry yacht I met in Sicily told me of a repair they had carried out in the Red Sea. They used cement mixed with melted fat (!) and troweled it into the hole, from the outside. They didn't plan to lift out until they got to Gib and refit before their Atlantic crossing.
 
I've never fitted one but my first job on joining one of Coe-Metcalfe's coasters was to remove one in the engine room ready for the hole to be patched by a shipyard. It was in a very awkward place and took a couple of hours with a hammer and chisel to remove it.
 
Halcyon Yachts said:
That's a great story, full marks to everyone involved!

I knew of someone who hit a submerged object, was taking on water quite quickly so they pushed a lifejacket into the hole and pulled the cord. The pressure formed a good enough seal to get them into the nearest harbour. A trick I would certainly try if ever faced with a similar situation.

Pete
Click to expand...

Not as good as a cushion from what I remember of the video.
 
A long long time ago as a trials officer I fired torpedoes from an old ship called Sarepta whose whole engine room bilges were filled with quick setting concrete to keep the water out.
 
excuse my naivety - but how do you get cement to stay, never mind set, in/around a hole that has water rushing through it? or do you stop the flow, then fill up the compartment with cement? but how do you that on a yacht with no watertight compartments? etc. sorry for the daft question...
 
bikedaft said:
excuse my naivety - but how do you get cement to stay, never mind set, in/around a hole that has water rushing through it? or do you stop the flow, then fill up the compartment with cement? but how do you that on a yacht with no watertight compartments? etc. sorry for the daft question...
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Cement is significantly denser than seawater so for near surface holes some form work rising upto the waterline would allow the head of cement to stop the water flow. Chicken wire, rags, wood, paper shredded etc can all be used as bridging agents mixed into the slurry to bridge the hole.

I should also add that salt is an accelerator and will speed up setting time, sugar is a retarder and will slow down or even stop setting.
 
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