How to get the season off with a bang, literally

[Deleted User YDKXO]

We arrived on our boat in Italy last Wednesday late in the evening. My first mistake was to mislay my reading glasses and mix up the fuel gauge and the water gauge which resulted in me assuming the water tank was empty when it was full. My second mistake was to find a convenient water hose on the quay instead of using our own. The hose was made of thick rubber and it was quite a struggle to force it into the water filler neck. Anyway I shoved it down the pipe a few inches and retired to the saloon with a beer, looking forward to a few days relaxing on the boat. Suddenly there was a loud bang, like the crack of gunshot, from somewhere in the boat which scared the bejasus out of me and the SWMBO. We rushed around the boat in a blind panic looking for the source of this bang but found nothing; at this stage, I was too dumb to associate the noise with filling the boat with water. I was just starting to rationalise the bang as something to do with the mooring lines snapping tight when SWMBO suddenly screamed that the port guest cabin was under water and sure enough, the carpet was just about floating.
At this stage it finally dawned on me that it might be a good idea to switch the water tap off. I pulled the port cabin furniture apart to reveal the water tank and found the source of the bang alright. Somehow I had managed to crack the grp water tank whilst filling it with water



Sods Law still hadn't finished with me yet though. After we mopped up in the port cabin a bit, I started to wonder why the water level in the bilges, which at this stage was about 18" deep, wasn't going down, despite the fact that I could hear the bilge pump in that compartment whirring away and the bilge alarm siren happily sounding off. When I opened up the hatch over the Rule pump, which I'd had the marina replace over the winter with a brand new unit, it was whirring away alright but pumping absolutely no water. So, I spent the rest of the evening hand bailing water out of the bilges whilst arguing with the SWMBO whether it was more important to take her out to dinner or empty the bilges.
On reflection, what seemed to have happened was this. By using an oversize hose and pushing it down the water filler neck, I had created an airtight seal. Obviously there is a vent fitted to the water tank but this must have been blocked; I had experienced a similar occurrence with a blocked fuel vent last season. I think insects or other small animals like to set up home in vents. By filling the tank with water (unnecessarily as it turned out anyway), the air had nowhere to go and eventually the water tank effectively exploded. As for the bilge pump, that turned out not be a faulty pump but a sticky non return valve. Ho hum, you never stop learning with boats

 

[RobWales]

?

Hi Mike,

Betting you must have s**t yourself!..lol

Looking at the crack in the tank are you going to be able to get a patch repair done in situ...or will floors etc need to be removed?

Rob.

 

[sarabande]

oops, but good work in tracking down the problem.

The air balancing pipe to tanks does make an inviting home for bugs. I've used a bit of the green nylon from a dishwasher sponge to act as a barrier to invaders.

 

[Ripster]

Flippin eck - that must have been a good seal on the inserted hose. I bet what happened was that as presure built up the tank popped from its normal shape at rest to a max size and in the process, split the grp - thus your bang. There may have been an inherent weakness in the tank from day one. Should they go that easily, one would have thought the hose might have popped out or the vent blown off first. Very bad luck anyway. I will remember to always use my specs before filling tanks in future.

Can you repair the tank easily?

 

[benjenbav]

Every time I fill the water tanks there comes a point when I convince myself that a tank must have burst and I am just flooding the boat.

Hope there's no lasting damage.

 

[DAKA]

Hi Mike,

very unlucky, thanks for the heads up.

I suspect your breather is fine , just not designed to cope with the pressure a 1-1.5 inch water hose can deliver.

That looks a very simple DIY repair as long as the crack terminates at the top where you can get to it.

Fibreglass doesnt really bond too well with cured fibreglass and roughing the area up first would be prudent, deep scratches being favourite.

Empty the bilge first or take swmbo out to dinner..................

 

[Firefly625]

yup, you never stop learning with boats! thanks for sharing, will hope not to do the same... and isn't it always the way when something occurs it leads to a chain reaction!

 

[stillwaters]

I think you've just brought a lot of comfort to many people. I don't mean this in a cruel way because it must have been a real bummer for you. But,look on the bright side,as I'm sure you do anyway judging by the lighthearted tone of your story,I imagine you've reassured many of us who have had similar "why does it only happen to us" moments when we also have done something that hindsight leaves us scratching our heads in total disbelief.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

I'm sure you do anyway judging by the lighthearted tone of your story,I imagine you've reassured many of us who have had similar "why does it only happen to us" moments when we also have done something that hindsight leaves us scratching our heads in total disbelief.

I've been boating for more than 20 years and actually this is boat no13 that I've owned so I count myself as fairly experienced but I still cock up on a regular basis, doing things that common sense really should have told me not to. The important thing is to log every cock up in your brain and remember not to do it again.
In this case, I understand that the grp repair can be carried out in situ and its not going to cost an awful lot either so no major harm done except to my pride

 

[stillwaters]

I've been boating for more than 20 years and actually this is boat no13 that I've owned so I count myself as fairly experienced but I still cock up on a regular basis, doing things that common sense really should have told me not to. The important thing is to log every cock up in your brain and remember not to do it again.
In this case, I understand that the grp repair can be carried out in situ and its not going to cost an awful lot either so no major harm done except to my pride

Good thinking,but..................has your 20+ years got you near the end of the cock-ups list yet?
Just imagine the hilarious moments you might still have to come.......oh,and don't forget to share them with us,please. BTW,suggest if you haven't already blown up one of your 13 boats,it may be better to steer clear of gas cookers etc.

 

[gjgm]

Not funny, but thanks for having the good humour to make it so for the rest of us !

 

[EME]

What a TERRIBLE Decision !

Deleted User

So, I spent the rest of the evening hand bailing water out of the bilges whilst arguing with the SWMBO whether it was more important to take her out to dinner or empty the bilges.

1) The Boat would not have reminded you about the decision for the next 2 seasons
2) The Boat would have not looked for retribution at some (as yet unknown) later date
3) Losing the boat would have cost you less than everything you own.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

1) The Boat would not have reminded you about the decision for the next 2 seasons
2) The Boat would have not looked for retribution at some (as yet unknown) later date
3) Losing the boat would have cost you less than everything you own.

Wise words, EME, but since when did blokes apply any wisdom to owning boats? If we were wise, we wouldn't own them in the first place (or wives come to that).
Btw, your Lumishore lights were another bone of contention with the SWMBO. As soon as she saw them, you could see her mentally calculating the new shoes to Lumishore light cost ratio. My usual gambit of telling her that I only bought them for her failed miserably this time too but they do look nice even when it's raining and 6 degC

 

[vas]

got me scared with the title, at least it wasn't something bad...

you could see her mentally calculating the new shoes to Lumishore light cost ratio. My usual gambit of telling her that I only bought them for her failed miserably this time too but they do look nice even when it's raining and 6 degC

Regarding costs, what % of the actual value do you typically declare to the wife?
I found that 1/3 to 1/4 of the real value is a good one (as she usually hasn't got a clue, I'm lucky in this respect...)

Just want to know what others do...

cheers

V.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Regarding costs, what % of the actual value do you typically declare to the wife?
I found that 1/3 to 1/4 of the real value is a good one (as she usually hasn't got a clue, I'm lucky in this respect...)

Yes, I'm the same, about 1/3rd in my case but I had an extremely lucky escape this time. The marina left the invoice for the winter maintenance work, including fitting the lights, on the saloon table and I just managed to get to it before SWMBO. Btw, if she ever asks, the cost of replacing all the exterior cushions is €1000

 

[kcrane]

Yes, I'm the same, about 1/3rd in my case but I had an extremely lucky escape this time. The marina left the invoice for the winter maintenance work, including fitting the lights, on the saloon table and I just managed to get to it before SWMBO. Btw, if she ever asks, the cost of replacing all the exterior cushions is €1000

I wish that worked for me. SWMBO handles all the bills and bank accounts, so she knows exactly what it costs, in the last month she's done berthing, engine servicing, haul out, clean and anodes, fill up with fuel, washing, insurance, seastart. I reckon she was comparing that lot with cost of a long luxury holiday rather than a pair of shoes.

BTW our water tank bangs loudly just as it gets full, and then again as you start to use the water. I'd assumed it was steel and the sides were flexing, you've got me worried it is GRP and cracking.

 

[longjohnsilver]

Yes, I'm the same, about 1/3rd in my case but I had an extremely lucky escape this time. The marina left the invoice for the winter maintenance work, including fitting the lights, on the saloon table and I just managed to get to it before SWMBO. Btw, if she ever asks, the cost of replacing all the exterior cushions is €1000

Excellent Mike, I'll be in touch with MrsF to ask her where to get the job done at such good value......
Bummer about the tank but worse things happen at sea.

 

[hlb]

Did I ever tell you about the exploding toilet.

 

[BartW]

I love your threads Mike
gave me more then one serieous laugh today

even more your honesty about your cock up's,
well done that man, I like your sarkasm and self relativisation

 

[oceanfroggie]

Bad luck Mike, but you seem to have taken it in good spirits. Sure you'll have a great season after the little glitch.

Our water tank is stainless steel and located right under the the aft cabin double bed - I remember the first time I filled it when Froggette was sleeping, inches over it, just as it was near filling it usually makes a large bang as it pops! Froggette was not impressed as she nearly hit the roof with fright!

Look on the bright side, at least you didn't fill the fuel tanks with water as a pal of mine did a few years ago