Unsinkable boat

[BrendanS]

If a powerboat was unsinkable (similar to the raggy Etaps) would it influence your purchasing decision positively. Interesting conversation I had last night, and wondered what people thought.

 

[B175Chris]

I think a lot of people by boston whalers for this reason, but wikipedia says:

[ QUOTE ]
Today this "unsinkable" attribute is not exclusive to Boston Whalers. All modern boats under twenty five feet manufactured for sale in the United States are required by law to have positive flotation so that a completely swamped boat will still float.[4] This is accomplished by the use of closed cell foam incorporated in the boat. Boston Whaler does claim that they use "up to two-and-a-half times more foam than is required to meet Coast Guard standards," and that their boats don't just have postive flotation, but truly level flotation when swamped

[/ QUOTE ]

Personally it wouldn't affect my decision to buy one boat over another, unless I was having a hard time choosing between two boats and it was down to details.. I'd make my choice based on power, handling, cost and styling, probably /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[BrendanS]

I'm including boats over 25'

 

[Sneds]

I clicked "Yes" but only if I needed one last deciding factor.
Interesting result so far.

 

[jfm]

As ever, one has to answer this type of question literally. I didn't ready an implied "influence positively" into the question, and I dont know if you wanted readers to(?). So I clicked yes, as in it would influence my decision, but it wouldn't necessarily influence it positively. The volume consumed and access issues created by the closed cell foam (if that is the means ued to achive unsinkability) would in a big boat probably make me decide NOT to buy the boat.

 

[BrendanS]

I've changed the text of the post to say positively, as that was what I was really interested in (can't edit the poll unfortunately)

 

[rickp]

Yes, I agree with you on that one jfm. Plus an unsinkable boat is no help if its on fire - so you still need a liferaft anyway.

Rick

 

[No Regrets]

My Rio is unsinkable due to that construction, but I didn't know until I read the handbook!

I would imagine the back half (With Volvo D3) is not unsinkable if detached from the bows though.... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[KCook]

In addition to Whaler, other foam filled US boats are Edgewater, Everglades, and McKee. All of these are OB powered fishing boats. All are good looking, highly regarded. Unfortunately their cockpits all look like the inside of a bathtub. They do provide a few pockets for storing gear, but can't do this as well as the conventional boats.

Kelly Cook

 

[BrendanS]

I'm thinking more about larger boats with berths, galley, heads, and inboard engines, rather than fishing boats of this sort.

 

[PeteCooper]

Unsinkability doesn't seem to be a major factor in the sailing yacht market - Etaps and Sadlers both claim this, but many other manufacturers who sell sinkable boats still seem to do OK.

 

[No Regrets]

Oh, they can all sink... /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[Chris_d]

Probably doesn't influence many purchase decisions, but anybody who really knows what can happen at sea would have one. Most of the crews who lost their lives in that infamous Fastnet race back in the eighties, were lost because they took to liferafts thinking their boats would sink. Infact most didn't sink because they were effectively unsinkable and floated semi submerged. The rescue services found all the unsunk boats but not all the liferafts. So the moral is that an unsinkable boat might save your life because it more easily found than a liferaft.

 

[MapisM]

[ QUOTE ]
Interesting conversation I had last night

[/ QUOTE ]Care to tell us about it? Fwiw, I tend to agree with jfm.
The safest pleasure boats I'm aware of are steel trawlers with double integral hull and self-righting capability.
None of them are technically unsinkable, but I'd gladly afford an ocean crossing on one of them.
On the other hand - since I know frinstance Rio boats, which as No_Regrets says are supposed to be unsinkable - I wouldn't venture any farther from the coast with one of them, than I'd be capable to return swimming.

 

[BrendanS]

I want to get some unbiased responses before I go into the conversation in more detail.

 

[MapisM]

Well, the poll says a lot already - 40% of "no influence" is amazing.
In fact, I voted 'yes', in spite of (or maybe consistently with?) what I just said.

 

[BrendanS]

I don't want to make any comments on the results yet, as I don't wish to bias the results with which way I was thinking during the conversation.

 

[MapisM]

C'mon Brendan...
Each and every post of ours is biased. Your poll is. Life is. What's wrong with that?

 

[jfm]

As the saying goes, always step <u>up</u> into the liferaft...

 

[BrendanS]

I'm more than happy to give the reasons for the post, but want to wait at least 24 hours to see what the poll says first.