Water in the boat

[Badger]

It's a rough night on passage, you are asleep down below. You wake up to go on watch and as you swing your feet out of the bunk they settle in 3-4 inches of water.

What do you do next ????????

 

[bedouin]

(a) Sack the people on watch for not noticing
(b) put out a Mayday
(c) Start the electric bilge pumps
(d) Start the engine (maybe)
(e) grab a bucket and start bailing

 

[Jacket]

Swear.

 

[Spacewaist]

& check the liferaft is free to launch

C

A pontification from the Panjandrum of orotund bloviation AD2002

 

[yoda]

a) Remind your self it's quite normal in modern flat bottomed boats with no deep bilge when flogging into the wind.
b) Remember to wear wellies in bed next time

 

[clyst]

If you're sailing a wooden boat ---bog all !! if its only 2-3 ins congratulate yourself on having a tight boat !! Dusty bilges what's that.???

Regards

Terry

 

[Twister_Ken]

Hold that mayday. First, just taste the water. Maybe it's not salty.

 

[Guest]

Pinch yourself hard, it may just be a wet dream and nothing to worry about.

 

[nicho]

But be careful it's not blue ......... it could be the holding tank!!

 

[jimi]

Would'nt mayday yet but would Pan Pan on the basis that if water is getting in it may short out the batteries pretty soon

start the bilge pumps, electric & manual
Check Hatches
Start engine
Check all seacocks and have bung ready to bribe 'em with
Once source of water established then take appropriate action to contain or stop water ingress
Prepare liferaft & grab bag

 

[FlyingSpud]

Re-Connect your colostomy bag?

Sorry

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by FlyingSpud on 06/02/2003 23:51 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[Aeolus_IV]

Has anyone checked that you've a got a fix (or ep) on your current position - if the watch haven't noticed the water, they probably haven't kept a up todate position and log.

Jeff.

 

[claymore]

That may mean the batteries are underwater for me.
The watch should have noticed that the instruments are not working
But:
manual pump and try the electric ones
Handheld vhf switched on
Sort position fix
Pump a while and see if we are gaining
Torches to check for leaks
Mayday ready to send
Keep pumping
Kettle on and flask filled if it looks like we have to abandon
Grab bag ready
Keep pumping
We'll know by now whether we are going down or out!

regards
Claymore
/forums/images/icons/smile.gif

 

[mtb]

Re: Dont panic dont panic

I'd sit there cos better to work it out first , have a plan .
Wake every one else up especialy the person on watch, Punch him her on the nose , then put the kettle on.
If it was that bad the boat would have sunk by now.
What was the last job done re hull
check by pumping which section of the hull is leaking , not forgetting it could be a leaking hatch or port hole, sort problem have another cuppa

Cheers
Mick


smile you'l be on your boat soon ;-)
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://homepage.ntlworld.com/boats/>http://homepage.ntlworld.com/boats/</A>

 

[Twister_Ken]

C\'mon you guys

Most probable cause - fresh water tank has let go (especially if you have flexible ones). So taste it before you dial 999.

 

[claymore]

Re: C\'mon you guys

Hmm
I can fill my bilges with the contents of the FW tanks and there is still room for quite a bit more water before we would get to 3 - 4" above the sole - so I don't think that would be the first place for me to look. I suppose seacocks would be my first line of investigation if there hadn't been that lovely sleep defying bang of Keel on Rock

regards
Claymore
/forums/images/icons/smile.gif

 

[Twister_Ken]

I notice Badger has lit the blue touch paper...

...and retired to a safe distance.

Chicken.

 

[bedouin]

Re: C\'mon you guys

Depends on you boat Ken.

My freshwater tank (flexible) is in the bilge, so if it leaks it cannot cause the water level to rise over the sole. In fact if I had 3-4" of water over the sole I would have shipped probably a couple of tonnes - and that is what I call serious!

But I have sailed on boats with flat, shallow bilges were it was the norm for the water to be over the sole when on a beat.

 

[PeteMcK]

Re: C\'mon you guys - (smell it)

Or the red stuff from the 45 gall tank on the other side ...

 

[Twister_Ken]

Lightening ship

Did the last person to empty their bowels remember to close the seacocks? Heads often overflow when the boat is heeled.