Boats sinking recently

[bonzoscott]

I am on a blog that has to do with Ohio River boating. Boats (at least 1/2 dozen) have sunk in recent weeks and seems to have been since the polar vortex. I am not familiar with mooring a boat year round and frankly, can't imagine doing it. However, a couple of them were house boats of sorts so I guess one has to weigh and balance risk/cost. Is this a regular occurrence? No one on the blog is pointing out the reason. Can anyone here on iboats shed light on this and what's causing it? My first thought is the bellows. Maybe water in them and freezing or something? Some of the pics I seen appear to be 30 to maybe 50 foot Sea Rays. Sad....

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Boats sinking recently

they weren't properly winterized... seacocks open, glass strainers full of water freeze n break n once it thaws back out, down they go.

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Boats sinking recently

If the boats have through hulls under the waterline. the seacocks were not closed and the lines froze/ruptured - Just like plumbing in your house, a big leak.

This tablet is slow and the keys are too small. What Smoke said.

 

[crabby captain john]

Re: Boats sinking recently

Owners probably thought the water would not freeze as the river water keeps moving. "Thinking" instead of winterizing correctly will do it.

 

[Thalasso]

Re: Boats sinking recently

I am on a blog that has to do with Ohio River boating. Boats (at least 1/2 dozen) have sunk in recent weeks and seems to have been since the polar vortex. I am not familiar with mooring a boat year round and frankly, can't imagine doing it. However, a couple of them were house boats of sorts so I guess one has to weigh and balance risk/cost. Is this a regular occurrence? No one on the blog is pointing out the reason. Can anyone here on iboats shed light on this and what's causing it? My first thought is the bellows. Maybe water in them and freezing or something? Some of the pics I seen appear to be 30 to maybe 50 foot Sea Rays. Sad....

What area of the Ohio are you referring to?

 

[bonzoscott]

Re: Boats sinking recently

Cincinnati. I briefly looked up seacock. I can't figure what the purpose is on a pleasure boat. One definition read: a valve in the hull of a ship for admitting seawater into some internal chamber, as for ballast. Help me understand....

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Boats sinking recently

a seacock is a valve... the definition is correct but incomplete... engine cooling water, flush water for the head, deck wash, air conditioning intake all have seacocks

 

[agallant80]

Re: Boats sinking recently

Seacock is just a ball valve used for things like A/C. Some people have them on the raw water to block hose. If you have a through hull under the water line it better have a Seacock on it.

 

[bonzoscott]

Re: Boats sinking recently

a seacock is a valve... the definition is correct but incomplete... engine cooling water, flush water for the head, deck wash, air conditioning intake all have seacocks

Got it! Now I understand. Is this standard equipment on these boats and how does one winterize? If you just shut the valve off, there's still water in the system... right?

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Boats sinking recently

yes standard... shut seacock and drain water / replace with rv antifreeze

 

[bonzoscott]

Re: Boats sinking recently

yes standard... shut seacock and drain water / replace with rv antifreeze

Thanks for educating me. So that means it's gotta be pulled out? These owners of high dollar boats chance it or just don't know? I would think that they have the marina winterize for the block. Is the marina responsible for the seacock as well?

 

[Grub54891]

Re: Boats sinking recently

When a customer checks the winterize boxes on our forms, we do what they want done. Some customers do their own water systyms,we do the engines. When we notice they may have missed something,we give them a call,they say-oops! Thanks for the call,just do it!
We try to check each and evry one,but when the customer does his own,there is nothing we can do about their mistakes.Not all the thru-hull fitting are readily accesable. Had one a few years ago,the customer forgot to tighten a clamp on the water heater,in spring we launched it,check for leaks,looks good. When it was started,it began siphoning and didnt sink but got flooded pretty good. Dosen't take a very big leak to make em go down.
Grub
If they say winterize everythibg,yes we are responsible. And the seacock dosent get removed,just pull the hose,drain and run the anti freeze through,re-attach hose,leave the valve shut till haulout,then open it.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Boats sinking recently

also if you have a leaky boat, the battery fails in the cold weather and the bilge pump doesn't work. But it takes a really leaky boat for that to happen in calm conditions.

wind pushing waves against the stern can sink them. snow/ice build-up can weigh them down and sink them.

 

[crabby captain john]

Re: Boats sinking recently

also if you have a leaky boat, the battery fails in the cold weather and the bilge pump doesn't work. But it takes a really leaky boat for that to happen in calm conditions.

wind pushing waves against the stern can sink them. snow/ice build-up can weigh them down and sink them.

and some just forget about them until spring when deciding they will use them soon OR they get the call from the marina saying there is more water inside than outside. Boats need constant attention.

 

[Natesms]

Re: Boats sinking recently

Here is a good diagram. I put a short hose on the tailpiece and blow air through them as a I close them off for the winter. My boat is in the water year round and I had read that if there is water in the valve they can freeze and crack so even closed they could fail.

http://www.diybob.com/SeacockTapered.gif

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Boats sinking recently

Here is a good diagram. I put a short hose on the tailpiece and blow air through them as a I close them off for the winter. My boat is in the water year round and I had read that if there is water in the valve they can freeze and crack so even closed they could fail.

http://www.diybob.com/SeacockTapered.gif

A good way to prevent the water trapped in the seacock, if you have room, is to have the seacock located up a short pipe and at the waterline, rather than sitting on the bottom of the hull and (presumably) below the water line. That also serves for safety year round, since a seacock and its fittings is more likely to break/leak than a straight section of pipe.

 

[Grandad]

Re: Boats sinking recently

A good way to prevent the water trapped in the seacock, if you have room, is to have the seacock located up a short pipe and at the waterline, rather than sitting on the bottom of the hull and (presumably) below the water line. That also serves for safety year round, since a seacock and its fittings is more likely to break/leak than a straight section of pipe.

I always thought that using a robust seacock ruggedly fastened directly to the hull was for the express benefit of not having a piece of hose and a clamp that might fail below the waterline. Wouldn't raising the seacock with a short piece of hose defeat this benefit? Of course, it can't help if you don't close it. - Grandad

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Boats sinking recently

Good point; it's really a matter of choosing your risk points. A "robust/rugged/properly installed" seacock may be better on the hull than one that is lifted somewhat, but either way you are going to have parts below the waterline. An elevated rig is prone to being knocked loose, which is why that rig would only be advisable in a closed area like a bilge.

Ho wyou would rig a 40' trawler and how you'd rig a 19' open boat may be different things, especially since in the latter, you will find less "robust" parts.