Responded to a mayday. Vessel lost.

[fox9988]

Photos and a screenshot of the explanation. We were crossing from Apalachicola to St. Pete FL. Confused seas with the occasional 8-10’ swell. Gusting to 18 knots.

[lockie]

Windows close to the waterline in an ostensibly ocean-going vessel.

What could possibly go wrong?


Cheers, Graeme

[fox9988]

It was a 43’ Beneteau. SV Here And Now.

[Chotu]

Second one? Or is this the same one from within the last 7 days in the same area?

These failed ports losing boats is a little hard to bend my mind around.

Do people not have flat sheets of material (like the settee structure or cabin sole) and screws aboard? Also some caulking or 5200 or something?

No idea what people carry for tools these days, but having a hard time understanding how losing ports keeps turning into loss of boat mayday situations

[Lodesman]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Second one? Or is this the same one from within the last 7 days in the same area?

These failed ports losing boats is a little hard to bend my mind around.

Do people not have flat sheets of material (like the settee structure or cabin sole) and screws aboard? Also some caulking or 5200 or something?

No idea what people carry for tools these days, but having a hard time understanding how losing ports keeps turning into loss of boat mayday situations

Or they could stuff a cushion into the hole.

[BobHorn]

Before we went cruising on our Irwin 41 I replaced all the plastic ports with through bolted SS ones with safety glass. Sure was glad crossing the Mona Passage.

[psk125]

Just in case, we carry a "crash mat" triangular piece of heavy-duty sailcloth 10' on a side. It has pennants on each corner so we can try to position it over any holes in the hull to slow water inflow.

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Second one? Or is this the same one from within the last 7 days in the same area?

These failed ports losing boats is a little hard to bend my mind around.

Do people not have flat sheets of material (like the settee structure or cabin sole) and screws aboard? Also some caulking or 5200 or something?

No idea what people carry for tools these days, but having a hard time understanding how losing ports keeps turning into loss of boat mayday situations

Well, they did have engine and battery problems, too. And I really don't think we should hammer them, not having sailed with them.

But --and this is only opinion based on observation-- it seems to me that many of the modern cruisers did not "come up" the slow way. They have not commenced to learn seamanship and built on it for years. The attitude is that the boat is only a material possession, and they're scared NOW, really scared, and have not got out of panic mode and started asking themselves how to best address the situation. They are less prepared that we were when we sailed with hank on sails and routinely did multiiple sail changes. They have a headsail and a mainsail, and maybe a spinnaker. They might have an old staysail on a cutter. The basic attitudes show little respect for the sea, little thoughtfulness about what they're doing.

Ann

[rdempsey]

I was taught you don't abandon the boat until you have to step UP to the life raft.

[Shanachie]

Very puzzling.


A look at the photos shows that the fixed ports were just under the deck line, not close to the waterline. It's not clear to me how water could be rushing in, even in somewhat large seas. (I have similar ports on my boat.)



A stalled diesel in choppy seas usually is a clogged fuel filter. Not unusual at all if you don't use a biocide. And not difficult to remedy.


Unless there were undisclosed problems, it doesn't seem to be an abandon ship situation to me. How about rolling out a little jib to stabilize the boat, then deal with the problems as you are able?


I agree with JPA Cate. There is a danger to taking off in a sailboat when you don't have the experience and skills to deal with the difficult situations that inevitably crop up.


I choke every time I read a post about a newbie wanting to buy an old boat for a few thousand dollars and take off across the Atlantic.

[Wotname]

I think Ann has hit the nail on the head with her opinion (post #8) plus there is some essence of

We didn't go cruising to be discomforted or to be inconvenienced by the seas, if we aren't enjoying it, someone has better come along and fix it. The boat is only money, that is what insurance is for.

[fox9988]

11/18/2023 event. They did have a patch over the hole when I arrived on scene. Their AIS was coming and going, that’s why I assumed electrical problems. They stated the engine was inoperable.
Our guess was, boat was full of water before they realized there was a problem.
I never set foot on the boat.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Wotname

I think Ann has hit the nail on the head with her opinion (post #8) plus there is some essence of

We didn't go cruising to be discomforted or to be inconvenienced by the seas, if we aren't enjoying it, someone has better come along and fix it. The boat is only money, that is what insurance is for.

Good luck to them, I’m pretty sure the insurance will not cover it when they read this kind if info and see these pictures. They don’t even sail, just motor.

Again, if you can’t prevent water ingress from a porthole then you have no business being out there. Go camping.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Well, they did have engine and battery problems, too. And I really don't think we should hammer them, not having sailed with them.

But --and this is only opinion based on observation-- it seems to me that many of the modern cruisers did not "come up" the slow way. They have not commenced to learn seamanship and built on it for years. The attitude is that the boat is only a material possession, and they're scared NOW, really scared, and have not got out of panic mode and started asking themselves how to best address the situation. They are less prepared that we were when we sailed with hank on sails and routinely did multiiple sail changes. They have a headsail and a mainsail, and maybe a spinnaker. They might have an old staysail on a cutter. The basic attitudes show little respect for the sea, little thoughtfulness about what they're doing.

Ann

I guess that’s true but we’re not hammering them. We’re just curious. A port is a very small hole way above the waterline on those boats. It’s a well known boat model.

If water is coming in, isn’t the first step to try to stop it before damage to the electrical systems (battery and engine)?

I guess I’m getting old lol. I used to be the young guy out here. Now I guess I’m having trouble understanding the new viewpoint that you are mentioning. I suppose people are starting to look at boats like cars. If it breaks down, just call the Coast Guard and go home. That’s why you have insurance and towing on boats now.

I guess I’m just weird/old about all of this now. Times have changed. In my opinion, I have a sailboat- I have at least two ways to get back and I’m going to stuff any hole that is leaking.

Wot name brings the emotional aspect in, but the OP was out here in the same conditions on a smaller boat.

Confusing stuff

But I do think these electrical problems from water ingress are not the fault of the people on the boats at all. This is a manufacturing and design error. Who puts batteries down in the bilge like that? They should be higher. On my boat they are on the bridgedeck level for this very reason. I know that’s a bit extreme, but on a monohull they can be pretty high up and not all the way down in the bilge at the lower areas. Even sacrificing a small cabinet to port or starboard to have them up higher would be good.

I can’t understand putting these battery systems down where a little bit splash of water in the bilge is going to disable the boat. This is the second one in a week.

I mean I had this happen before early on in life. Not with a port, but my raw water pump hose sprung a leak. It filled up the entire boat before I noticed. I looked down and the cabin sole was moving. I was like uh-oh. So I went down and figured it all out, fixed it, pumped out the water and carried on. My batteries didn’t go underwater because the boat wasn’t designed poorly in that respect. O’day 302

[Bowdrie]

Intact mast/rig, neatly furled jib, in-mast furled main, Bimini etc. seems in good shape, dinghy ok, (perhaps hanging down at the stern because of engine weight?,) and not a bad sea state.
With regards to a previous post, it doesn't look like they would have had to "step up" into a life raft.
I guess you just can't trust those picture windows in the hull to keep the water out.