How Can I Stop My Boat from Sinking ?

[hpeer]

A couple of thoughts:

1. USCG will air drop you a trash pump in a can, or at least we did back in my day. Kick it out the tail end of a C-130. Hope that the pilots aid is good and the chute opens. Our base put one clean through a boat once.

2. Last summer, running at night, I freaking near hit a channel marker on a large pileing. I took over from the Wife helming, was looking for the next marker, and this marker was behind the mast. Only missed by inches at the very last moment. Oh how stupid I felt.

3. I did hit a submerged piling in the C&D canal. It is marked as a "PILE" but is in fact submerged at all times and I had not noticed it on the chart. I must have run straight over the top of it. Picked us up a good foot! Can't wait to see what the keel looks like. 1/4" steel. Many others would likely not have survived. It's probably only down 3 feet, maybe 2, at low tide. Oh how stupid I felt.

[Exiles]

Great info everyone thanks! Unfortunately we dont have the time or funds to buy and fix up a steel boat and the fact that about a quarter of the boats who have accomplished the northwest passage gives me confidence (maybe false) that we can succesfully achieve the passage with our highly over build fiberglass Hallsberg Rassy.