Catamaran Sinking

[cruiz9]

Its amazing how quick a thread can degenerate into a slanging match between mono and cat owners. It was just meant to be a post that might interest the general boating community,if i thought it was going to get this response i would not have posted it,grow up guys get over it, try and be civil,. Has anybody heard anymore on this incident?

[mbianka]

Originally Posted by thorcat

Apparently a Nautitec ? 40 sank in the Indian Ocean on its way to Phuket to be put into charter. Some things about the story dont quite add up to me, it is claimed the escape hatch was dislodged allowing water to flood the vessel. Even if this was the case i doubt it would have sank proper,but rather swamped and still floating , no word on rescue or fate of crew at this stage.

This does not surprise me. Over the years I have been on charters on a number of different catamarans. My gal likes them for such vacations and I of course go along to get along. Roomwise they are great. But, some things just seem downright scary with some of the designs. Especially with some of the escape hatch locations:
THE BIANKA LOG BLOG: A vacation escape?

[Sand crab]

Thor, how did you hear about it?

[David M]

It's disconcerting how the escape hatches near the waterline on some cats are nothing beefier than a deck hatch.

When turtled, I could see how a cat could sink if the air is let out of the hull. Sure, a foam core hull could help with buoyancy but there are still plenty of objects on board that are denser than water.

[cruiz9]

Originally Posted by Sand crab

Thor, how did you hear about it?

prefer not to say Sand Crab ,but it was a company close to the source.
Most important thing it appears the crew got off safely.

[mbianka]

Originally Posted by David M

It's disconcerting how the escape hatches near the waterline are nothing beefier than a deck hatch.

That's what bothered me. I was thinking your are sailing along at a nice clip and run into some floating timber or other debris. Would not take much to rip off that hatch. That water is going to come in real fast. I've been on some cats where the hatch was much higher above the waterline.

[Factor]

This sort of thing doesn't happen regularly, but it does happen. There is simply no reason for a a modern cat/tri to sink if designed/built correctly. Indeed even ballasted monos can achieve this these days. I think it was/is Elan? that had a product that was unsinkable?

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by thorcat

Its amazing how quick a thread can degenerate into a slanging match between mono and cat owners. It was just meant to be a post that might interest the general boating community,if i thought it was going to get this response i would not have posted it,grow up guys get over it, try and be civil,. Has anybody heard anymore on this incident?

Nope, tried to find anything about it but turned up nothing, just as you said in your OP.

So this alleged incident in all probability may not have even happened, the boat may have been abandoned but still floating, etc etc.... but still there are people who just HAVE to jump in with stupid comments...

[goat]

Originally Posted by Factor

This sort of thing doesn't happen regularly, but it does happen. There is simply no reason for a a modern cat/tri to sink if designed/built correctly. Indeed even ballasted monos can achieve this these days. I think it was/is Elan? that had a product that was unsinkable?

A lot of boats are termed unsinkable. Titanic springs to mind.

[Cheechako]

I see nothing to keep many cats from sinking other than the trapped air in the hulls when It's upside down. With a hole in one hull that goes away and the boat sinks until the opposite hull tries to keep it up with the flooded hull down, but water ingress is inevitable I imagine. at that point.

[a64pilot]

Escape hatches for Cat's

Hmmm, maybe if we just fitted explosive bolts to a mono's keel? Yeah, that's the ticket, just don't sail too close to power lines

[tomfl]

Modern cats have water tight bow and stern sections and if well designed these four compartments should be able to keep the boat floating even if water gets in the other compartments. Of course if one is smuggling gold bullion that might not be true.

Some monohulls have a similar design that in many circumstances may allow the monohull to float, even if the decks are awash.

If a boat is damaged to the extent that the water tight compartments are breached it may mean enough of the cargo will be lost that the hull will float. Recently there was a boat being delivered across the Atlantic and the fin keel fell off. The result was a week or so later the still floating and over turned hull was located.

[Sand crab]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

I see nothing to keep many cats from sinking

This idea comes from the foam or wood core. There is a lot more surface area in a cat than a mono so more buoyant core.
I'm not saying it's true for all cats but it's probably true for some.

[roetter]

Unfortunately, I tried to disproof the unsinkable myth with a Lagoon 450. After a lot of effort all compartments were flooded, but she was still afloat. Waterline was about 30-50cm (1-1.5') below the main deck. It appears the volume the sandwich cored hull times the density of saltwater is more than the weight of the hull plus equipment on board.


Rolf

[Cotemar]

Most ocean certified production catamarans have large foam blocks in each bow.
Large foam blocks under the stern beds and around the mast or saloon.
Plus you add all the foam or balsa core and you have a very large floatation area.
Even if you where to fill each hull with water they will still float, just lower.

The only time you would want to leave a catamaran was if it was on fire.