Whats it like in an upturned catamaran ?

[mark_morwood]

Originally Posted by Moontide

...

OK, fire away at my thinking.

Basically matches my thinking, though we didn't have a dedicated inverted survival space. I also painted a big square of orange non-skid on the bottom of the bridge deck and left jack lines rigged running across the underneath of the bridge deck from our escape hatch which was in the floor of the saloon (Catana 48).

[admiralslater]

Moon tide ,finally some one comes up with the correct answer regarding the use of acces hatches . There are some videos showing them in action usually on french racing boats

[Taichungman]

Originally Posted by admiralslater

Moon tide ,finally some one comes up with the correct answer regarding the use of acces hatches . There are some videos showing them in action usually on french racing boats

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I sailed about 9000 miles on a 50' St. Francis cat. The best use I found for the escape hatch in my forward port cabin was when anchored in the Caribbean. Once anchored, I would open the escape hatch (no wingnuts) and let the cool air flow in from between the hulls, though my cabin and out through the main salon. Note: always close the hatch when sailing.

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by Cadence

I wonder where that piece of wisdom came from. Cats can't sink?

SOME cats cant sink. Ours can't. It's simple. The materials used to build the boat occupy more than 10 cubic metres. The boat weighs 6 tonnes.

Therefore, even if all of the 50+ sealed buoyancy compartments were flooded, it still couldn't sink.

Even if it were broken up, most of the bits wouldn't sink.

There are quite a few boats that can't sink. Boston Whalers for instance. You can cut them into pieces, but they still float.

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by BigBeakie

Thumbs Up,

My understanding (from Pantaenius amongst others) here in Oz is that you need a liferaft in order to get offshore insurance, maybe any insurance. Is that not the case where you are from?


Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

Seems unlikely. Having a liferaft certainly isn't going to lessen the risk to the insurer. If anything it's more likely to increase it.

[fxykty]

We have insurance from Velos in the UK and they didn’t ask about a life raft. The only condition we have on our blue water policy is standing rigging less than 10 years old.

Our registration authority (UK) has lots of requirements for boats going offshore, and amongst other things it requires a life raft. Not sure who would enforce that on the other side of the world.

[Anders]

Originally Posted by fxykty

Our registration authority (UK) has lots of requirements for boats going offshore, and amongst other things it requires a life raft. Not sure who would enforce that on the other side of the world.

Never used to be any requirement for a UK registered boat. Are you commercial or has something changed recently?

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by fxykty

We have insurance from Velos in the UK and they didn’t ask about a life raft. The only condition we have on our blue water policy is standing rigging less than 10 years old.

Our registration authority (UK) has lots of requirements for boats going offshore, and amongst other things it requires a life raft. Not sure who would enforce that on the other side of the world.

Yes, we've had insurance with two companies in Australia and have never been asked about a liferaft.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

SOME cats cant sink. Ours can't. It's simple. The materials used to build the boat occupy more than 10 cubic metres. The boat weighs 6 tonnes.

Therefore, even if all of the 50+ sealed buoyancy compartments were flooded, it still couldn't sink.

Even if it were broken up, most of the bits wouldn't sink.

There are quite a few boats that can't sink. Boston Whalers for instance. You can cut them into pieces, but they still float.

I was referring to the blanket statement cats can't sink. Many use so much coring to save weight and won't sink. No argument there but some don't.

[svMarite]

Originally Posted by Hardhead

This is likely a stupid question -- but when you open the escape hatch, is there a concern with trapped hull air escaping, and causing that hull to possibly sink?

Exactly, NEVER open those if turtled, you will sink for sure with the massive whole you just made.
The idea is like that of a car under water, one must wait until complete submersion to equalize the pressure, then and only then you escape

[tiopirata]

Originally Posted by Cadence

I wonder where that piece of wisdom came from. Cats can't sink?

There definitely are cats, and tris, that can't sink.

[Bon Temps]

I kind of doubt that some of the people who have answered your question actually have catamarans. The only cat that I know of that have a scape patches are really old or possibly made in France (I am not sure of this) where they have a regulation that requires them. In reality it is really hard or impossible to capsize a catamaran. Maybe a once-in-a-lifetime hundred foot rogue wave could do it.

If it did happen, being a cat owner, I would just sit tight and wait for the storm to pass. Then go thru the door. Basically keep the boat air tight and do not open those useless escape hatches which would vent out your buoyancy.

Also remember since cats don’t have heavy weighted keels and have a lot of sealed space they do not sink unless someone punches holes in them. Thinking about it my boat would more likely sink if it were upright.

[admiralslater]

Once again the hatches are designed as to be a bove the waterline for going in and out . The have nothing to do with the floatation of the boat

[fxykty]

Originally Posted by admiralslater

Once again the hatches are designed as to be a bove the waterline for going in and out . The have nothing to do with the floatation of the boat

This.

You can easily understand that there is no airlock if you have sinks in the heads or galley down sinks with drain hoses that go to throughhulls - those are just like open vents when inverted.

Flotation is in the structure and any additional airtight or flotation compartments.

[Dave Howell]

Originally Posted by David M

Wondering how an inverted hull would eventually have enough oxygen if it needs to be airtight to avoid sinking. I don't understand how one could live in there for days.

Recommend book by Tony Bullimore of his capsize in the Southern Ocean a long, long way offshore. This book is of a real life experience. Many comments in this thread are opinions only - though often thought provoking