Challenge: Float this Boat!

[Live to Dive]

At the risk of highjacking yet another thread on the age old argument I must beg to ask the question. "Would a multihull have faired better in such a predicament?"

[LeftRoamin]

Originally Posted by Live to Dive

At the risk of highjacking yet another thread on the age old argument I must beg to ask the question. "Would a multihull have faired better in such a predicament?"

If the question is "would it be better to lose a multihull on a reef?" .... I would say yes, provided you can afford to.

[neelie]

Here's an example of a mono that did just fine. Wing keels may not be all that bad after all - who needs a multi to remain upright.This boat ran aground during a race in France (?) and was floated off with no damage on the next tide.

[Hud3]

I wonder why he has his fenders out?

[Unicorn Dreams]

Fenders, probably worried some one night bump way UP to his boat, like low flying airplane, or maybe airboats.

[neelie]

Ever the optimist, he was expecting company?

[Cheechako]

My first boat was a swing keel san juan 21. I was in the SJ21 club. One member gave a presentation on his trip to Alaska from Seattle, He had one pic of the boat on top of a rock like that due to the extreme tide at night while he was sleeping. Not so precarious though!

[Live to Dive]

Perhaps he's using the fenders to balance. I have a vision of the skipper standing in the middle of the boat with his arms outstreched, ala tight rope walker.

All good humor, but would a multihull have been able to be rescued far easier in such a situation? Surely it could be pushed off the rock easier, Or am I mistaken?

[neelie]

Unless your multi is constructed from 1/2 inch steel plate, the chances are it would sustain considerable damage in the pushing off process.

I think its more hull material rather than design which determines the fate of any boat aground on a reef.

[captmick39]

Originally Posted by Hud3

I wonder why he has his fenders out?

1-In reality (& All comedy aside) it's probably out of his fear of the boat heeling (more like "crashing") to port when the tide returns, however the smart thing to do (If I HAD 12 hrs to kill while waiting for the next high incoming) would have been to FILL those Fenders with H20...we've all seen 'em "squash" under the load with air inside...doesn't happen with water...as well pay out their tending lines further...when the picture was taken, they were too high to serve any purpose other than a nice flotation item to grap hold of after going over the side.

2-(Looking at the larger version of this thumbnail) it appears he has rudder damage?

3-Apparently he's paid out a stern anchor & Line, for the life of me why he placed it, Where he placed it is beyond comprehension? EVERYTHING (anchor wise) needed to go to Starboard, set as far out as scope would possibly allow, largest thereafter attached to heaviest halyard 3 wraps on a mast halyard winch, pay out 2nd longest line to anchor off bow, out again as far as scope would allow, secured to windlass if 1 is available(probably not on a 27'er).

4-This boat needed to be heeled over when floating, (via masthead for a "pivot point", like the previous page's photo of the fellow going under a "bridge too far"), pulled gently to the deeper water via that heeled over mast, dragging continually to starboard, then hit that bowline and pull off forward. Tie additional fenders or anything that floats, to the anchor lines, motor to over the anchors & retrieve same.

5-Get the heloutta there & never look back. Be sure to note that "waypoint" on Your GPS as well, a repeat of that would be insane.

Glad it floated with the tide, those appear some brutal rocks.

[captmick39]

Originally Posted by Bella Sera

Any possibility they could just undo the keel bolts and plug the holes? Hull should pull off easily at that point, and perhaps they could recover the keel later with a small barge?

Per the title of this reply,
the KEEL is an intimate part of the physics of vessels remaining upright (when floating). First of all, keel bolts are Never "easily" removed...under 2' of water, make that even more of a challenge;

And there's the little ditty (as seen more than once racing) when the keel separates from the hull, the rig has no balance and gravity does "it's thing"... boat is IMMEDIATELY Knocked Down to allow the mast it's gravitational desire...DOWNWARD. Now You have an upside down boat, with a mast that seeks to fully invert the boat & like any cat/trimaran inverted formerly now You have the additional dilemma of it needing about 40-45 feet of water to float, albeit "inverted". Nothing good (ever) comes from boats designed to have keels, with those items removed (intentionally or catastrophically); unless of course the soul goal was to scrap/salvage the vessel and drag it ashore from where it sat. If that was the goal, it would get light enough for a 1" extended anchor line secured to forward anchor cleat & backed to the mast step, attached on the other end to a 4x4 Heavy (1 ton) truck on the beach to at high tide drag this thing all the way to the shore. Then out come the reciprocating saws & she gets cut up, right there, right then; done & done before the tide rose again.

[David M]

Unlimited budget method: Hire a helicopter.

Realistically, there are float bags that have thousands of pounds of buoyancy. They can be placed under the boat and inflated with scuba tanks. The float bags will draw much less water. Then the boat can be towed out with a suitably sized power boat. Also, no damage to the boat from dragging will occur. Once out in deeper water, the boat cannot sink either. Another benefit is minimal damage to the coral.

[captmick39]

Originally Posted by David M

Unlimited budget method: Hire a helicopter.

Realistically, there are float bags that have thousands of pounds of buoyancy. They can be placed under the boat and inflated with scuba tanks. The float bags will draw much less water. Then the boat can be towed out with a suitably sized power boat. Also, no damage to the boat from dragging will occur. Once out in deeper water, the boat cannot sink either. Another benefit is minimal damage to the coral.

David,
Actually did Just This, Just Once...
After Andrew, 40' 1940's nice looking WOOD Sloop on top of the pile;
not to bad off or holed, just way, way "up there". Most likely far mor damage would be done "rescuing" it than up to then...which is the case often after storms...the human intervention(s) can be catastrophic when attempted by the inexperienced.

When an experienced steeplejack/rigger gets approached to go up Under the Chopper & properly attached slings & spreader bar below a Sikorsky Skycrane, the question always follows at 0'DarkThirty of "WTF"?
"WHO owns that boat?"
"Who now isn't relevant as his check is good, it's Who OWNED it...
JFK".

It can & does happen...when money is no object.

God rest the soul of his sister Eunice Kennedy Shriver, who passed over the night at age 88.

[Eleven]

I thought fenders were an invitation to moor alongside?

[Eleven]

ps Multi would probable have sailed straight over that. Must be a good four or five feet of water when he struck. (Wasn't following me was he? He he)