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NoahTreat · 10-10-2017, 04:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Suijin

they had very little if any experience before acquiring this boat. I'm not sure that they knew enough to really keep any eye on their thru hulls.

This is not an accurate statement. They sailed from Boston to the Bahamas and back. This was there 2nd boat to purchase.

I’ve never lived on a boat and just bought a 22ft Tanzer for $1000 and I know about thru hulls.

Their YouTube blog was one of the first I stumbled upon. And when they bought this latest boat I decided to sign up for Patreon and help them out because I was inspired to chase my own dream. They worked hard for their dream and it was becoming a reality. It’s sad to see this happened and to suggest it was from lack of experience is just plain lazy. Sometimes things happen and equipment fails. I’m routing hard for Wes and Kate. They are good people who caught a bad break. Buy a shirt and help them out, I did. I would’ve been put off if they set up a gofund me, but they didn’t. They put out a product to sell, which many content creators have done.

https://wicked-salty.myshopify.com/

MV Wanderlust · 10-10-2017, 05:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cormorant

Another quick plug is a Nerf football or basketball. They compress and conform to the hole easily. Not great for longterm, but handy to have at the "Oh $#!)" moment.

Clever

Durangutan · 10-10-2017, 10:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by funjohnson

Hose doesn't just slip off a barb unless it was the wrong size/type. Double clamping is required below the waterline (ABYC in the US) and I'm sure it's similar in the EU. It's unlikely to have two proper hose clamps fail without some kind of warning signs (rust) and the two clamps combine to give more even pressure on the hose/barb.

I'm guessing your boat is similar to ours.... welded pipe and a threaded valve on the top. Our valves are Marlon and I'm pretty sure you could dance on them all day long and do no damage.

Matt

I could use some clarification on double clamping. I'm definitely no expert but it's been my understanding that double clamping is required for fuel and exhaust lines and, though considered good practice for others below the waterline, it's not an ABYC requirement for seacocks. Thanks!

Cavalier · 10-10-2017, 10:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Durangutan

I could use some clarification on double clamping. I'm definitely no expert but it's been my understanding that double clamping is required for fuel and exhaust lines and, though considered good practice for others below the waterline, it's not an ABYC requirement for seacocks. Thanks!

I was incorrect before, in the assertion that double clamping is a requirement under ABYC. It is, however, a.requirement in the EU.

See:

http://www.boats.com/how-to/hose-cla.../#.Wd0AD-xFw0M

Matt Johnson · 10-10-2017, 10:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Durangutan

I could use some clarification on double clamping. I'm definitely no expert but it's been my understanding that double clamping is required for fuel and exhaust lines and, though considered good practice for others below the waterline, it's not an ABYC requirement for seacocks. Thanks!

You're 100% correct. While I thought the under the waterline was a requirement (seems common sense), after reading through it, it seems it is only fuel and exhaust.

Thanks for pointing this out!

Matt

Suijin · 10-10-2017, 11:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by NoahTreat

This is not an accurate statement. They sailed from Boston to the Bahamas and back. This was there 2nd boat to purchase.

Everything is relative, in the end. And I'm not sure it's their second boat. I get the impression that they passed on the Freedom and bought the Erickson. That or they only owned the Freedom for a short period of time. And the number of boats you own in a short period of time doesn't say anything about how well you know boats.

They went down the ICW and then through the Exumas. Not exactly a challenging trip, but a wise itinerary for them given their skill and knowledge level. As I stated, there was a pretty consistent drumbeat of "things gone wrong" that would not have happened to more experienced cruisers. They did not happen because the couple is stupid, they happened because they did not know better, period. From that perspective, it's not surprising that some (potentially...we don't know the full story yet) hidden and unattended/unmaintained system led to this outcome.

Seacocks and thru-hulls are the boat equivalent of high blood pressure. A silent killer.

Don't think that I'm saying that they should not have set out, or that they are "bad people" or anything like that. They're nice kids, they seem prudent and careful enough...when they know enough to be careful. I certainly hope that they do get back on the water and succeed.

NoahTreat · 10-10-2017, 11:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Suijin

Everything is relative, in the end. And I'm not sure it's their second boat. I get the impression that they passed on the Freedom and bought the Erickson. That or they only owned the Freedom for a short period of time. And the number of boats you own in a short period of time doesn't say anything about how well you know boats.

They went down the ICW and then through the Exumas. Not exactly a challenging trip, but a wise itinerary for them given their skill and knowledge level. As I stated, there was a pretty consistent drumbeat of "things gone wrong" that would not have happened to more experienced cruisers. They did not happen because the couple is stupid, they happened because they did not know better, period. From that perspective, it's not surprising that some (potentially...we don't know the full story yet) hidden and unattended/unmaintained system led to this outcome.

Seacocks and thru-hulls are the boat equivalent of high blood pressure. A silent killer.

Don't think that I'm saying that they should not have set out, or that they are "bad people" or anything like that. They're nice kids, they seem prudent and careful enough...when they know enough to be careful. I certainly hope that they do get back on the water and succeed.

The boat they sailed to the Exumas was a completely different boat named Parity. Obviously you don’t know their history or seen all their videos. So for you to make a comment about their experience is ignorance on your part.

Comment all you want on what might happened or mistakes made, but don’t ridicule someone’s ability when you don’t know what their abilities may or may not be.

sailjumanji · 10-10-2017, 12:22

I watched all of their Parity videos. Thought them really entertaining, and a sweet couple. And like Lola (their dog). But never striked me as being big on boat maintenance or preventative stuff. I think Dad even came to show him how to change the oil on the diesel motor on the new boat. Why he couldn't do that on his own after owning Parity - also with diesel motor - for over a year?

mr336 · 10-10-2017, 19:38

Crap happens to the best in the world. Is it 2 horrible shuttle losses? Imagine the experience and total man/womanhours accumulated over the decades? Crap happens to the best.

Bleemus · 10-10-2017, 20:34

Sad to see this happen to a sweet couple. I am guessing they will now close their seacocks when leaving the boat for extended periods.

rbk · 10-10-2017, 20:36

I’m in the process of replacing all my thru hulls and from the factory they used what looks like sikaflax on all barbed fittings and double clamped. Removing the 36 year old seacocks and thru hulls was the easy part, getting the stiff, bonded hoses off was the hard part. Intend to repeat this application upon reinstallation. For what it’s worth Groco’s IBV series are a thing of beauty, cant wait to get them in. It’s a shame they’ll be hidden.

Suijin · 16-10-2017, 04:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by NoahTreat

The boat they sailed to the Exumas was a completely different boat named Parity. Obviously you don’t know their history or seen all their videos. So for you to make a comment about their experience is ignorance on your part.

Comment all you want on what might happened or mistakes made, but don’t ridicule someone’s ability when you don’t know what their abilities may or may not be.

Whoa dude. I never "ridiculed" them. And when the couple makes mistake after mistake after mistake, and honestly admits to it and talks openly about it, commenting on their lack of experience is not ignorance, it's called highlighting the obvious. I don't have to see all the videos where nothing goes wrong, or where they buy new boats. It's enough to see those where they make bad decisions for the simple reason of not knowing any better.

My point has been that their lack of experience and knowledge probably had something to do with their mishap. I'm not saying they are bad people, or stupid. I'm saying they were ignorant. Ignorance is a lack of knowledge, not lack of brains or character. It's not a value judgement.

Again, I'm not saying they should not have embarked on this adventure or set out in the first place. I'm saying that their lack of knowledge and experience potentially played a role in what happened. Bad things happen to good people, sometimes by chance, sometimes by oversight.

Their followup video is out. They don't directly comment on the cause, but there is mention that if a seacock had closed the boat would not have sunk. Ergo, failed hose or fitting. Avoidable? Probably. We'll never know.

Most importantly, they appear undeterred and in the hunt for a new boat. They've made a smart decision by calling it a total loss and moving on.