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Old 12-06-2020, 09:56   #91
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Re: Mini scuba tanks instead of escape hatches?

I bought one of those mini tanks on eBay and have used it twice. I am an advanced open water diver and I found it hard to draw air as its built in regulator is less than ideal. Also you need to hold on with your teeth to keep it in your mouth as the bottle floats free. Without a mask you will have water up your nose. It is only good for about ten breaths (maybe 7 or 8 minutes at ten feet. You will need another full size tank to refill it as the useless pump accessory takes about half an hour of energetic pumping to fill. I wouldn't rely on it to get me out of an emergency without a mask and a dive light.
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Old 12-06-2020, 10:58   #92
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Re: Mini scuba tanks instead of escape hatches?

Hi, you need to conceder a fire on your boat and if it stops you from getting out.

Ken
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Old 12-06-2020, 11:36   #93
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Re: Mini scuba tanks instead of escape hatches?

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Originally Posted by CTSeadog View Post
Thetis-- lots of good advice here about risks and safety concerns. If I might add one anecdotal piece of information. My son served as a US Navy helicopter pilot. As part of his standard equipment he carried a tiny tank of compressed air (supposedly good for 2 minutes). His training included trips to the "dunk tank". There, in a mock up of a helicopter cockpit, they were submersed and inverted. and had to use their micro tanks to help them breath while exiting and surfacing. One of the biggest challenges was that you only got 2 minutes out of the tank if you remained completely calm. It took a lot of training, under realistic disaster simulations, for pilots to learn to stay calm. How could one go through such training for sailing their catamaran? When a person is excited, anxious, exerting physical energy, or under stress , they typically need a lot more air. Seems to me being below when the boat capsizes could be a very stressful situation. Even if the tank worked perfectly and you remembered all the safety rules about breathing compressed air underwater...you might burn through that air too fast...So aa readily accessible escape hatch (in each hull) might be a really good idea. Best of luck; stay safe and enjoy your time on the water!

I went through the same training and yes it can be a bear, in truth as I have many, many dives and was very comfortable in the water it was more fun to watch others than anything. But its more like 5 min of air than 2 min., but imagine how tough it is with several min of air, now imagine how tough it would be without any air? Having a source of air as opposed to have none at all and knowing your suffocating often is the difference between owning and death and making it out.

I think it’s interesting to see how many are so against something that I can only see as adding a level of safety, sure there is the numbscull that may take a deep breath of air at 5’ depth and surface, and they may kill them selves doing so, but I bet many more people will get a line wrapped around their ankle or come up under the jib etc.

So I’m left wondering why so many are trying to say it’s a bad idea? Is this the argument many used of try to make against wearing seatbelts, that your better off being thrown clear?

Even if it is only 2 min, sit down and watch a clock for two min, that is actually a very looong time underwater trying it find your way out of anything.

I’ve never rolled a Mono or been in a Cat capsizing, but can only imagine it’s a very violent thing and especially on the bridge deck being thrown across the boat can rattle your brain, and leave you injured, I sure wouldn’t turn down a few minutes of air and can’t imagine why anyone would?
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Old 12-06-2020, 13:53   #94
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Re: Mini scuba tanks instead of escape hatches?

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It is an interesting idea for sure. As a multihull sailor (my last 2) I have always been interested in the escape hatches. By chance I recently saw a movie (actual event) about a catamaran that capsized. As I recall they cut a whole in the hull to get out. They spent a great deal of time on the over turned hull but used the inside to get out of weather, and to protect them from the wind and sun. They spent quite a long time onboard amounting to weeks and weeks Before being rescued which happened when the boat drifted onto an island.



So the question I have is what will you do with small tanks when they run out of air. How will you get back in to get out of the weather or to bring things out? Just something to think about.


Are you sure this wasn’t the story of the Rose Noelle, the trimaran that flipped?
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Old 12-06-2020, 14:08   #95
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Re: Mini scuba tanks instead of escape hatches?

As a former NOAA Diver with hundreds of dives under my belt in the last 50 years: Don't do this for all the reasons stated above.

Also, don't do this because in the case where your vessel has turned turtle, you want to come out of a hatch with a chance of making it onto the relative safety of the hull of your overturned vessel while you search for your life-raft that may or may not have inflated in the mayhem.
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Old 12-06-2020, 16:02   #96
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Re: Mini scuba tanks instead of escape hatches?

As a member of the 360 club (mono), I cannot imagine this as a safe solution. Think about the circumstances just before you find yourself in need of your scuba gear. The inside of your boat is a war-zone. Nothing is in its place. Debris is cluttering your path. It is most likely dark. Good luck finding your gear, handing it out to all your crew and getting out. None-inflatable and auto-inflating life jackets will also become not only useless but counterproductive as you need to take them off on your way down. Remember that seas are still in a condition that flipped you in the first place.
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Old 12-06-2020, 16:55   #97
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Re: Mini scuba tanks instead of escape hatches?

First thing i eliminated were the escape hatches of my 56´Marquises.... no use, the windowplane disappeared while being with 11kn on the way..... IF you should really captize there is a lot of air caught in thge hulls... easy to get in or out.... beware of staying too long in it....one would fall asleep and never awake because of lack of oxygene.... do not stay more the 1 hour in this air bags, it is dangorous.
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Old 12-06-2020, 16:57   #98
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Re: Mini scuba tanks instead of escape hatches?

CORRECT IT WAS A NZ TRIMARAN; THEY STAYD 6 MONTH BEING SHIPWRECKED ON BOARD..... not to be done on a Catamaran.....
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Old 12-06-2020, 18:13   #99
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Re: Mini scuba tanks instead of escape hatches?

If any cruiser thinks that a catamaran capsize is a possibility and wants to prepare themselves in advance, there are at least two STCW related training courses that are available.
HUET is the helicopter underwater escape course and BOSIET ( basic offshore safety induction escape training). The certificates have a 4 year renewal cycle and are required by crew on vessels carrying or serviced by helicopters. Offshore oil rig workers are required to have these certificates. I suspect that some superyacht crews might need this training too. Click image for larger version

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Old 13-06-2020, 09:12   #100
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Re: Mini scuba tanks instead of escape hatches?

My parents had to use their escape hatch once and it was due to a fire blocking egress -- scuba tanks would have done them no good.
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Old 13-06-2020, 10:28   #101
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Re: Mini scuba tanks instead of escape hatches?

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Originally Posted by Rucksta View Post
Lubricate the pump with virgin olive oil.
It is important not to introduce any hydrocarbons into the breathing mix.
Take note that olive oil is a hydrocarbon.

It can mess up your lungs just the same as oil from dead dinosaurs.

The charcoal filter may help but your rolling the dice
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Old 14-06-2020, 20:26   #102
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Re: Mini scuba tanks instead of escape hatches?

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Sorry Manateeman, I forgot to mention that we are acceptably experienced divers. Thanks for your warnings. I do agree with you that nobody should do this without any diving experience.
Mate, get your little tanks, you’ll find air much better to breath than water, and an upturned cat your basically at surface pressure anyway.
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