Quarantine on listing houseboat > owner: "could sink"

[SeaScribe]

Originally Posted by Montanan

Is there a bilge pump or pumps? Try turning them on to see if they will drain the vessel. There may not be bilge pumps, or they may not be operable, or clogged, but if they work that will be the easiest solution.

It would be helpful to know the year, make and model of the vessel?

With that data one can google to find the contact information so as to call the manufacturer and seek guidance, and to possibly determine the hull type and structure. e.g. pontoon, flat barge, V shaped, etc.

She is giving you a Hint: If it is listing to starboard, the water is in the starboard side. Access that side of the hull and look for the water then remove the water.

Originally Posted by skipmac

Surely there are hatches, panels or some sort of access on the floors to look under the floor and into the bilge. Might not be one right in the starboard side where the boat is listing but might be somewhere in the middle. You lift it up and look around under the floor with a flashlight.

If you can't figure it out you need to find someone local that is a boater to come look for you.

[Knotical]

If you have stopped the leak and examined the entire starboard side hull and there’s only a little bit of water maybe the weight distribution is uneven and it’s loaded more on the starboard side.

If you can’t examine the entire starboard hull but have access to the center bilge try moving some weighted items to port, minimize the list and maybe water will drain to the center for you to see.

The marina where it’s docked at would have information on the make and model of the vessel, call the office and ask them and then post the vessel info here, you will get better advice.

I hope no one is staying in the boat if you feel it’s unsafe.

[SeaScribe]

Not having much luck adding this photo... I found a hatch under an extra layer of carpet. Thanks for your advice! Uploaded: https://www.cruisersforum.com/galler...ageuser=216980

[Brewgyver]

Originally Posted by SeaScribe

Thanks... if only we could find access to the starboard hull.

Despite more than one request, you haven't adequately described the boat, and the brand "Admiralty" is not showing up in any of the usual boat data or sales sources. From the first pic, it looks to me like the kind used in rental fleets in some of the bigger lakes, basically a travel trailer constructed on two steel pontoon hulls, but they typically have outboard engines.

When I was a teenager, we rented such houseboats on Lake Shasta in California, and I don't remember them having bilge pumps, because the pontoons are closed. If it is this type of boat, and taking on water in one of the hulls, it needs to be treated as an emergency.

[jimbunyard]

Where was the leak?

Can you provide a picture showing the whole situation, i.e. how the boat is situated in the slip?

Finally, are you up river or in an estuary?

Don't take this the wrong way, but is the boat tied off tightly or is the hull under the edge of the dock?

[SeaScribe]

I found a shipyard that can send someone over... I don't have the expertise. Thanks for the advice!

[Fence Man]

From the owners response of "the hull", I'm going to assume it's a displacement mono hull. If that's the case, the water that you see in the aft bilge is the water that is supposed to be on the other side of the hull. Drop a pump in and get it fired up. Holding tanks on houseboats are notorious for getting out of balance, so that could also be compounding the listing issue. With any kind of luck, full freshwater tanks and empty blackwater tanks will yield a balanced hull. Good luck!

[SeaScribe]

It seems tied ok, not under dock. Posted a photo of bilge (on Montana comment, I think, and in gallery).

[thinwater]

It looks like someone poured a bunch of foam in the bilge? Prior leak problems?


I wonder if the list is new or the result of a piss poor condition and off center load.

[SeaScribe]

All there is is a shop vac... but, I found a boatyard willing to send someone over who can advise me up close...thanks for helping.

[SeaScribe]

Bingo!

[Bill Seal]

Originally Posted by thinwater

It looks like someone poured a bunch of foam in the bilge? Prior leak problems?


I wonder if the list is new or the result of a piss poor condition and off center load.

If it's spray foam, it's not unicelluar and it could be saturated. Only way to fix that is to pull it all out.

[SeaScribe]

yup... at least it doesn't smell bad, too!

[JPA Cate]

You may have already done this, but you could write to the owner and ask him/her to describe how to do it? Ask also, if there have been previous attempts to keep it from sinking, and what they were. Any quick advice he/she could offer could really help.

Ann

[NorthernMac]

Like aviation

Emergency authority trumps all

Save your
Skin.
Tin. (Fiberglass)
Ticket. (Law)

In that order.