unsinkable?

[Havis]

Is the (1973)V-20 foam filled? *If I fill it with water, will she go to the bottom, turtle, or just be full of water?

[macojoe]

She will sink faster then you can yell HELP!!! :'(

They did not start flotation till 77 or 78 ?? You can tell the difference because to be able to put the flotation they had to reduced the freeboard.

[Havis]

In the '73 brochure, they say the Airslot is unsinkable; just wondering about the V20.

With ALL the wasted space between the deck and the hull on my boat, I could fill it with ping-pong balls for bouyancy. There seems to be a lot of places hatches could be for storage, but aren't. If it's just air...the wheels are turning.

We had a trio of fisherman offshore of Freeport(TX), went missing last weekend. They had a hole in the hull; found the boat. They hit something or was a bad repair. We will probably never know. They are still missing.

Got me to thinking safety.

[Fitz]

Havis:

Macojoe may be referring to foam, but Wellcraft has been advertising the flotation properties of the Steplift's double-hull design since at least 1970. Check out the old brochures on this site, including this one from 1971:

http://www.wellcraftv20.com/gallery/view_photo.php?set_albumName=cat_1971&id=page004

Your question made me look at some digital copies of brochures and ads I've collected. One Wellcraft ad from 1970 actually touts the advantages of the Steplift's "built-in air flotation" design over others that use foam. I thought I had copied that ad from this site, but I don't see it here. I'll have to send a copy to Tim.


Fitz

[reelapeelin]

Yeah... and they used to advertise cigarretes as being good for you...I'm like MJ...until I see different, I believe they'll go down like a rock... ;) ;D

[macojoe]

Well were is the air trapped in this boat??

I have a engine well that goes to the bottom of the hull. I have a storge area in the bow, and the water drains from the front of the boat to the Bildge at the rear of the boat?
I am sure air gets traped some were, but I belive that if it sinks from rain water or somethuing else like that it may float with the air below deck.
But if you hit something and tear that bottom open were is your air traped now??
Sorry that thing is sitting on the bottom before you no what even Happened!!

[Havis]

Looking carefully at the boat, looks like the inner hull would float like a bathtub if there were a hole in the outer hull. BUT! without drain plugs in the fish boxes & engine bilge in the deck and the storage compartment up front sealed off, (and any other misc. holes between the two hulls) the water would eventually fill up the inner hull and down she goes.

The boxes in the deck (three in my boat) would have to fill up to overflow into the bilge to be pumped out. Once it's there, the pumps would have to keep up with the rate water is flowing through the box drains. I wonder how high against the inner hull the water line would get before it equalized. Would it make it high enough to reach the storage compartment up in the bow? I'm just thinking out loud...

[macojoe]

If you wait for that thing to float, you will be yelling with bubbles coming out of your mouth while at the bottom with the boat!!

[Havis]

Hopefully that will never happen. Would make for a very bad day. I'm looking for some way to add flotation. There is just so much unused space under the deck, surely something can be done.

[chumbucket]

You're thinking about it too much. Get out and have fun on the water! ;D

[Havis]

yea, I know. I know. :)

I'll post up if I ever do anything about it.


You're thinking about it too much. Get out and have fun on the water! ;D

[Franco]

Always have the proper personal floatition devices on board, where you can get them, or wear them.keep your flares up to date, invest in a handheld VHF radio. get a piece of polypropelene rope and attach several brass snap style hooks so that if something happens you can attach the line to all the lifejacket d rings and stay together. You'll drive yourself crazy thinking of ways to make the boat float. The coasties allready figured out how people can survive a sinking. Like a boy scout, be prepared!!!!

[Franco]

And the last "Unsinkable" vessel was the Titanic

[Vic]

I met a guy in the keys last year that had a 77 that he had foamed. It was an inboard. He said the ride was quiet. But it cost alot to foam it. I thought about it but was worried about the foam soaking up water or fuel like a sponge and making her heavy. These hulls are very thick. It would take alot to put a hole in her.

[Pipe_Dream]

My boat sunk when the previous owner (the company I work for) left her tied up with the stern to the wind and waves in a bad storm. This was on Calibogue Sound, a stupid place to tie up a boat anyway, as it frequently gets ROUGH. Ayuh, they'll sink all right. The only thing keeping her "up" was the dock lines.

[labii]

When I was in high school I had a friend with a 1974 17' steplift that is described in the 1971 catalog as having "built-in flotation" . That boat floated right to the bottom in the slip at the marina . The bildge pump went out and we had a large amount of rain and she went down . Unless you own a Whaler I would assume it will sink........

[Blue_Runner]

I'm with Havis, I think if ye were to plug the fish box drains, cuddy hold drain and the drain leading into the bilge area, she would stay up no problem. Especially the 25" transoms.

Having said that, I keep about a half dozen plugs on the boat at all times ;D but I sure hope I never get to test this theory.

[CT_V-20]

I had a Sea Ox in a situation like Pipe Dream's. The boat, an '83 20' walkaround with a notched transom and a Merc 135 O/B, was moored by lines at both ends and the stern was facing the wrong way in a storm one night three summers ago. Best me and the marine police and the salvage guys could guess was waves came over the transom, which they did when I was drifting too, and wore out the battery and the bilge pump died. The boat rolled over, which the police and salvage folks said was most common. Without a hole in the hull, I don't think the majority of boats with foam/floatation in them will sink. Think of it this way, without a hole in the bottom, there is nowhere for the air that gets caught in the hull when the boat rolls to escape. And without a hole in the bottom, the only way water can get in the boat is from above the water line so the boat will only fill to the point that something low enough to the water line lets water in unabated until the boat rolls. But you still won't feel very proud about its "unsinkability" when you're looking at the sun shining off the bottom of your boat. Buy insurance and sleep well.