unsinkable?

yea, I know. I know. :)

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

Originally Posted by chumbucket

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.