Connie, Using the 3 liter wine bag as a pillow is a great idea. Although, if it was emptied all at one go, I might not care if I had a pillow or not! Bill On Fri, Oct 23, 2009 at 4:01 PM, Conbert H. Benneck <chbenneck@sbcglobal.net
wrote:
W David Scobie wrote:
Hi Gang,
May I add my two cents worth of input to this discussion....?
_*The first order of business*_ in any boat, large or small, is to do everything you possibly can to keep the outside water from ever getting inside the boat. If the water can't get inside the boat, then the boat keeps floating; whether lying flat in the water; or with the mast underwater, or even turned turtle. _*If water can't get inside the boat; the boat will still float.*_
To do that effectively you have close and secure every opening in the boat where water could intrude.
The first thing is to have sail locker lids that close and then can be locked in the closed position, to prevent the sail locker lids from opening in the event of a knock-down; swamping; or what-have-you. I added hasps to our old M15 sail locker lids so that I could add locks, and I set the hasps up so that with the lock removed, there was still enough friction so that the hasps wouldn't flop open by themselves. You had to use some degree of force to open them.
The next step was to add gasketing material under the sail locker lid, so that when the sail ocker was closed you had a good seal. As I recall, I used a 1 inch wide adhesive backed closed-cell foam strip that was located on the bottom of the locker lid so that it met the upper surface of the opening of the sail locker, and formed a complete seal of the lid.
With this accomplished, no water can get into the boat via the sail locker lids.
The remaining opening that has to be secured against water intrusion is the companionway. If the weather starts deteriorating, put the hatch boards in place, and close the companionway hatch cover before you start to reef. The companionway hatch also has to have some means of being locked in the closed position so that it can't slide open as a wave slides under the stern of the boat and the bow heads downwards into the wave trough. This would allow the companionway hatch to slide to the wide open position. On our M15, I had another hasp on the front lip of the companionway hatch and the upper hatch board so that I could lock the cabin when we were away from the boat. Closing this hasp and sliding a peg into the hasp securely fastened the companionway from inadvertently sliding open.
I had also added a 3" NICRO vent to the foredeck for ventilation. If weather threatened to deteriorate, the 3" vent was removed and the vent opening was closed with the screw-in plate.
Now the boat was totally closed up and any water that might try to come aboard stayed outside where it belonged.
-----------------------------------
I removed the foam from the front compartment and put several 1 gallon water containers up there. It added weight forward where it was needed for trim, as well as providing space for my third anchor / chain / rode. Extra beer and wine bottles also were stored in that area. When the gallon water containers were empty they made great additional flotation devices. However, I still love the recent idea of using the plastic bladder in the 3 liter wine boxes for either : water storage; empty as flotation; or as a pillow. Now that is making good use of a product.
Fair winds and Happy sailing,
Connie & Katrina ex M15 #400 LEPPO
well stated bill!
i always thought the foam in my 15 would just keep the boat 'floating' when she had no stores. adding up anchors (two), extra lines, personal supplies, food, fuel, outboard, etc. etc. etc. i had no expectation a few cubic-feet of foam would keep the boat 'above water'. the greater danger in puget sound sailing is the 52 degree water 12 months of the year. you are in this water for 15 or so minutes and you have bigger problems that if the boat is sinking. wear that PFD! * steps onto soapbox * the m17 has no foam ... the difference a few feet make because of an rule written to make people 'feel safe'. this is much like the bright orange 'CO hazard' sticker i'm required to post in the cabin. the boat is no safer because of this sticker. make good choices. * now steps off soapbox * dave scobie M17 #375 - SWEET PEA visit SWEET PEA's www-site - http://www.m17-375.webs.com
--- On Thu, 10/22/09, Bill Wickett <billwick@gmail.com> wrote:
Why are we even discussing this? Just in theory, right?? Or maybe it is a slow period on a lot of the sailing forums.
Someone wants to take a very good boat, and build in flotation. Taking up very good useful space on a fairly small boat (15 or 17). With the chance of damaging the boat in the process. Maybe it will absorb, maybe it won't. Maybe it will mildew, maybe it won't. Will it break down in 5, 10, 15 years into gooey, cruddy $#%&"<?. Will it burn even more than an empty boat? Just having it in there, even new, may devalue the boat for any potential resale with who knows what foam in it. Yes, I know, we will NEVER sell, but life happens.
Yes, boats can sink. IF the skipper takes them into danger, or sails them recklessly. Boats can also be refloated, repaired, and reused again. Wear your PFD, every time you go out.
Have at it.
Bill
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