Couple of (novel?) ways to stay afloat...

[JeremyFowler]

Carry a few uninflated dunnage bags onboard. When it is clear that the inrush cannot be contained use the dinghy inflator to pump them up in various locations onboard.

Use the engine water pump">raw water pump to suck the water from inside the boat by closing the thru-hull and pulling off the strainer top.

Yes? No? (I can't find any threads dealing directly with these concepts.)

[wholybee]

The raw water strainer should be the highest part of the raw water system, so you can remove the cap to clean it without it emptying the water in the engine and heat exchanger. That means that if water in the boat is high enough for it to be an intake, the engine is completely submerged.

Dunnage bags could potentially work, but I think you would need more than a few, and the boat would probably still be a total loss, but would float enough you could potentially stay on deck until rescue.

[JeremyFowler]

I have my raw water strainer low, screwed onto the thru-hull. This way there is less chance of an air leak destroying suction unknowingly. I'd rather have a drip than an airleak. After cleaning the strainer I'm more aware of whether water is coming out of the exhaust or not than otherwise, therefor the initial temporary loss of water in the system is not a problem.