Do you have thru-hulls above water line?

[djblizzard]

For those of you who have thru-hulls located above the water line and think they do not pose a sinking risk, let me tell you a story.
Last night I got a report of a sinking boat at my local club. The boat in question is a 30 foot cruiser used as a live-aboard here on Lake Ontario. It's been lived on over the last few years by a friend of mine. The water was well above the floorboards and actually above the cockpit deck floor by the time we had rounded up all the pumps we could find. With 5 pumps running full blast, we could just get ahead of the rising water. It took 4 hours of pumping to slowly lower the water level to a point where the problem could be found. With the water hovering at 1 degree Celcius, it was not fun groping around the bilge to find a dislocated exhaust hose and its clamp.
It was also discovered that, what previously was a small leak, led to bilge water and waterline rising until the previously "above the waterline" thru-hulls for the shower and sinks, weren't, and water was gushing into the hull from them as well. The problem was cascading to a really serious issue. A few more minutes and the boat would have been on the bottom.
IMHO all thru-hulls need to have a shut-off valve.

[zeehag]

for this reason hoses from inside of boat to outside of boat with above water thru hulls have a riser made of that hose which rises to deck level before heading thru hull. ... you donot want any valves on a bilge pump hose when it comes to pumping as those fail and no pumping happens.

[nelly]

Riser makes a lot of sense. I have some vents that are almost deck level. The sink in the head definitely does not have a valve and it is only about 1.5' above the waterline but the sink itself is probably 2-3 feet above the waterline?) Though if water was that high ... I suppose I would not lose the boat but it would be a really catastrophic situation for sure.

[sailorboy1]

The boat was already well into sinking by the time water got to the above waterline through hulls

[zeehag]

ye know, folks there are water turner offers at the thru hulls. these are called seacocks and should be off'd upon leaving, except for bilge pumps and cockpit drains, which are generally allowed to remain open for obvious reasons.
theoretically if one turns off seacock to water strainer and engine, water should remain outside the boat. if thruhull fitting fails water will flow into boat..
exhaust should not sink boat unless thruhull for engine water is left open.
merry christmas.

[Mike OReilly]

Good thing someone noticed it before it went down. You say a slow leak started it off. Was there no auto bilge pump? Surely that would have prevented the event.

A similar thing happened to me one season when we were on Lake Ontario (coincidence??). A 30ish boat a few slips away from mine had a thru-hull just above the water line. Think it was for the galley sink. Normally it had a hose attached, leading up above the waterline, but somehow it came off.

Over time the rocking of the boat allowed water to flow in, eventually dropping it down to the point where the thru hull was at the water level. No working bilge pump (for reasons I don’t understand), so once it reached the water level the boat really started to sink fast.

By the time we noticed it the water was above the floorboards. The boat was saved, but just barely. Actually had to break into buddy’s boat to get the pumps in place — something he was extremely thankful for when he finally returned to the marina.

[JC Reefer]

Wild story, happy that no one got hurt in the process. IMO This seems more like a lesson on neglect more than anything else. One small leak + bad builds pump + one big leak + you get the point.

Anyway I do agree that every hole should have an easy way to be shut off.

[stormalong]

A live aboard has no excuse for this kind of failure. Every boat should have an audio alarm every time the automatic bilge pump comes on and a high water alarm.

A live aboard would notice if the automatic bilge pump turns on more frequently than normal. A high water bilge alarm should go off long before the water reaches the floorboards.

[longjonsilver]

Its been said that more boats sink at the dock than anywhere else.
Hmmmm

[Smokeys Kitchen]

We actually have three above the water line through hull fittings, all with the same valves on them (Groco) as the below the water line fittings.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by longjonsilver

Its been said that more boats sink at the dock than anywhere else.
Hmmmm

Probably true … kinda like there are more automobile accidents near home; it’s where the boats (or cars) spend most of their time.

[GoAway]

A good reminder to double clamp hoses near or below water line with good quality solid hose clamps and make sure your hoses are the right kind for below water applications and in good condition.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

The boat was already well into sinking by the time water got to the above waterline through hulls

Water shouldn't have gotten that high to begin with. Shower should have gone to a sump with it's own pump which will generally work as a bilge pump if the bilge pump/pumps aren't keeping up. Sorry for the damage but it's time to look at the plumbing.

[rthompsona]

One of our neighbors lost his boat that way when we lived in Florida.

A storm caused a super low tide and his boat bottomed out. That was enough to cause the prop to push the seal lose.

The real problem came once the water hit the exhausts...

He had removed the engines with the hope of making it an electric boat someday.
He never bothered to seal the exhausts.

The boat was sitting on the bottom in a matter of minutes. Fortunately, it was shallow enough that boat rested on the bottom and it was easily refloated. However, it was unliveable.

He wound up having it scrapped and got a newer one.

[merlinuxo]

Double solid 316 stainless hose clamps on all plumbing; all seacocks closed when not in use as they don't keep water out when left open; seacocks maintained and cycled once a month to ensure they work; any rotted hose replaced; 2 bilge pumps (small one low and switch for big emergency one a touch higher); never leave dockside water service on when leaving the boat, better yet get rid of the "water pressure regulator" and fill tanks through the deck fills.......