In a new, world-first series, Yachting Monthly creates a wide range of potential disasters to find out if the theories we’ve all heard actually work in practice

hull to try and stem the flood. But with a fin keel, it was unlikely I’d get the sail close enough to the hull. I thought of breaking off the cupboards and interior fittings to inspect the hull for damage, but the water was pouring in so fast, there wasn’t time…’ This first-hand account of a SINKING! mystery collision, 25 miles north- east of Ramsgate in 2004, is from Dutch father and son Menko (49) and Victor Poen (13), who took to 10 ways to fix a hole their liferaft after their 32ft GRP yacht, Laughing Gull III, sank.

What works best? Whether it’s rocks, a floating in the hull at sea log, or a shipping container, the chances of being holed below e were 25 miles happened, I checked the bilges the waterline in a collision are You’ve hit something north-east of and saw to my horror they were remote. But as they say, accidents Ramsgate. I was full of water. I saw no damage and happen and worse things happen and you’re holed. on watch while my the keelbolts seemed fine. at sea, so we decided to put to the What do you do next? son Victor rested ‘Soon the water level was above test various methods to stop ‘inW his bunk. At around 0130 I heard the floor and, despite bailing with a boat from sinking. Chris Beeson and the a bumping sound, the boat’s speed a bucket, it continued to rise, The chances are you’ll know dropped and she was pushed to pouring into my boots. I checked about a collision the second it Crash Test crew smash port. This seemed consistent the seacocks. If something was happens. Once you’ve picked with the squally southwesterly wrong with them, I could stop the yourself up, you will need to a hole in the hull to Force 6-7, but I felt something flow with a wooden plug. But they heave-to, as the damage is was wrong. I asked Victor if he’d were OK. There must be damage likely to be on the leeward side. test 10 ways of saving noticed anything. He said he’d to the hull itself. I continued Assuming there are two of you heard a sound like a loud knock bailing and considered pulling aboard, get your crew to prepare a sinking yacht on a door. Still unsure what had a sail around the outside of the the grab bag and liferaft and then The Crash Test Boat team Chris Beeson, skipper English Channel, Bay of Biscay, Test methods Over 30 years’ sailing. Bristol Channel and Irish Sea. The test required repeated method had been. Had we not 40,000 ocean miles He has also crewed in offshore ‘sinkings’ to assess the done this, the hole would soon logged including three races and worked as a sailing effectiveness of various repair have been below water, making Fastnet Races, two Transatlantic instructor in the UK and France. methods, so we decided to this difficult. We chose to smash crossings, and one non-stop ‘sink’ the boat using the slings a hole in the hull under the Round Britain and Ireland Steve Adams, TV of MDL’s Hamble Point Marina forecabin bunk on the starboard Race. He is the author of the producer travel hoist. We lifted and side. To improve access for Handbook of Survival at Sea. With 20 years in TV drained the hull between each filming and photography, we production, Steve test to assess how effective each removed both heads doors and Andrew Brook, crew now makes videos for his the pillar between. Andrew has sailed for company (www.yachtingtv. This had the 15 years. He has worked co.uk). Subjects include benefit of making on Mediterranean Atlantic and Biscay crossings. the hole fairly easy charter yachts as a sailing A passionate sailor, he is always to get at. At sea, instructor and engineer. His two looking for exciting ways of it’s quite possible longest passages are Gosport to bringing sailing to life on TV. that the hole would Corfu in 2008 and Torquay to La have straddled and Coruña in 2010. Lester McCarthy, staff partially destroyed photographer a bulkhead. While Kieran Flatt, crew 40 years’ experience, A sailor for three many passages around LEFT: We tested decades, Kieran has the UK and Europe. Owned with the boat spent the last 10 years many boats, including a classic floating in the travel cruising a 28ft sloop around the wooden Vertue sloop. hoist’s slings

32 www.yachtingmonthly.com SEPTEMBER 2011 ‘Even with a small hole, in just seven minutes, we had two tonnes of water inside the hull!’

Using a hammer, chisel and angle grinder, it took Osmotech’s man 25 minutes to breach the Crash Boat’s hull photo: alamy photo: start using the manual bilge pump radio’s range will be much less. likely to be forward. If access is poor, clear any joinery in the cockpit. If it’s not already Next, pull up the sole boards in Empty lockers until you find with a hammer, then use the working, switch on the automatic the main fore-and-aft passage to the hole. If you have clear access, cushion. Now call your crew, assess bilge pump and send out a DSC expose the length of the bilge and and the hole isn’t too big, stuff a the situation and plan your repair. alert and a Securité message on check to see if water is flowing in. cushion over it and hold the VHF radio. It’s important to If it is, make a note of its general it in place with your do this first, before the water level direction of flow, or check for foot. This worked Visit our website rises enough to short out your changes in boat trim, and you’ll surprisingly well for www.yachtingmonthly.com/sinking batteries. Your hand-held VHF have a good place to start. It’s us as a first response. to see Yachting TV’s video footage of this test hull, which proved outcome. We also knocked amazingly strong! The out some interior joinery in area inside the hull the forward cabin, to avoid PHOTO

was first weakened concerns that water would Two-stage testing S: L

by an angle-grinder, flood only that sector to the First, we explored emergency ES T followed by 25 minutes waterline, then stop. This also measures to stop the flood, buy ER M

of bashing with a allowed us to better assess time and regain control. For c C A

lump-hammer. Finally, how much water was flooding these, we used kit you would R we had a hole roughly in – and demonstrated how expect to find on an average THY 8cm (3in) across, easy it is to smash away cruising yacht. Then we tried out UN L around 20cm (8in) interior woodwork to access a some ideas for making good a ESS below the waterline. hole. Very easy, except for the longer-lasting repair that would OTH The GRP shards were lamination point at the hull. have enabled us to sail home ERWISE S Clearing plywood joinery is easy, but pushed into the boat The test was as valid as – hopefully without continual

glassed-in ply bulkheads are much tougher to simulate collision any of this type could be. pumping and bailing. TAT

damage. To drain the After a collision, no two holes ED the bulkhead would be easy bilge between tests, we drilled will be the same. Each will Two enough to clear, the lamination two 5cm (2in) holes either side present different challenges drainage at its joints would not, making of the keel, through inch-thick but meeting them will require holes were any internal repair very tricky. laminate, using circular drill bits. similar methods. We tested drilled In that instance, an external During tests, these were plugged many ways to stop water either side method of stopping the flood from inside with wooden bungs. flooding into the hull, some of of the keel should buy enough time for a The hull’s resistance to being which only occurred to us on longer-term repair below. With whacked with a 12 lb hammer the day. The big surprise was the boat in a cradle, yacht repair was impressive, but a moving that, even with a small hole, in company Osmotech UK set to 7-tonne boat striking a rock just seven minutes we had two Find out if we could work smashing the hole in the would result in a quite different tonnes of water inside the hull. stop her sinking

SEPTEMBER 2011 www.yachtingmonthly.com 33 Flat plywood board 10 ‘Buy you 2 This involved using a coat hanger to push a loop of line out through the hole, which a crewman on deck snagged with his boathook. He then inserted time’ repairs the line through a pre-drilled bunkboard, knotting the end to hold it in place, before I hauled quickest the board from inside the boat, We poked out our hauling line Cushion tight against the outside of using a straightened coat hanger stamped the hull. A G-clamp proved 1 against the hole invaluable, providing a convenient anchor to tension the lines in this As the boat was lowered and the and other methods of stemming the flood. It took a couple of minutes water began to gush in, my first to implement and the results weren’t spectacular. reaction was a sudden rush of adrenalin. I grabbed a bright orange cushion, which has always lived in the forepeak of the Crash Test Boat, and held it over the hole with my boot. This took a second and greatly reduced the flow of water. It It might not look too bad but was a major confidence boost and we took on 2,000 litres of definitely the quickest quick fix. water in just 7-8 minutes

ABOVE: Kieran snagged the hauling line with a boathook and tied on the board. LEFT: Even hauled in tight, this repair leaked ABOVE: It’s about as low-tech quite badly as a repair can get. LEFT: It’s fast and effective but what’s your next move?

Flat engine room board LEFT: The hauling line A piece of engine room hatch, lined with was threaded through the 3 sound-proofing sponge, was pre-drilled board and fastened with as the Mark II version of the flat plywood board a stopper knot. solution. Once again, a loop of line was pushed BELOW: The result was through the hole, which Kieran, on deck, much more effective snagged with a boathook and inserted through the board’s pre-drilled hole. It took the same time to deploy, but was much more effective.

LEFT: We could have stamped a cushion over the hole while running the hauling line

34 www.yachtingmonthly.com SEPTEMBER 2011 MOS Fothering EFFEC T a sail TIVE 4 Tried and trusted by Admiral Nelson after DIY cannon ball damage, collision this involved wrapping 5 mat a sail around the hull, I tried to get leech forward as it’s a purpose-made smoother. It was not collision mat, priced quick. Lines needed at £622 ($999), from attaching to each an American company, corner, then it needed but they never replied, a boathook to sink the so I spent £16.99 on a sail under the hull’s sheet of damp course knuckle. Twists needed membrane and £17 to be removed before on four Strong Grips. see-sawing the sail into If not pre-prepared, place and securing very it takes five minutes tightly to the toerail. to assemble, longer Sadly, due to the sail’s than the sail. It also built-in camber, it needed to be prodded ‘pulsed’ against the hull, under the hull’s proving a decent fix one Fothering a sail took a long time and any sail knuckle but the flat, second, awful the next. is fundamentally ill-suited for the job smooth material was see-sawed into place more Once in place, the fothered easily than the sheet proved a perfect fix sail and sat flat on the hull, stopping the torrent of water almost completely. Strong Grips Price £8.50 for two Contact Outboard Covers Tel 020 8874 3251 Website www. The sail ‘pulsed’ against the hull, ... and a pretty decent one the next. outboardcovers.co.uk Strong Grips were taped to each corner making a bad repair one minute... The result isn’t worth the time

ABOVE: The assembly needed ABOVE: The shoving through mangled brolly the hole. proved useless. LEFT: It’s ready LEFT: It in seconds and worked for it’s appealingly Mary Poppins, simple but not for us Lifejacket wrapped in a towel Umbrella 6This idea really appealed to me – fast Always a bit of a long shot, this one, but worth trying if only to and ingenious. At least, it might have been, 7challenge the old truism about the two most useless things with a bigger, rounder hole. As it was, aboard a yacht being a retired navy officer and an umbrella. This one I needed to stuff the assembly through the was a giveaway brolly from a newspaper promotion. I tied a line to hole with an oar, making the hole bigger the tip (to make sure the umbrella didn’t sink into the marina) and and the gush of water worse. Once in place, then prodded it through the hole. When I tried to open the brolly, the I fired the manual inflator and the flood handle fell off inside the hull. Looking at the shreds caused by the It reduced flow slowed considerably. However, the inflation splintered GRP, it wouldn’t have worked anyway. significantly but opened did open splits in the hull and water seeped up splits around the hole relentlessly through them. How did the Subrella fare? Turn over to see

SEPTEMBER 2011 www.yachtingmonthly.com 35 Subrella This is a purpose-made emergency 8 collision ‘patch’ – a sort of hi-tech ‘umbrella’. As before, a line was tied on to prevent loss before it was thrust through the hole. Because of the size of the Subrella and the relatively small hole, it had to be hammered through with the blunt end of an oar. The hole was enlarged as a result but, once deployed with its safety line secured to the G-clamp, it slowed the flood to a level that would definitely buy you time. Alas, it is no longer in production and the patent belongs to a now The Subrella slowed defunct company. the flood of water

The Subrella was too big for our hole and needed forcing through with an oar The Subrella is no longer made. Production volumes were not high enough to bring down costs

Sail in sailbag 10Again, the principle was to push the bag through the hole then stuff the sail into the external part of the bag so the water pressure could push it back onto the hull. Again, the idea overestimated the water pressure and simply The idea is sound enough, quickly and easily forced the GRP shards apart prepared, but how does it work in practice? and opened the hole. The ingress can only be estimated Towel in garden refuse bag from what was flowing out This idea aimed to exploit external of the bulkhead, but it didn’t 9water pressure by forcing a bagged item look at all encouraging. through the hole so that the water pressure could force it back against the hole, sealing it. Unfortunately, the bag shredded as it was pushed through the jagged hole, leaving the towel prising the hole open and allowing water to gush in. It wasn’t an encouraging result and we perhaps ABOVE: Another simple idea, but did it work? The bag shredded, the overestimated the LEFT: No. Again the sail simply opened up the hole towel opened the hole water pressure. So you’ve made a temporary repair, can you effect a more durable one? See over

36 www.yachtingmonthly.com SEPTEMBER 2011 5 ‘Get you home’ repairs aving established that our best quick fix was the DIY DIY collision mat collision mat, that was Did we need the method we deployed 1 a more Hto buy us time while we tested permanent repair? our ‘get you home’ repairs. We We wanted to test used an underwater epoxy repair whether the DIY mat kit designed for the purpose; a remained watertight sheet of 2mm plywood coated under way. With with mastic and grease, braced neither engine nor against the hull; then the same mast, we asked the sheet fastened to the hull with travel hoist crew to run the self-tapping screws. With the boat ahead and astern in the repair in place, we removed the slings. The mat leaked badly, mat to see how well it worked. but it wasn’t a good fother At sea, there would be no on this occasion and leaked obvious reason to remove it whether moving or not, so but unless you get a tight seal I’m not sure we learned at the sheet’s leading edge, it’s anything useful in this test. unlikely to last long once you If you can’t get at the hole get some way on. Covering the from inside the hull, you will plastic sheet with a fothered sail have no choice but to get this ABOVE: Get the mat right and you can stop water coming in completely. would protect it from the seaway, right, and it is possible. INSET: Our second mat didn’t work as well and leaked when we moved improving its durability.

We put grease round the hole and a ring of mastic on the board Bracing seems an obvious solution but in practice we struggled to make it work Braced, Braced board and bonded board cushion 3 We slapped half a 2 It was difficult to shape the cushion tub of Ramonol marine to the hole. A thinner pillow worked better, grease around the hole but we didn’t have a bracing board small and squeezed a ring of enough for the tiny orange pillow. Nor fast-curing mastic onto could we find a brace strong enough to one side of a 2mm marine exert sufficient pressure. The deck broom plywood board. The plan was about to break so we used the was to brace this board Bad bracing and poor curing boathook, which did break. We could have over the hole using a conditions scuppered this idea sawn the spinnaker pole, but to what cushion and bracing exact length? Could we deploy it in such board, with the grease making a quick seal while the mastic a confined space? Given plenty of time, cured to provide a more lasting seal. Unfortunately, due to the it would have worked but we timed it out Two items hose-clipped together bracing problems described, we never exerted the pressure to try other methods. make an adjustable brace required, the leak never stopped and the mastic never cured. Solve the bracing issue and this might work.

38 www.yachtingmonthly.com SEPTEMBER 2011 BEST FIX WITH Bonded and STANDARD KIT fastened 4 board We tried nailing the same 2mm ply board in place, still covered in grease and mastic, but it was impossible to penetrate the hull. Self-tappers were also fruitless. We used a double-pinion hand drill because an electric one underwater wouldn’t work. Despite breaking a drill bit, we made five holes and, using self-tappers, screwed a 2mm ply board over the hole. It worked well. Despite the grease, the board was beginning to ‘sweat’ after five minutes, so thicker ply, but still flexible, would be better.

ABOVE: Drilling holes in the hull wasn’t easy with a hand drill but we eventually managed it. LEFT: Self-tappers held the board well but water was beginning to ‘sweat’ through it

Smear the mixed epoxy on the Then, with the fother in place, furry side of the polymat supplied place the mat over the hole

Scoop out and mix the two parts of epoxy using the wooden paddle Epoxy repair kit BEST FIX WITH The Kollision Kit is an underwater repair kit SPECIAL KIT 5with a two-pack epoxy bonding system promising rapid cure. Having keyed the surface with the wet-and-dry sandpaper supplied, I cut the mat to fit, mixed the two epoxy parts, spread the epoxy on the polymat and placed it over the hole. Having braced it in place for five minutes, it created a very decent repair. Under time pressure, I couldn’t mix all the epoxy, as it was difficult to spoon out of the pots, so I didn’t get the coverage I needed and, after a couple of minutes, a small leak appeared. In general, though malodorous and messy, it was very easy to apply. Price £71 Contact Epoxy Solutions Tel 01454 612445 Website www.epoxysolutions.co.uk Brace the repair against the hull for five minutes while the epoxy cures

Is it possible to save your boat if she’s holed? Find out on the next page

SEPTEMBER 2011 www.yachtingmonthly.com 39 This small hole What we learned It may not let in 2,000 litres of water You can save your boat for this purpose. A waterproof look much, in 7-8 minutes Being holed below the waterline tarpaulin would work instead of presents a number of problems in damp course, and it would have but… a variety of scenarios, depending cringles already fitted. Flow rate mathematics on the size and location of the If you’re holed either side of is quite complicated hole, but you can almost certainly a fin keel, or you have a long- but the estimates save your boat. During this test, keeler, you’ll need to position the I found suggest that a very clear action plan emerged sheet on the damaged side of the a 5cm (2in) hole and, with a few inexpensive, multi- centreline. Tie off the fore and 30cm (1ft) below the purpose preparations such as the aft upper lines to the toerail at a waterline will leak 300 DIY collision mat and Strong Grips, diagonal angle. With a fin-keeler, litres (66 gallons) per run the lower lines under minute. A 10cm (4in) the bow and stern, using a hole at the same depth leaks We had an 8cm (3in) ‘There’s every reason to boathook to poke the aft line 1,100 litres (242 gallons) per hole 20cm (8in) below the under the rudder and secure minute, enough to sink a 30ft waterline. It may not have suggest that not only can them on the opposite toerail. yacht in 12 minutes. looked too threatening but in you keep her afloat, you If you have a long-keeler, run the first 7-8 minutes the aft line under the counter of the test, of which could even bail her dry’ and up to the opposite stern maybe 30 seconds was fairlead and the forward line spent with nothing over the hand drill, some self-tappers, under the bow and up to the the hole, displacement and the Kollision Kit, which can opposite fairlead, and tie both off. increased by 2,000kg, also be used for other repairs, Water pressure should take care suggesting 2,000 litres there’s every reason to suggest of the rest, but be ready to seesaw (440 gallons) had that not only can you keep her the sheet into place and check leaked in, and the water afloat, you could even bail her dry. below to see if it’s working. was 5cm (2in) above the sole and 20cm (8in) The quickest fix Specialist kit above the bilge. When Stamping a pillow over the hole Our plan was to only use kit that Panic tends to rise with the water level holed, response speed takes a fraction of a second and you might find on the average but it’s important to think clearly is of the essence. stems the flooding very well. It cruising yacht. By and large, we would be my first response, to buy managed to stick to that. One time. Cushions are too resistant exception was the hand drill. We repair. At sea that’s not an option water is flooding in, but as the to shaping, as are sailbags, so I’d were lifting and draining the boat and it’s likely you’ll be working collision mat had worked so well, choose a small pillow every time. If before the internal water level underwater, so an electric drill reducing flow to almost nothing, you can brace the pillow in place, rose above the hole so that we won’t work. Hammering is futile, we thought it was worth a shot. you’ll be free to move around, but could see the water gushing in and so we spent £5.95 on a hand drill. Two tips: The rubber gloves we struggled to make bracing assess the effectiveness of each It wasn’t especially easy to use, but supplied took ages to haul on, work. If you can’t get at the hole, we succeeded eventually. finger by finger. Use washing-up move straight to the next step and The other exception was the gloves instead. Secondly, the get a sail or collision mat in place. epoxy repair kit. We had the two epoxy parts ought to be We used a damp course with perfect opportunity to test the supplied in tubes or syringes. Strong Grips and mousing twine Kollision Kit. It comes in a plastic With the adrenalin pumping, I to haul it into place. On reflection, case from Epoxy Solutions, a UK wasn’t keen to fiddle around with I’d use a thicker line because the company. The Royal Marines, the wooden paddles that were sheet needs to be taut, mousing among others, use the kit to repair supplied, spooning out every last twine cuts into the hands and is beach-damaged RIB hulls. It’s bit of epoxy. Unfortunately, when difficult to tie securely. We saw intended for external application, spreading it onto the polymat, Strong Grips at Southampton but I would never recommend I didn’t have enough to cover the Boat Show a couple of years ago. readers leap overboard. Applying edges completely and that’s They’re supposed to be used for the required pressure around where the leak appeared. My holding awnings and covers in With a good fother in place, the the repair outside would also be mistake but I’m sure it wouldn’t place, but I thought they’d be ideal Kollision Kit made a sound repair problematic. It can’t be used if be an uncommon one. W

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40 www.yachtingmonthly.com SEPTEMBER 2011