OOD Article - rough water boating

[sconceptor]

Just read the new Ontario Out of Doors article by good old Gord Ellis, about rough water boating. I have a few questions.

 

What does happen to the boat if it does roll or flood? Does it become neutral bouyant like a canoe, or sink like the Titanic?

 

I have a 14.5ft Princecraft Resorter DLX, which is rather bouyant and made to highest of standards.

 

I also wonder this, for when rivets start to leak in 20years, and it's docked in rain and taking on water. Do they just become bouyant and rest semi submerged?

 

Anybody have experience rolling or flooding a boat in rough water, or can tell a friends story?

 

I've found Nipissing to be the worst for 14-17ft boat ranges.......love to fish it, but shallow water kicks up nasty. The big lake(Huron) which I live along scares me, and I wouldn't be out on it very far without a good forecast(not that I fish it much).

[Fisherman]

Ya, excellent article that everyone should read & heed and maybe practice on a small inland lake. As for neutral bouyancy, don't know, but it would be sure nice to know if the good ship lollipop is going down or to just bob along at gunwale depth.

I think if I was to leave a boat moored, I would have an auto float switch with a small bilge pump, just to prevent the hassle.

[irishfield]

I would hope that in 20 years your princecraft isn't leaking!!

 

It should be built to level floation standards... unless it's one of the models under recall..

[glen]

My guess would be that if the waves are high enough to sink the boat (10'ers) you would be in a lot of trouble. The boat should float near the surface. But how are you going to stay in the boat?

 

I was out with a friend in his closed bow boat and we speared a wave. I thought it was going down because we had over 1' of water on the windshield. It felt funny sitting below the water. She popped back up and i started to bail the 1' of water out of the bottom of the boat. If that was an open boat she would have went right down. I thought he new how to drive a boat but i was wrong.

 

Hopefully we will hear some good stories.

[bigfish1965]

Maybe this summer Gord will post the story somewhere...like here...so those who don't or can't get the magazine can read it. Should be required reading before your boaters exam.

I know you are reading this Gord...lol...

[John Bacon]

My 1994 Alumacraft boat sank right to the bottom after a rain storm. I understand that boats have better flotation now days. I also notice that they seem to be much more conservative in the horsepower ratings these days; perhaps flotation plays a part of that decision.

 

I did have a bit of am oman a week or two before the sinking. I piece of loose foam drifted to back of the boat while I was bailing. It sank rather than floated. It did float after I let it dry out. I suspect that a boat that is moored to the dock all summer is more likely to go down than out that is stored out of water and can dry out between uses.

[canadadude]

Unless it's a Boston Whaler chances are it will sink right to the bottom, it may flip over and trap some air which will keep it floating for a period of time.

[POLLIWOGG]

Depends on a lot of things. If the boat has foam under the floor and has had water laying in it at some time for something like 3 days the foam will soak up and maybe or maybe not dry out. If the foam is higher out of rain water height it might be alright. We pulled 80 lbs of water soaked foam out of an 18 ft tinner that was not replaced so that boat will sink.

 

The young lads that decided to take a wiz off the stern at the same time on West Lake, that small tinner went to the bottom and the fisherman on site ignored them leaving a long swim to shore.

 

The small tinner I found on BOQ at night had the bow up and motor on bottom. Luckily it had police yellow strip on it so I didn't have to look for bodies but it was spooky for a while there.

 

The newer 18'er that got its riggers hung up took 3 waves to fill it but stayed up.

 

I would think that chances are the older tin boats are going to sink. Old Glass boats that have more flotation tucked away might float but again the older the foam is the more broken down the cell structure and the faster it will soak up.

 

The age and history of the boat would probably determine whether it would float or not. Plan for your boat to sink and if it doesn't you get a pleasant surprise.