Aberdeen, we have a problem. (What a mess!)

[Theo]

Though that you might be interested. This post is made up of a few emails that I have sent around the family. the saga starts on Sunday last at 1300hr

 

Dear all

 

Those of you who are friends with me on FaceBook will already know some of this but I thought that I would bring you up to date.

 

Without any preamble here it is straight between the eyes:

 

Yesterday at 1315 when we were at niece, Clare's, house up in Aberdeen, I had a phone call from the marina saying that the dear boat was sinking. Distressing news. Now Aberdeen is some 9 hours from Leicester so we didn't arrive until about 2300 when it was dark and late.

 

When we did arrive we found Theodora still afloat but down by the stern and water still leaking into her engine compartment by way of the mud box hatch. At that point we had a good think, pumped as much water as we could using the bilge pump but still the top edge of the coaming around the mud box was too low and water continued to trickle in. We had emptied the fresh water tank in preparation for the frosts of winter so Theodora was light in the bow. Answer: fill up with fresh water to push the bow down and the stern should lift by a few inches. By 0200 we were convinced that we had stopped more water coming in and went home. Bath and bed and we were asleep by 0315.

 

I will properly bring you up to date with a series of breathtaking episodes but I have discovered that I am a bit tired and ought to go to bed...

 

Watch out for the next nail biting episode.

 

Oh, yes, and use this link if you would like to see some pretty pics of the pickle that is Theodora. https://www.dropbox.com/sh/gxrusgjywkqa55q/fcJGdjSbeX the black unter the tide mark is oil from the engine bilge.

 

Enjoy.

 

 

More soon

_____________________________________

 

15th Oct 2211

 

Dear All

 

Things are very much under control now. She is fully afloat, nearly all the unwanted water is removed and we have done some of the cleaning up.

 

Alex, from Sileby Mill boatyard came down yesterday to assess the damage and to produce an estimate to send off to the insurance company. Once we have this will will be able to move on to the next phase of the insurance claim and will be on the way to having things properly sorted out.

 

Here are the bad bits:

 

1. Water up to the level that could be seen on the photos that you may have looked at.

2. Water had lots of nasty black oil on it which has made a mess of the decoration.

3. Theodora has been left very damp.

4. The engine is all gooed up with oil and looks very sorry for itself.

 

Here are the good bits.

 

1. Glen who lives in the boat next to Theodora acted in time to stop her completely sinking. When he got up late on Sunday he could see too much of the boat on the other side of Theodora and that alerted him to the problem.

2. About five chaps from around the marina worked for part of Sunday morning and all afternoon until five o'clock refloating her but didn't manage completely to stop the water coming in so Glen was still up at 2300 when we arrived.

3. We suddenly discover that we have friends who we hardly knew.

4. The water did not damage the engine. It still works fine.

5. The water didn't damage the 230 volt electrics because it didn't get high enough.

6. The front 8 feet of the cabin including the log burner, and the hold are untouched by the water.

7. The weather today was bright and sunny so we were able to get on with removing the rest of the water in as much comfort as is possible.

8. Working on a boat is always good.

 

Hope to get back to Aberdeen on Thursday to get the caravan and make one stop at Stirling on the way back. Just to finish off the Scottish holiday.

 

If I get a request for a blow by blow account of what went wrong and how the incident progressed you will all get a copy. If I don't get a request I won't inflict it on anyone.

 

I will go to bed tonight tired and happy that things could have been immeasurably worse.

 

Traa for now.

 

Nick

 

__________________________________________

 

16th October 1213

 

Several people asked for the full details so, as promised, you all get it. Hit the delete key now to avoid possible boredom.

 

You have access, even if you have not read, the outline of the problem. You have access to, even if you have not viewed, some rather uninspiring photos which were taken with the insurance claim in mind.

 

Here are some of the more technical aspects of the incident.

 

Theodora is built with a raw water engine cooling system combined with a raw water cooled gearbox oil and exhaust. This involves having a watertight box welded to the hull with holes drilled in the side of the boat on the post quarter as the hull curves round towards the stern. (If I get around to it/think its worth the effort/have the skill to achieve it, I might put together some pics). This box is hereinafter referred to as the "mud box" and is so called because any mud which is taken in with the water, settles out in it. The upper rim of the open mud box is normally a couple of inches above the water line in it which is at exactly the level of the river/canal water outside the boat. The mud box is fitted with a lid which is screwed down and fitted with a rubber seal.

 

Leicester marina, which is where Theodora has lived since the end of 2006, is connected to the River Soar between Birstall Lock and Thurmaston Lock and is at the same level as the river. The Soar rises and falls rapidly sometime by three feet or so when it rains in Leicester. It is a hugely rapid rise because the streets of Leicester drain into it as fast as the storm water drains can cope with the flow. The fall can be pretty quick too partly depending on what the Environment Agency does with the sluices by the locks at Thurmaston. This is why we always leave Theodora with plenty of slack in the mooring lines. Tight mooring lines could pull her under.

 

We can only infer that something happened to the mooring lines so that Theodora was held down as the river rose. This has never happened before and the chap who, we think, used to tighten her mooring lines while we were away (we suppose that he didn't like the way that Theodora moved in the breeze) has left. We are assured that no one touched her lines so they must, in some inexplicable way, have become snagged.

 

In the event she was pulled under as the river rose sufficiently to immerse the mud box rim, the sealing of which allowed a trickle of water into the boat. This added enough weight to the stern to keep the rime immersed when the river level went down so the trickle continued and the boat started to sink.

 

When Glen got up in the morning latish (it was Sunday) he could see too much of the boat beyond Theodora and she was by then deep enough to have immersed a two inch diameter hole which allows the engine to breath. By this time she had, perhaps another hlaf hour before she sank completely. He grabbed a polythene bag and stuffed it in the two inch hole, alerted Prof, who was the marina employee on duty at the time and set about looking for a pump. One was found, lent by another liveaboard boater, pluged in but was insufficient to do any more than stop the boat sinking further.

 

Dynamic equilibrium was achieved until the pump motor burned out. By this time they had phoned me and told me that they had tried to engage the fire brigade with their big pumps to come and rescue the situation (at a cost of about £2000). The fire brigade had refused until I could authorise them myself. I tried to get through to them on their Leicester number. I didn't use 999 a) because it didn't seem to me a life threatening emergency, because the Aberdeen fire service would not a been a lot of use. I couldn't get through and scratched my head and took deep breaths while the rest of the house rushed around and produced lunch and a picnic at high speed.

 

A few minutes later I had another call and was told that the fire brigade wasn't needed. Another enterprising boater had rushed off to Machine Mart and bought a pump, man enough for the job. Theodora resurgens! She was, as I have related, still taking on water when we arrived at 2300 but filling the water tank in the boat lifted the stern sufficiently to lift the mud box coaming above the water.

 

What we did on Monday was to have the boat inspected by Alex from Sileby Mill boatyard so that he could estimate costs of putting her right and lift the floor coverings so that the flooring has a chance to dry out. We bought a small bilge pump so that we could finish clearing the water that the big pump couldn't reach.

 

Yesterday (Tuesday) I cut a larder access hole in the floor at the aftermost starboard side of the cabin so that I could drop the new bilge pump right down to the bottom plate. I then pumped out lots of water (with Steve Manship's help and Theodora rose another couple of inches. The bilge pump left half an inch so I employed what Vick and Martin referred to as a "Sucky Pump" and is designed to suck oil pout of the dipstick hole of an engine. This was a slow business taking about 6 litres out at a time. I extended the hose so that Margaret could work the pump (you use as air pump to such air out of the reservoir) from the bathroom which is on the starboard side which we wanted as low as possible and I could direct the open end of the hose (covered with a dishcloth filter). We happily entertained ourselves for a couple of hours and got nearly all the water out. I have taken careful level measurements just to check that we don't have a leak in the hull. the last bit is very slow because it will sake a while for all the water to run through the drain holes in the transverse frames that run below the floor, and around the ballast.

 

We now need to get back up to Aberdeen to collect the caravan. That will happen once the garage has sorted out the windscreen wipers which have become unreliable and let us down intermittently. We will check the water level in the bilges when we get back.

 

To help with the drying out Glen has lent us a dehumidifier and the electrical energy to run it. What a star!

 

Here are the things that we have done to reduce the risk of a recurrence.

 

1. A new seal around the mud box hatch. This wouldn't prevent sinking if she were tied down but it would slow everything down.

 

2. Bungee cord to hold the boat alongside in normal circumstances so that she is less likely to irritate people.

 

For the future:

 

1. We will fit an automatic bilge pump in the engine bilge, wired up so that it still powered when the battery isolators are switched off. What has stopped us doing that in the past is the difficulty of preventing oil's being pumped out with the water. In the last year affordable separators have been developed so one of those will be fitted.

 

2. The mud box plating is inaccessible so cannot be checked for corrosion. This was not an issue but could become one in the future. The current intention is to plate over the holes and arrange an alternative water intake.

 

Thassall

 

If you have, thank you for reading and I hope that you enjoyed it. More as things develop. I haven't read this through so some of it may make no sense. Let me know if you can't produce heads or tails.

 

_________________________________________________________

 

16th October 1629

 

 

I will keep this up to date as matters develop

Edited October 16, 2013 by Theo
To correct the photo link

[Graham Davis]

Bugger!!

Nice to know you have got such good neighbours.

 

And the link to the photos doesn't work.

[Theo]

Thanks, Graham. I have corrected the link.

 

Nick

[Beaker]

That's terrible Nick, I hope a lot of the damage is cosmetic?

 

 

 

edited to change OP's name, D'OH!

 

Edited October 16, 2013 by Beaker

[Dharl]

Sorry to hear of your problems, but glad that your neighbours have been so helpful!

 

Automatic bilge pumps are money well spent if you leave your boat for any length of time.

[Theo]

That's terrible Theo, I hope a lot of the damage is cosmetic?

What we want is Theodora back in her original state so we are hoping that Nav and Gen won't make us take off the TGV and replace it. We may have jumped the gun a bit by cleaning the oil of the TGV before the assessor sees it but we didn't want the staining to become permanent. We have just costed the damage to contents and floor coverings. I think that because of the prompt action of our resident guardian angels the insurance company will have a relatively low bill.

 

N

Sorry to hear of your problems, but glad that your neighbours have been so helpful!

 

Automatic bilge pumps are money well spent if you leave your boat for any length of time.

Once someone buys the house we won't be leaving the boat much at all. It is to be home for a few years.

 

And solar panels will keep the pumps running for ages if necessary. That will be one of the first things to be sorted out.

[Athy]

If there had been a TGV you could have got from Aberdeen to Leicester a bit quicker.

Fingers crossed for full and speedy restoration of your boat.

[sherbert]

What a nightmare I wish you luck with cleanup and hope you have a straightforward claim with your insurance co

[Theo]

If there had been a TGV you could have got from Aberdeen to Leicester a bit quicker.

Fingers crossed for full and speedy restoration of your boat.

Ah yes! The dangers of the ambiguous acronym.

 

N

[J R ALSOP]

why can't you seal the top of the mud box?' that is the first thing that the insurance company is going to ask.

[Theo]

why can't you seal the top of the mud box?' that is the first thing that the insurance company is going to ask.

As noted in the things done bit at the end I have replaced the sealing but would not guarantee that it is a perfect seal. The hatch needs to be removable to clean it out. It's a bit like a small version of a weed hatch. The problem is that you can't actually test the seal without deliberately trying to sink the boat.

 

Nick

[Guest]

Good luck getting it sorted....

[Pete & Helen]

Sorry to hear about your misfortunes and hope you get everything sorted out soon. Well done to your guardian angels, its surprising what lengths others will go too but I think that's the spirit of fellow boaters.

 

I'm glad I have an automatic bilge pump to set my mind at rest while I'm away from mine. It has always worried me that air vents and the like are so near the waterline, and have wondered if I should use something to make the ones that lead into the engine bay water tight when not in use. It would be better if a boat could still stay afloat if the engine bay floods, but I expect the more knowledgeable out there will understand better than I why this cant be done.

Glad you posted so that the rest of us can assess our own situation and not fall foul of the same thing

[nicknorman]

How horrible for you. I hope the damage isn't too bad. Living in Aberdeen as we do, its my nightmare to receive a phone call like that since its not a matter of popping down to the boat as you discovered!

[David Mack]

What a nightmare! But it could have been so much worse.

 

A couple of thoughts:

 

I'm pretty sure the first version of the BSS specified that weedhatches must extend at least 6" above water level, precisely to prevent this sort of occurrence. Can you extend the mudbox up a bit so you aren't totally reliant on the seal?

 

Fulbourne's mudbox is a freestanding box clear of the hull, connected to a seacock by a largish diameter pipe. It is wholly below water level. The seacock is turned off when the boat is left for any length of time, so we are not reliant on the mudbox seal. We also need to close the seacock and when it is necessary to remove the mudbox lid to clean it.

[Iain_S]

The "TGV" I thought of was Athy's one, but I can't see one of them fitting on a boat (not a narrowboat, anyway). In desperaion, I consulted the All Acronyms dictionary, and found

 

thoracic gas volume
Two Guys and a VAX
Train a Grande Vitesse
transposition of great vessels
Test Generation with Verification
thoracic great vessel
Train 'a Grande Vitesse
Train de Grande Vitesse
Train Grande Vitesse
transposition great vessels
turbine governor valve
Two Guys with a Vax
Tanjong Golden Village's

A few duplicates, but none I'd associate with boating, apart from the second last, perhaps (wrong sort of VAX, though!)

 

Anyway, hope the damage isn't too bad, and that the woodwork dries out OK.

 

Iain

[Theo]

The "TGV" I thought of was Athy's one, but I can't see one of them fitting on a boat (not a narrowboat, anyway). In desperaion, I consulted the All Acronyms dictionary, and found

 

thoracic gas volume

Two Guys and a VAX

Train a Grande Vitesse

transposition of great vessels

Test Generation with Verification

thoracic great vessel

Train 'a Grande Vitesse

Train de Grande Vitesse

Train Grande Vitesse

transposition great vessels

turbine governor valve

Two Guys with a Vax

Tanjong Golden Village's

 

A few duplicates, but none I'd associate with boating, apart from the second last, perhaps (wrong sort of VAX, though!)

 

Anyway, hope the damage isn't too bad, and that the woodwork dries out OK.

 

Iain

Dear me!

 

I thought that it was a common one! I meant Tongue and Groove with V joints (caused by chamfering the visible edges)

 

N

What a nightmare! But it could have been so much worse.

 

A couple of thoughts:

 

I'm pretty sure the first version of the BSS specified that weedhatches must extend at least 6" above water level, precisely to prevent this sort of occurrence. Can you extend the mudbox up a bit so you aren't totally reliant on the seal?

 

Fulbourne's mudbox is a freestanding box clear of the hull, connected to a seacock by a largish diameter pipe. It is wholly below water level. The seacock is turned off when the boat is left for any length of time, so we are not reliant on the mudbox seal. We also need to close the seacock and when it is necessary to remove the mudbox lid to clean it.

That sounds a much safer alternative. As in the sinking of the Springer on the Thames in 2012 the risk was exacerbated by the plating of the back 20 feet of the boat, long before we bought her. The weed hatch coaming was raised but there was no room to raise the mudbox coamingand in the past 6 years we haven't had a problem. Doing that would not solve the corrosion problem anyway so we will arrange the alternative intake as I hinted at in the OP.

 

N

[cheshire~rose]

Oh no, what a total nightmare for you.

 

I suspect the drive south was an extremely frustrating and tense one.

 

I sincerely hope the insurance get it all sorted out quickly and with the least possible hassle for you.

 

Ain't friends great - sounds like you have some amazing neighbours

[Sir Nibble]

All together now

We all live in a......

[FadeToScarlet]

Could you arrange a weed hatch- style clamp on the top of the mud box? Or some substantial, sticking-up studs you could put large nuts on, to seal the lid down properly?

[MtB]

The bilge pump left half an inch so I employed what Vick and Martin referred to as a "Sucky Pump" and is designed to suck oil pout of the dipstick hole of an engine. This was a slow business taking about 6 litres out at a time. I extended the hose so that Margaret could work the pump (you use as air pump to such air out of the reservoir) from the bathroom which is on the starboard side which we wanted as low as possible and I could direct the open end of the hose (covered with a dishcloth filter). We happily entertained ourselves for a couple of hours and got nearly all the water out.

 

 

Next time nip up to Screwfix and buy a cheap aquavac (£50 approx) and do the same job in five minutes flat... They are BRILLIANT at sucking out every last drop of residual water and gloop.

 

MtB

[comfortably numb]

What a nightmare and hope it all gets sorted with not too much hassle. Aren't the boating community wonderful and it just shows that when this type of thing occurs fellow boaters will always pitch in and help.

[pelicanafloat]

Such a nightmare. Can only hope everything gets sorted eventually. Best wishes

[Phil Ambrose]

Hlad you saved your boat, this brought back a frightening memoruy for me of the time I decided to check the float switch on my automatic bilge pump, it was a bit iffy. I took the switch out and decided to pop down to the local chandler for a replacement.

10 mins in dinghy to car, 5 mins in car to chandlers, 5 mins to purchase and returned to mooring, total time away 35 mins.

When I got back I noticed the stern looked very low and I could hear gushing water.

We had shore water fitted and a pipe had come off the caloifier and as it drained the shore water filled it up again, I caught it just in time phew!

After that we always unplugged the shore water when we left the boat.

Phil

[Theo]

Been mucking about with the dropbox folders so the links won't work.

 

Here is the current one: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/w78v1hnqj3iyukz/xvL0Ys70ui

 

No changes to the photos.

 

Nick