My boat has sunk in Kingston (1939 ww2 wooden motor cruiser)

[Mr Badger]

If there are going to be floats all round the boat why not use them to support the top edge of the tarp? Then you wouldn't need to add any supports to the boat.

[Peter Knowles]

Hello Markus,

Firstly, I'm so sorry to read about your boat.

 

Now, please forgive yet another opinion,..

- I have never raised a sunken boat.

But I have given it a tremendous amout of thought and I'm generally very capeable at these sorts of things.

I'm a long time sailer, fresheater and blue.

I'm a British born Canadian intent on returning to live aboard.

 

I'm pained by the great lengths you've gone to with the poly to raise the freeboard.

As I see it, it's of no advantage.

The boad has no cockpit, freeboard is not an issue.

It's completely enclosed.

Think of it as a huge water tank, all you need to do is pump the water out faster than it comes back in and it will float.

Others have said this, and I know it seems so simple.

I understand there are several large openings, a missing companionway?

I can't tell from the photos. Certainly the aft hatch needs to be sealed.

As the only significan leaks will be above the waterline, you should be able to find and correct them as you pump.

Other than the obvious openings.

I would imagine a bit pf plywood, screws and heavy tape would go a long way to chasing the leaks.

Then a blooody great pump.

 

If the water inside were to drop more than a few inches below the water outside I would be concerned about

The wheelhouse windows, but I can't imagine there will be much more than an inch difference.

 

I wish you the best of luck, it's a beautiful boat.

Were I on the right side of the ocean, I'd be there in a heartbeat.

 

Best cheers

Peter

[luctor et emergo]

Raising the gunnel height with polythene and leisurely pumping out the boat will work on a static canal, but I fear that it will not work on a river that may have the added problem of increased flow because of added fresh after heavy rain. I understand that some of the attempted raised gunnel has already been dragged of by the flow of water.

 

An added problem is supporting the boat as she comes up, and whilst the leak(s) that caused the sinking are attended to. Simply tying of to a narrowboat alongside could end in disaster if she goes down again (pump failure?) suddenly. A narrowboat has not enough stability to deal with a down wards pull on one side. You need at least a widebeam (eitherside) to consider that. Anchored to the river bed.

 

Hire as many of the 3" pumps as you can, because you are going to need to rely on shifting water as fast as possible, not on lifting or supporting the boat.

[MtB]

Raising the gunnel height with polythene and leisurely pumping out the boat will work on a static canal, but I fear that it will not work on a river that may have the added problem of increased flow because of added fresh after heavy rain. I understand that some of the attempted raised gunnel has already been dragged of by the flow of water.

 

An added problem is supporting the boat as she comes up, and whilst the leak(s) that caused the sinking are attended to. Simply tying of to a narrowboat alongside could end in disaster if she goes down again (pump failure?) suddenly. A narrowboat has not enough stability to deal with a down wards pull on one side. You need at least a widebeam (eitherside) to consider that. Anchored to the river bed.

 

Hire as many of the 3" pumps as you can, because you are going to need to rely on shifting water as fast as possible, not on lifting or supporting the boat.

 

I haven't noticed narrowboats being mentioned, Marcus said two whacking great Dutch barges were arranged to come alongside IIRC!

 

MtB

[luctor et emergo]

 

I haven't noticed narrowboats being mentioned, Marcus said two whacking great Dutch barges were arranged to come alongside IIRC!

 

MtB

Ahh, that would be good.

 

[MtB]

Ahh, that would be good.

 

 

Possibly, but I'm worried about this as I see a significant risk of FAIRSTAR getting squashed by one or the other of them in the process. There is nothing there to moor to.

 

 

MtB

[Wanted]

 

Possibly, but I'm worried about this as I see a significant risk of FAIRSTAR getting squashed by one or the other of them in the process. There is nothing there to moor to.

 

 

MtB

It may be better to have both support boats on one side, one holding the gear and the other ferrying and keeping people out of the way until needed?

[Mr Badger]

Construct a scaffold standing on the river bed all round the boat. This will give a working platform and a place above the surface to attach the top edge of the tarp, the bottom of the tarp being attached to the hull below the normal waterline (by divers if necessary). If disaster strikes it will be a few bent scaffold poles, not an expensive boat damaged.

[c c]

Mr Badger may be on to something with his scaffold suggestion. IF the river bed is solid enough to take them, a scaffold pole offers little resistance to the river flow and when built around the boat, could possibly offer a variety of completely new lines of thought..

[luctor et emergo]

Constructing scaffolding in the middle of a river?

[magnetman]

I think its quite a cool idea but would be extremely expensive. Driving poles far into theriver bed will need a pile driver, and a hiab and probably a license from the ea.

 

If you want to float the boat board up any holes with ply and put 3 x 3" petrol driven pumps in there using shopping trolleys/baskets as strainers to prevent blockages. IMO you need a lot of pump capacity

 

I've never done it so I know nothing.

 

Then you have to keep her floating afterwards

[John Holden]

I think its quite a cool idea but would be extremely expensive. Driving poles far into theriver bed will need a pile driver, and a hiab and probably a license from the ea.

 

If you want to float the boat board up any holes with ply and put 3 x 3" petrol driven pumps in there using shopping trolleys/baskets as strainers to prevent blockages. IMO you need a lot of pump capacity

 

I've never done it so I know nothing.

 

Then you have to keep her floating afterwards

 

Why would you need to drive poles into the river bed to any depth?

[magnetman]

Fair point. Normal scaffold just stands on the ground but I would have thought a stable platform would be pretty tricky unless the posts were all driven in hard, the thing would tip over too easily as one pole sinks in more than another.

[luctor et emergo]

 

Why would you need to drive poles into the river bed to any depth?

Stability of the structure.

[magnetman]

Depending on river bed. Its gravel there but I don't think that's suitable for scaffolding and I know the wooden piles for the trot moorings there are driven quite deep so it is not a 'hard' bottom I don't think.

 

 

I actually think all that is needed is something like a 17ft dory and two people. 3 large pumps on the dory. The idea of too many boats about complicates it all too much for my liking..

[John Holden]

Stability of the structure.

 

But they erect scaffolding hundreds of feet high without driving the poles into the ground.

[magnetman]

Can you give examples of scaffolding constructed on a river bed without the use of heavy equipment?

JH

 

I realise this may be a windup but have you jumped in the river, and 'touched the bottom' ? Its not quite the same as when you walk on a pavement

[John Holden]

Can you give examples of scaffolding constructed on a river bed without the use of heavy equipment?

JH

 

I realise this may be a windup but have you jumped in the river, and 'touched the bottom' ? Its not quite the same as when you walk on a pavement

 

Put a load spreading pad on the river bed and build. It only has to support the not very great weight of the scaffolding for a short time.

[luctor et emergo]

:facepalm:

[magnetman]

Ah ok.

 

I read "bent scaffold poles" somewhere so I assumed the suggestion was supporting the boat with it.

 

If its just a work platform then surely a large dinghy would do the same job anyway ?

[John Holden]

Ah ok.

 

I read "bent scaffold poles" somewhere so I assumed the suggestion was supporting the boat with it.

 

If its just a work platform then surely a large dinghy would do the same job anyway ?

 

I can't honestly remember why it was first proposed and can't really be bothered to reread to refresh my memory.

[magnetman]

[bizzard]

Banging in scaffold poles!!! Going to those lengths ! Might as well adopt my idea ''post 116'' and have done with it. But I don't think the EA would allow any of it.

[Bod]

Putting floats to hold the top of the plastic sheet above the water, would do the same, and allow the sheet to move, as the water pressure/ level changes.

The idea is to create a boat shaped tube, (from the boat to the water surface), which water can be removed from, allowing, in essence for the water under the boat to push it up!

Hence the need for big pumps this water has to be removed quickly, before more leaks in, which it will do till the sound hull is empty.

 

Bod

 

Experiment.

Bucket of clean water, beer/milk bottle, and drinking straw.

Put enough water in the bottle to just float it with the neck above the water in the bucket.

Suck out some of the water from the bottle, the bottle will rise.

[Hair Bear Bunch]

Regardless of however the desired effect is achieved, can I suggest that someone keeps a record of who is on site so should anything go wrong everyone can be accounted for quickly.

Also, label your kit so you know what belongs to who when packing up.

Might be an idea to have some old rope around just to tie the pumps down. A vibrating engine or heavy pipe could easily drag it over the side.

Edited August 13, 2014 by Hair Bear Bunch