Could my boat sink?

R

redbaronace

New member
Was doing some online reading late in the evening and came across old marketing materials from C-dory on the Tomcat24. In it was the statement that this boat is unsinkable due to the utilized floatation and scuppers system built into the boat. I presume that items like the bilge are also safeguards to keep the boat afloat at least till the batteries run out.

My question is not whether it could be sunk following a collision, hurricane winds or taking a 10 foot wave over the side, but rather while sitting in its slip. We have never left our boat unattended in the water for any length of time and keep our boat on a trailer or in drydock.

Can someone please elaborate what exactly unsinkable implies and when it might not apply.
 
Nothing is "unsinkable" in all conditions. However, positive floatation from foam (if there is enough and it's not compromised in some way - e.g. broken down or saturated with water) will generally keep the boat from completely sinking. My best guess though is that if enough water gets into the cockpit and or cabin or if one is in large enough waves, the boat can turtle and remain afloat with the bow partially out of the water. That may meet somebody's definition of "unsinkable", not mine but somebody's.
 
A lot depends on the conditions and the way the foam placed in the boat. All that Roger says is true. We had an 18 foot Ray Hunt designed deep V runabout which I would consider unsinkable. There was foam under all of the floors, and under the bow and gunnels. I had left the boat in the water during a very heavy rain; the boat filled with water, up over the point where water came over the transom (short splash well)--but the power head was out of water, and although the battery was under water, the fuel tank was intact, and no water intrusion (under a rear seat. Put a new battery above the water and started the engine. Another time, I was out in about 12 foot seas and when I slowed to talk to another boat we took a wave over the transom, filling the boat with about a foot of water--got under way, turned on the bilge pumps and dewatered the boat.

If the hulls are foam filled (which I believe they are, since one of the owners have had difficulty removing the fuel tanks because of the foam--I would consider the Tom Cat 24 about as unsinkable as you will find.

But remember even a Boston Whaler full of water, will not be easily bailed out--you have to get the transom above the water so no more comes in as you move the boat forward, and with that much water in the boat, they will not come up on a plane.
 
some what related
sorry not meant to hijack the thread
Do Tomcats have sealed compartments in the sponsons and or are the sponsons sealed from the bilge?
 
The standard (USCG?) For power boats under 20 feet demands flotation which will maintain the vessel in an upright condition when swamped. No standard I know of over 20 feet. If your vessel has side decks and enough spare space aft high, 2 lb/cubic foot pink foam from Home Depot can do the job. As a retrofit, it is a PITA to install. As part of manufacture, easy.

As Bob points out, dewatering a swamped vessel demands heavy pumps or a high transom and patience.
 
BrentB":q0b6z3cx said:
some what related
sorry not meant to hijack the thread
Do Tomcats have sealed compartments in the sponsons and or are the sponsons sealed from the bilge?
Click to expand...

I can only speak with certainty about my Tomcat but for it, the answer is no. There are some partitions at the dash between the forward part of the sponsons and the aft portion. After that, things appear to be open all the way back to the bilges (one aft in each sponson). The forward portions of the sponson have no foam and are accessible through lids in the berth. The rest of the sponsons contain the fresh water tank, the black water tank (not on my boat due to airhead install), the fuel tanks, the shower sump box and the fish boxes protrude into them in the cockpit area. I know of no foam anywhere in mine with the exception of the fiberglass enclosed foam board transom.
 
The older Tomcats do not have cockpit in floor fishboxes (wish they did). so perhaps we do have foam in there. Trying to gain a better understanding of what the situation might be if we decided to get a wet slip this year.

Also, for folks who have the wet balsa core in the past, it is safe to say that storing in a wet slip might accelerate the rot?

Appreciate peoples comments.
 
redbaronace":3p4z5qo5 said:
The older Tomcats do not have cockpit in floor fishboxes (wish they did). so perhaps we do have foam in there. Trying to gain a better understanding of what the situation might be if we decided to get a wet slip this year.

Also, for folks who have the wet balsa core in the past, it is safe to say that storing in a wet slip might accelerate the rot?

Appreciate peoples comments.
Click to expand...

As for getting a wet slip. The best advice I can give there is:
1) If you don't have one already, install a 120V system and battery charger. This will keep the batteries up and therefor keep power available to the bilge.
2) If you don't have one already, get a camper back or slant back to keep the rain out of the cockpit.
3) If you have any below the water line through hulls, make sure the valves are closed and the through hulls are in good shape. I saw an article a few years back from a marine surveyor that indicated most boat sinkings in marinas were from failed through hulls (often due to inappropriate materials).
The combination of the above will keep the boat afloat indefinitely in the slip.

As for the potential for core problems, it really depends on the location. Clearly, holes below the waterline that are not properly sealed will be a bigger problem in a wet slip than when on the trailer, but they're a problem no matter what. Other core penetrations (like inside where a cabinet is screwed to the sole) may not be affected at all. This is one where you need to use your own judgement.
 
As well as Roger's excellent points, I would add be sure you have bottom paint. I agree that the 255 I owned does not seem to have any flotation. But neither had any of the boats I took across oceans.

The Tom Cat 24 should be pretty free of the balsa core penetration problem in the monohull C Dorys. Being in the water, it might get more water in the core, but not necessarily more rot. Do a moisture meter reading before you put the boat in the water. Weight the boat. When you pull it out next time, do another weight, with the same inventory on the boat (including fuel) and then also do another moisture meter check after the boat has dried out on the trailer for a couple of weeks. My guess is you will not get any water in the core.
 
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