How to patch a hole...

[campjer]

This past long weekend, while cruising through the lower Rideau system, I hit a 200 year old tree sitting below the water. It was probably the scariest thing in life - as water was coming in at a pretty insane rate (entire bilge filled within 3-4 minutes).

While my hull's integrity wasn't compromised - the tree sheared my transducer clean off the bottom of the boat - leaving the 2" hole totally exposed to take on water. I was able to temporary fix the situation with an oily rag.

Here are a couple videos of myself and my friend patching it up properly (first attempt with one of those tapered emergency wood plugs):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBr5lC6WH8U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doWZYeNYCnA

The winning solution until I pull the boat in the winter involved 2 4"x4" pieces of plywood, and one piece cut to the diameter of the hole. A long flat-head bolt with large washer was put through the base plate and the circular piece. All was covered in a generous coating of Slik-Seam. My friend went beneath the boat, gave me the double knock (telling me to pull the rag) and he placed the piece up through. Once it was in, I applied the top-plate from inside the bilge and threaded the nut down by hand, then tightened very snug. Problem solved for the remainder of the season.

Enjoy!

[evansjw44]

What was the transducer made of, bronze or nylon?

[campjer]

Bronze <sniff sniff>. It was a "solid" hit. I'm really lucky that that was the only damage. Bought a cheap Humminbird depth/fish finder with the transom mount transducer for under $100 just to finish up the season with. Will replace with proper thru-hull this winter.

[kcupido]

Jeremy,
Hole-lee Cow!
I would of just filled my pants and probably gone down with my beloved boat! Goes to show all of us, that knowing what to do and having the right materials around in case of an emergency. Glad you were able to keep a cool head and came through the crisis safe, albeit a little banged up.
As with all woodies... what's another little project for the winter months
Keith

[Bill Basler]

Jeremy, glad you made it back to port. I have boated extensively on the Great Lakes. They are magnificent, and typically deep. The shoals are rock though, and those are hard on bottoms for sure.

Here at home, cruising the Mississippi is entirely different. On the "Miss", you deal with current and the occasional surprise below the surface.

This week seems to been hard on boats for everyone!

[campjer]

Keith: I'm not sure about the "leveled-head" part. There was a good 15-minutes of sheer franticness. While we never really feared for our lives - I honestly thought I'd be dealing with a salvage job... especially before we found out where the water was coming in.

Bill: Thanks - I'm glad we made it as well. The Great Lakes are fun - and as of yet, haven't had much issue on them... but oddly enough, 30-minutes before the incident on the Rideau, we were commenting on how fascinating it is that only 150 or so years ago, everything we were boating over was farmer's fields and forest. Perhaps that should've been a little foreshadowing into what was to follow! Can't wait to get down on the mighty Mississippi!

[Wood Commander]

This seems like a good time to throw this out there...........

I've been aboard many old cruisers and had the owners proudly showing off their new wooden floor- type cabin decking. And it really looks nice in an old woody.
But I always get a funny look when I ask them, wow, really cool, but how do you quickly check your bilge now?
I usually get a blank stare and then they ask, what do you mean?
I then try to tactfully tell them how important it is on a wooden boat to have very quick access to the bilge through any deck or flooring area. Even to just check for water and especially in an emergency.

I go so far as to not screw down my "catwalk" planking in the engine room and fuel tank spaces. I use either a wooden key or pin system fastened to only the walk plank itself to prevent movement and in this manner they can be lifted right out of the way in an emergency.

[WoodenRookie]

Bret, thanks you just saved me from that same mistake. I read all the post above and it still didn't click. Stupid is as stupid does!!

[evansjw44]

Your story and video are certainly time to pause and think. I probably would have tried to beach my old lady. But I think I go buy some of those plugs. I would think a blow hard enough to shear off a bronze thru-hull would have done some wood damage too. I suppose a Connie bottom is stronger for that kind of ompact that the plywood skiff bottom on my Corinthian.

Your patch was ingenious. I might do something like that to remove a couple of old transducers I don't use anymore. I have though of them as harmless but maybe not. Might be better to take them out and properly patch the hole.

But at least they're not hard to get to. I have an inspection hatch in the cabin sole every 3 ft. Just pull up the carpet and voila!

[campjer]

Bret,

So very true - and I've often thought the exact same thing. While the hardwood or laminates do look damn nice - all I can think of, is how do you quickly open up the cavity for emergency surgery?

I was toying with the idea of doing hardwood in mine - but because she's wood - I opted not to for that exact reason. Instead, my catwalks are also not fastened down - and I used the 1/4" thick mildew resistant foam under-padding, covered by a nice carpet over top. Esthetically it looks great - and in cases like the other day - I literally clawed at it with one palm, and had everything off the floors in a matter of seconds... if I had to piss around with hardwood - I'd hazard to say my baby would be at the bottom.

Hopefully others reading this in the future will heed this when they're debating their renovations.

[campjer]

Evansjw44,

I had a pretty thorough "emergency" kit on board at all times... especially given that this is my first boat - and on top of that, my first woody - everything this year has been nothing short of one of life's wonderful experiences.

The plugs are something good to have onboard "just in case"... even though they didn't work this time around, they may in the future (forbid I'll ever need ANYTHING again!).

While I haven't pulled my Connie out since the incident, I'm quite confident after three visual inspections with the snorkel gear, that there is no hull damage... and with this patch that is on - my bilge is back to it's level of 1-2" of water and holding steady.

Good luck with the old transducer replacements - and if by chance any are from an old analogue Lowrance - let me know - I have a hole to fill!

[campjer]

Here's my baby in motion on Lake Ontario after the repair job. 200% confident in what we pulled off with the boat never leaving the water:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIcXuiSnIr0&feature=user

[evansjw44]

AirMar made the transducer. I think they make all the transducers for the marine industry except for some specialty items. I would imagine they can help you get a new one.

I'm still puzzled by an underwater object being able to shear off a transducer. Your boat has a skeg, right?

[campjer]

Thanks for the info on the transducer manufacturer - I'll definitely look into them this fall once she's pulled out.

As far as the skeg... excuse my ignorance - but from what I understand, that's more something that's on a single screw is it not (to protect ropes, etc. from getting in the prop)? I'm running twin 283's - and my transducer was at least 1/3 way up the bottom. There was no protection in front of it.

[evansjw44]

The skeg is that piece of lumber that is bolted to the keel. In your picture I see you still have the old tube style AM radio ground tubes in place on your skeg. But it doesn't look like you have a lot of protection, as you say. The skeg on my Corinthian is deeper.

I have two sets of transducers. One is now out of service. Its got a rounded leading edge so it might bound over an object. The other set has a faired leading and trailing edge to make it hydrodynamic. I don't know what it would do if struck by an object. Something I guess we should all look at after your expereince.

Airmar sells a "fairing" block to mount their transducers. I used that as a pattern and made one like it out of oak. I didn't feel comfortable using a plastic faring block on my bottom.

[campjer]

And so the education continues. I thought the long piece of vertical wood under the boat was the keel - not the skeg?

Either way - there was little to no protection around my transducer - but when I replace it, there sure will be.

Yes I do still have the old AM ground tubes down there. Though I had to cut half of them off on the port side when I repaired my skeg/keel in the spring.

Thanks for the mention of the replacement plates being plastic... aside from my speedometer hookup on the underside, I too wouldn't feel confident mounting anything plastic down there.

[snewk41]

I love going back & reading old posts & this one by campjer has given me a lot to think about. I have a 1965 C/C/C & asked myself, how would I put an emergency patch in the bottom, say up to 8 to 10 in.? Or better yet, how would anyone out there do it, & what would be a good emergency kit to carry for that possibility, which is not as remote as we might think.

[Al Benton]

Scott,

The best emergency kit is life jackets and a working marine radio.

I think about that frequently when out with the cruiser. The "what if's" when cruising on the muddy Mississippi can be realistic at times. A quick patch is almost impossible, especially a big one. The likelyhood of a big hole being accessible is not good either. So, what to do? Head for shore while getting a life jacket on everyone with one hand, getting on the radio with the other while steering with my knees.

I have a 120 volt pump and generator for emergencies but it would only keep up with a 2" or so hole, perhaps. I'm thinking a 6" hole in the hull would sink her in just 5 or 10 minutes. I sure don't want to be in a position of timing it. If you had time, a self-inflating life jacket may buy some time or even save the boat but getting it in a hole with rushing water...

Al

PS: I must have missed this topic all together last Sept. It was new to me as well, Scott. It is fun to review old threads. Boat Buzz is crammed with good information and is very searchable using that tool. I found one just today regarding the vent tube discussion. Well, two days ago.

[jfrprops]

One of the things I always bring up when discussing emergency equip on our boats is the ever faithful BICYCLE INNER TUBE.

"don't leave the dock without it"

A MIRACLE FIXER.

You can Split the tube lengthwise into a big "ace bandage" type rubber strip.

Blow out the packing on a shaftlog or break off a thru hull fitting inside the boat...or any of numberous other leaks.??...wrap em with the innertube and rock on. Nice overlaps...good length...rock on.
You can actually wrap in the correct direction and soap down the tube and run your engine just fine on the shaft packing failure.

another good addition to your kit bag (as oppossed to your ditch bag...need that too) is a can of that "great stuff" expanding foam....you can close lots of hole and cracks above the waterline with that.
It makes a very strong emergency glue also.