54' boat sunk at the dock today

JV II

JV II

Active Member
Nov 17, 2007
2,655
RI
Boat Info
Flybridge
Engines
Volvo V-Drive
49' boat sunk at the dock today

The family of live aboards went to Brazil and their home sunk. No word on why yet.

photo 3.jpg
photo 1.jpg
 
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Yea, that more than sucks alright. After I posted those pics of our moorage basin all frozen over, they had to pull the 370 that was stuck in the ice because the bilge pumps wouldn't keep up with the amount of water it was taking on. Lucky that one of the members who actually cares about his boat was down there every day do break up the ice around his cruiser. He said that the pumps on that boat had been running steady for a few days so he reported it. Could it have something to do with the build up of ice and the prop shafts exiting the hulls on those bigger boats? :huh:
 
Joe5.0 said:
Is it just me or does it look like pretty substantial ice in the 2nd picture?
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I see open water near it so, I doubt it's thick enough to damage anything.
If you get ice around your boat DON'T break it up because, you will create "teeth" in the ice and scratch off some of your bottom paint.
 
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Does any one know if insurance covers a boat that is damaged by ice or would it be clasified as a poor maintenance item.
What about things just freezing in a boat such as an engine or water in stringers that crack the fiberglass.
 
The one that sank at our dock a couple of months ago was fully covered by his insurance. That boat still sits at the dock because the insurance company doesn't want to pay for a salvage company to tow it about 1.5 miles to a place where it can be lifted by a crane. They apparently don't know what they'll do with it once it gets there. It's too tall to transport without tearing the flybridge off and if they go to that expense (and the reinstall later) it will become too pricey to sell. Then they'd have to dismantle the whole boat and scrap it.
 
In fresh water, I have heard of thru hull failure caused by freezing, followed by flooding when the temperature went up.
 
I don't think I could leave my boat in during the winter and skip town. As it is I check on it weekly and it's on dry land.
 
Most likely because the water in the exhaust was fresh water and that freezes at a higher temperature than salt water. (Saltwater has a much lower freezing point (the freezing point is the temperature where something freezes) than freshwater does. And the more salt there is in it, the lower the freezing point gets. So in order to know the exact temperature that it’s going to freeze, you have to know just how salty it is. For saltwater that’s as saturated as it can possibly get (i.e. there’s no way to dissolve any more salt in it no matter how hard you tried), the freezing point is -21.1 degrees Celsius. This is when the saltwater is 23.3% salt (by weight).)
 
66pony said:
Most likely because the water in the exhaust was fresh water and that freezes at a higher temperature than salt water. (Saltwater has a much lower freezing point (the freezing point is the temperature where something freezes) than freshwater does. And the more salt there is in it, the lower the freezing point gets. So in order to know the exact temperature that it’s going to freeze, you have to know just how salty it is. For saltwater that’s as saturated as it can possibly get (i.e. there’s no way to dissolve any more salt in it no matter how hard you tried), the freezing point is -21.1 degrees Celsius. This is when the saltwater is 23.3% salt (by weight).)
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The science seems right, but the question the becomes,"How did freshwater get into the exhaust of a boat sitting in unfrozen salt water?"

Henry
 
Henry Boyd said:
The science seems right, but the question the becomes,"How did freshwater get into the exhaust of a boat sitting in unfrozen salt water?"

Henry
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And, how does fresh water freeze solid below the waterline when I have a dozen Poland Spring bottles in my bilge and various parts of my boat that remain liquid?
 
Owner comment:
a comment from the owner:

bostonseal02/17/14 11:12 PM
@ MITFan, it was not a thru-hull fitting, but the exhaust run on the port side... the ice apparently came into the exhaust from the harbor and froze, either breaking the exhaust (frp) or forcing it off the muffler... either way, letting in water via a 4" passageway. Thank you to the USCG, Boat US Rescue, Boston Fire, Clean Harbors and other professionals who have efficently and with concern worked quickly to deal with the fuel and raising our home.
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:huh:
 
Well, if anyone is interested. Here is what one of the owners' posted today (from another forum)
Hello, one of the owners here... the boat sank as described due to the ice in the exhaust hose (which is under the waterline)... ice crept to the muffler (which is not accessible without demolishing the interior of the mid-state room). Either broke the clamp, fitting, muffler or a combination of all. Muffler hose is 4". Boat sank quickly we're told. Boat is a total loss, most personal belongings lost due to salt water (electronics shot & took 2 days to refloat), or diesel fuel contamination (we carried 700 gallons). There are 80-90 others living in our marina, so for those who say "haul" in the winter don't understand. Boston Harbor even away from the fresh-ish water of the Charles River can & does freeze up in the very cold which we have been having this year.

In the future - I'd recommend winterizing the engines AND inserting a nerf football in the exhaust in the Fall.

Also, the boat was far from JUNK, she had 5 year old Yanmark 375's on board with just 500 hours, most of our neighbors are professionals with jobs - the ignorance of some of the posters here is rather amazing. And... to the person who's 1st question ?! is how did the bow break off? The bow broke off because we have a 12 foot tide in Boston Harbor, and the bow was at one point under the dock which floats. When the boat rose after it was under the dock, the bowsprit broke off.
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