There's a Hole in My Boat

Article by Bryce Potter

Damage control for flooding is one of the simplest but potentially most challenging and hazardous skills required of any mariner. The basics are the same no matter what size vessel you are aboard: Keep as much water as possible on the outside of the boat. It is a skill that everyone on the water needs to learn, from singlehanders out for a daysail on a Scamp to the crew of an aircraft carrier. The big advantage in a small boat is that everything is close at hand, and hopefully you know exactly where everything is.

There are three stages of damage control:

1. Initial Response

2. Drying Out

3. Temporary Repairs

1. Initial Response: Find the damage and minimize water ingress as quickly as possible. The basic tools for this have changed little over time:

• A sturdy bag full of softwood wedges and plugs of appropriate sizes.

• A hammer.

You want to work as fast as you can without rushing. The initial response should only take a minute or two. If the boat is going to be lost it is likely to be because of failure at this stage. It can be incredibly hard to locate where water is coming in once the water’s surface covers the hole. Don’t be shy about moving gear or damaging cabinetry to get at the interior of the hull. If you fail here you lose the boat.

When you find a hole, grab three wedges of about the right size to fill the hole. Hold them together in one hand, with the middle wedge sticking up much higher than the other two. Stuff them in the hole, and with your free hand, hammer that middle wedge down tight so that the wedges stay put. Add another wedge or two if the hole is irregularly shaped and there is more empty space. You have now reduced the rate of water ingress by 80-90%. Move on and find any other large holes that need to be plugged.

If you have a broken thru-hull fitting or a round hole, grab an appropriately sized plug and hammer it home. Many commercial vessels keep a softwood plug tied above every thru-hull fitting for quick response. In an emergency you can grab the plug and hammer it home with the butt of your knife.

In addition, any big, soft object such as a seat cushion, sailbag, or something similar can simply be wedged in place over the hole, or stuffed into it.

2. Drying Out: Now you want to eliminate all of the water flowing into the boat, if possible. This can take many forms, and improvisation is critical. A sail or, better yet, a tarp can be slung under the hull and drawn up tight over the hole with lines to both rails. The pressure of the water trying to flow through the hole will suck the tarp up against the hull and create a seal. (The technical term for this is fothering. Captain Cook utilized this technique after he accidentally discovered the Great Barrier Reef.) A deep bowl with a gasket around the rim can also be placed over the wedges to seal out water and shored into place.

3. Temporary Repairs: Hopefully now you have time to pump the boat mostly dry so that you can effect a temporary patch. This is to get you to the closest safe harbor. It may be possible to get to safety with just a plug, but it risks flooding the boat again if your plug fails before you get to safety, and then you will have to begin the whole process again.

A supply of plywood, neoprene or other quick-to-cut gasket material, and nails appropriate to your hull material should be kept in your damage control kit. Plywood, bowls, and other objects can be used to create a fairly strong patch. Splash zone and other underwater epoxies are wonderful sealants and will cure when wet, forming a much stronger seal than just a plug. If you’ve shoved a seat cushion against a hole, smear some splash zone around the edge and nail it to the hull. Don’t be shy about making a mess or driving nails into your hull – if your patch fails and the boat sinks, it won’t matter anyway. If the patch holds, you’re looking at a bit of a repair project, but that will be easier than building a new boat! It is also usually easier to repair nail holes than to swim to shore from any distance.

A few additional thoughts:

If you are sailing and your boat is holed on the low side, tack or jibe immediately, if it is safe to do so. Heave to on the opposite tack. This may raise the hole above the waterline and will slow the rate of flooding. In a motor or muscle powered boat you may be able to shift gear to raise a hole above the waterline.

When bailing a small boat, a scared sailor with a bucket is almost always faster than any hand-operated pump. When the water level becomes low enough that the bucket becomes inefficient, that is when it is time to break out the hand pump.

It pays to remember that your best chance of survival is to keep your boat floating, even if you have a dry suit, a PFD, and a raft handy.

If your initial attack is unsuccessful, it is time to call a mayday, ensure that help is on the way, and prepare to abandon ship. Do not abandon your efforts, however! Once help is en-route do everything within your power to save your boat. You may get lucky and find the hole even with the boat half-full of water.

If you have access to a derelict hull, take it somewhere safe and make some holes in it for practice.

The final addition to your damage control preparations should be a set of warm, dry clothes stowed in a dry bag. You will be soaked by the time you are finished patching up the boat, and although you may not notice cold water while you are working, you will want to be dry again as soon as possible. Take the bag with you if you have to abandon ship. Good luck! •SCA•

Captain Bryce Potter grew up at Lake Tahoe, where he worked as a professional ski patroller before embarking on a career at sea. He is a graduate of Maine Maritime Academy and holds a 1600 Ton Ocean Master’s license for motor and sail vessels. He lives in the mountains near Seattle.

First appeared in issue #104