Posted on behalf of Bob Austin:

Georgs asked:  When your boat starts taking on water, what do you do? If a fire
starts, what do you do then?  What's the best course of auction in the event of such emergencies far offshore?

Bob Replied:

There was a post on another forum of a 35 foot sport fisher which caught on
fire  30 miles off shore the previous weekend.  The skipper had a Halon
system--the diesels would not shut down, and the Halon was not effective.
Once the wire had melted the wire on insullation it became an electrical
fire (even if it was not initially)  The speculation was that a turbo
started the fire.
The skipper opened the floor boards to the engine compartment, (debatable).
The fire was too intense to put a shutter over the top of the engine air
intake and stop the engines.  The fuel valves were external and shut off,
but it was the opinion of the skipper that the engine continued to run on
its own lube oil.  A may day was broadcast on VHF (Offshore you would also
use SSB) and the EPRIP was activated.  The crew put on life jackets,
launched the life raft and abandoned ship.  The CG contacted the owner's
wife about 5 minutes after the EPRIB was activated.  An nearby boat picked
up the crew from the raft and the boat sank within half an hour of the
fire's discovery.  CG arrive about 20 minutes later and took the crew to
shore.
On analysis, it was suggested that fuel supply valves be always accessable
from outside the engine room.  That all electrical circuits be fused and
have a shut off out side of the engine room.  (Including the starting
circuit).  There was suggestion that a CO2 extinguisher would have been
effective in cooling and smothering the fire--but not being able to shut
down the engine was a major issue.  An external activation of a shutter for
air intake would have perhaps stopped the engine.
We had a proceedure for fire--it involved use of halon if it had not
automatically depolyed.  We had a small CO2 cylinder--but it was also used
for inflation of the dinghy.  We had multiple small B10 type of
extinguishers--but little use for a major fine.
Water intrusion:  Been there!  First get all bilge pumps going.  Attempt to
find the place the water is entering.  Plugs by all thru hulls--and shut off
sea cocks on all thru hulls.  Have a canvas/vinly which can be put over a
hole in the hull, with lines on it  for 3 or 4 corners.  We also had several
pieces of 1/4" plywood and several cans of "Great stuff"  A hand drill for
putting holes in the hull to drive in self tapping or sheat metal screws,
and seal the plywood edges.  The "Great Stuff" has been used for many of the
hurricane damaged boats and seems to set up under water, and helps to adhere
the plywood.    Also cushions can be stuffed into holes.    Stuffing boxes
are also a frequent area of water intrusion--sometimes the shaft is pulled
out--again a wooden plug large enough is the help here.  Rags around the
stuffing box secured with SS or monel wire or plastic cable ties.
Fortunately the times we have had water intrusion, it was something which
was easily discovered--like a deck drain, when the boat was heeled over  and
under water, where the hose had pulled off.  A leaking stuffing box: a
leaking rudder shaft stuffing (slowed the boat down, repaced the stuffing
box ).  The only time we hit something which caused major hull damage
(fortunately a friend's boat and we hit a container at 8 knots)--the hull
was cored with 3" of balsa planks, and although the outer 1/2" of glass was
breeched, the balsa took most of the impact and the inner 3/8" of glass kept
any water from intruding into the hull.
The idea is to have a plan, materials and have people ready to do their jobs
to save the boat.  Safety first.  Safety gear on any boat--ditch bag, EPIRBS
(personal and boat, GPS enabled) life jackets, survival suits and life raft
are the ultimate survival tools.
Bob Austin

Hi Folks,

Just saw this video on a new cat passagemaker that seems interesting.  Here
is the BBC News report (via video):

http://tinyurl.com/2urltr

Here is the company's home page.

Any thoughts on it? Looks pretty efficient and strong and comfortable in
reasonable sized waves.  Certainly, a unique design:

http://www.wam-v.com/index.htm

It looks like it may be based in the San Francisco bay area - in which case
I may try to visit the company and check it out more thoroughly.

Brian

Here are some more articles on the new boat. I think you'll find it pretty
interesting:

http://www.gizmag.com/go/6777/

http://www.baycrossings.com/dispnews.asp?id=1757

http://www.baycrossings.com/dispnews.asp?id=1756

http://tinyurl.com/2h9sqm

-----Original Message-----
From: passagemaking-under-power-bounces@lists.samurai.com
[mailto:passagemaking-under-power-bounces@lists.samurai.com] On Behalf Of
Brian Chiko
Sent: Monday, February 19, 2007 2:38 PM
To: 'Passagemaking Under Power List'
Subject: [PUP] New Passagemaker Concept - by WAM-V

Hi Folks,

Just saw this video on a new cat passagemaker that seems interesting.  Here
is the BBC News report (via video):

http://tinyurl.com/2urltr

Here is the company's home page.

Any thoughts on it? Looks pretty efficient and strong and comfortable in
reasonable sized waves.  Certainly, a unique design:

http://www.wam-v.com/index.htm

It looks like it may be based in the San Francisco bay area - in which case
I may try to visit the company and check it out more thoroughly.

Brian

Passagemaking Under Power and PUP are trademarks of Water World Productions,
formerly known as Trawler World Productions.

To be removed from the PUP list send an email with the
subject "unsubscribe" (no quotes) to the link below:

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Some more good pages:

http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_strange_boat.htm

And on Flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/19216472@N00/273702075/

Brian

It's a prototype to be used as a ferry in SF. None of the littoral designs
I've seen come close. They are all Australian tri and catamaran - ships. I
cannot see its surviving heavy seas and its current profile is to high for
inshore military ops.

Dashew's unsailboat which is semi-wave-piercing seems to be a real option
for a passagemaker - but they are mighty long.

Ron Rogers

Hi Ron,

I didn't see any mention of a ferry usage in any of the articles I found.
Interesting comment on the surviving high seas... with a width of 50ft, and
a length of 100ft (and all engines and fuel in the sponsons), and thus a
pretty low center of gravity, it would seem to be a pretty sturdy boat -
though I do wonder about the inflatable sponsons, and how it would survive
in larger waves... it certainly seems like it would be smooth, quiet and
efficient.

Here is what they say about it on the web site and in the articles:

"With a draft of only 16 inches and a range allowing it to cross oceans,
Conti says, It's just like a helicopter. It flies, just in a different way.
Our goal, our dream, is to create a vessel that goes at sea just like a
helicopter.

The craft can run on bio-diesel, and one of the main advantages of the
design is its high fuel efficiency - allowing it to make trans-oceanic
voyages on only 2,000 gallons of fuel, crewed by only two people.

applications

Thanks to her modular construction, reconfiguration speed, ease of operation
and environmental friendliness, a WAM-VT can be adapted to multiple uses.
Pleasure:

* Cruise spending minimal transit times between destinations. Anchor the

superstructure out and berth only the cabin.
* Staying in Monte-Carlo? Change cabins and take a group of friends for
dinner in Porto Cervo.
* Play with large waves. Your WAM-VT is the ultimate personal
watercraft, the means to a new extreme sport experience.

Research and Industry

* Deliver and retrieve instrument packages with specially designed

payloads to fit your needs.
* Conduct patrolling and observation missions with unobstructed views.
* Monitor and protect marine resources from shallow waters to open
ocean.
* Lower costs with multiple cabins/payloads to fit different
requirements.

Government

* Deliver a small team to an undeveloped beach over long distances.
* Conduct search and rescue operations with helicopter-like performance

at a fraction of the cost. Searches can be extended for days or weeks
without refueling. The full size WAM-VT can maneuver directly over small
vessels or people to be rescued. Soft inflatable hulls and jet propulsion
option maximize safety of rescue operation.
* Use unmanned format as platforms for surveillance or mine hunting.
* Transport a swarm of unmanned WAM-VsT aboard another vessel by
reducing foot print with deflated hulls and retractable features.

-----Original Message-----
From: passagemaking-under-power-bounces@lists.samurai.com
[mailto:passagemaking-under-power-bounces@lists.samurai.com] On Behalf Of
Ron Rogers
Sent: Monday, February 19, 2007 4:28 PM
To: Passagemaking Under Power List
Subject: Re: [PUP] Still more information and photos - RE: New Passagemaker
Concept - by WAM-V

It's a prototype to be used as a ferry in SF. None of the littoral designs
I've seen come close. They are all Australian tri and catamaran - ships. I
cannot see its surviving heavy seas and its current profile is to high for
inshore military ops.

Dashew's unsailboat which is semi-wave-piercing seems to be a real option
for a passagemaker - but they are mighty long.

Ron Rogers

Passagemaking Under Power and PUP are trademarks of Water World Productions,
formerly known as Trawler World Productions.

To be removed from the PUP list send an email with the
subject "unsubscribe" (no quotes) to the link below:

mailto:passagemaking-under-power@lists.samurai.com

Passagemaking-Under-Power Mailing List

Brian,

I'll try to find the reference as it was a quote from an SF newspaper
article. After reading the detailed description you have provided, I have
two thoughts:

1. Conceptually, this is a copy of the Sikorsky "Sky Hook" helicopter which
   had interchangeable fuselage modules, but ended up being a heavy lift crane.

2. IMHO, it will not live up to the designer's expectations.

Ron Rogers