What could cause a yacht like this to acquire a hole so big to be unfloatabe?

Kurtz

Anarchist
711
271
FNQ Australia
About 2 months ago this live aboard sank on its mooring, calm weather, mud bottom no external dramas, as far as I'm aware no lightening, nothing. Enclosed keel, shaft prop. Nothing exotic about it.

The coast guard (volunteer) skull dragged it to where it is now, Their Honda pumps could not keep up with the incoming water...
This above does not make sense and I'm calling bullshit on what has been reported.

Anyway, i'd pay a buck for it, as is / where is. (not too far away from where Captain Cook carrened the Endeavour a few years ago)
lost.jpg
 
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Steam Flyer

Sophisticated Yet Humble
48,341
11,893
Eastern NC
One pump could keep up with a failed thru hull, much less two or more.

Unless, as is likely, there was the usual clutter inside the boat that kept clogging the pumps, and the story does not mention that part.
 

carcrash

Super Anarchist
2,078
529
Cabrillo Beach YC
If you ever read Webb Chiles book about trying to sail his Ericson 37 around the world, or if you remember when the Ericson 46 Chiquita sank, you will know that these boats have a potentially fatal problem: they were laid up in two halves, and then glassed together down the centerline on the inside, a very sharp inside angle along the bottom and aft edge of the keel. Those centerline laminations were prone to failure resulting in a long crack and water coming up all around the ballast. They looked perfect from the inside, but shoddy workmanship was completely hidden from later inspection.
 

Kurtz

Anarchist
711
271
FNQ Australia
If you ever read Webb Chiles book about trying to sail his Ericson 37 around the world, or if you remember when the Ericson 46 Chiquita sank, you will know that these boats have a potentially fatal problem: they were laid up in two halves, and then glassed together down the centerline on the inside, a very sharp inside angle along the bottom and aft edge of the keel. Those centerline laminations were prone to failure resulting in a long crack and water coming up all around the ballast. They looked perfect from the inside, but shoddy workmanship was completely hidden from later inspection.
If that's the case she's a write off, could explain why no salvage attempts have been made in 60+ days
 

sledracr

Super Anarchist
5,127
1,194
PNW, ex-SoCal
potentially fatal problem: they were laid up in two halves, and then glassed together down the centerline on the inside,
True, but the key word is "potentially". Those examples are the only two failures I'm aware of.

The layup along that seam was ridiculously thick. It'd take a major event (e.g., a very hard grounding, or a drop from a crane) to cause a failure.
 

Glenn McCarthy

Super Anarchist
1,934
359
Elmhurst, IL
I've got a wheel cover on the outside of the back door of my car, a hole on top of it appeared, no rhyme or reason why. Then a week later I noticed a hole in the bottom of the gutter on my house, punched from the top down.

It could have been hail, I don't remember any hail storm recently.

I've pretty much decided on meteorite.

So why a hole in a boat to sink it?
 

SloopJonB

Super Anarchist
72,305
14,628
Great Wet North
If you ever read Webb Chiles book about trying to sail his Ericson 37 around the world, or if you remember when the Ericson 46 Chiquita sank, you will know that these boats have a potentially fatal problem: they were laid up in two halves, and then glassed together down the centerline on the inside, a very sharp inside angle along the bottom and aft edge of the keel. Those centerline laminations were prone to failure resulting in a long crack and water coming up all around the ballast. They looked perfect from the inside, but shoddy workmanship was completely hidden from later inspection.
Same thing happened to a Standfast 40 - gluing two halves together seems a poor way of moulding a hull.
 

floater

Super Duper Anarchist
5,465
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quivira regnum
If you ever read Webb Chiles book about trying to sail his Ericson 37 around the world, or if you remember when the Ericson 46 Chiquita sank, you will know that these boats have a potentially fatal problem: they were laid up in two halves, and then glassed together down the centerline on the inside, a very sharp inside angle along the bottom and aft edge of the keel. Those centerline laminations were prone to failure resulting in a long crack and water coming up all around the ballast. They looked perfect from the inside, but shoddy workmanship was completely hidden from later inspection.
the irony - I used to think the 37 (and I'm pretty sure that's just what this is) was the epitome of a solid looking seaworthy boat. but. not. lol.

just like it was revealed elsewhere here that the late 70's Swans were pos.

is nothing sacred?
 
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