A yacht, like any vehicle, is subject to the possibility of getting into extreme conditions. It would seem, what dangers threaten a reliable boat on the endless expanses of the sea? It turns out that not terrible storms and hurricane winds lead to extraordinary circumstances, for a yacht there are more dangerous fires on board and uncontrolled water inflow due to mechanical damage to the hull.
Often, a yacht is damaged as a result of a collision with another vessel or a floating object, a leak appears when it collides with pitfalls, the cause of a leak can be inaccurate mooring, resulting in the hull hitting the pier, and other mechanical influences. These effects can damage to the integrity of the ship's hull when yachts are piled on top of each other or on piers while staying in port, getting a hole from a collision with an ice floe, or when a yacht freezes into the ice during wintering on the water. During a storm, the impact of waves on the side also entails physical overload, and constant slamming (water hammering against the water during oncoming waves) threatens the integrity of the bow of the yacht.
Hull damage is classified as:
All holes, in accordance with the official technical documentation, are divided into four categories, according to the size of the damage:
According to the experts 2yachts, this classification of holes is rather arbitrary, because depending on the size of the vessel, its displacement, holes of the same size can be classified as minor for a cruise ship, and fatal for a small yacht.
The reason for the depressurization of the case is often technical malfunctions and physical wear of units and parts (riveted and bolted joints, leakage of oil seals or rubber seals, failure of the shut-off equipment of the branch pipes), damage to standard technological holes below the waterline.
The size and nature of damage may be different, and further actions of the ship's crew, acting to take emergency measures in the fight to keep the vessel afloat, depend on their correct assessment. Each time, before going out, the skipper is obliged to instruct the crew, explaining the rules of conduct in case of emergencies. The responsibilities of each team member in emergency situations are defined and assigned, an emergency response protocol is developed. In case of detecting the flow of seawater, a general ship alarm is announced (seven short and one long beeps by the ship's typhon, or by a loud bang and sound alarm). In the event of an alarm, everyone gathers at a predetermined place and begins to act in accordance with the ship's "Alarm Schedule" protocol. To accurately determine the location of damage, the yacht has frames, with blue painted numbers. Numbers are applied on both sides of the vessel, on the frames themselves or on the side plating.
Before going to sea, the yacht must be equipped with a supply of soft plasters of various sizes, tow, sealant, coniferous wood stakes, and other emergency materials.
There is one order of action in case of an emergency:
The captain, as an official responsible for the safety of the people on board, takes over the general leadership of the ship's rescue. The mate is in direct control. In the absence of the captain and his mate on board, the emergency repair work is headed by the officer in charge of the watch. First of all, the nature and potential danger of a hole in the yacht's hull is determined. The pressure of the water entering through the bow hole is increased due to the forward movement of the yacht, and the hole closer to the keel will be greater due to the water pressure.
If a hole is detected, measures are simultaneously taken to stop the course of the vessel in order to reduce the pressure of water entering the boat. All crew members, free from emergency work, are involved in the removal of water from the hold. In this case, all the means available on board are used: mechanical and manual pumps, buckets, scoops, and other containers. Actively pumping water keeps the boat buoyant while making it easier to locate a leak.
Practice has shown that damage to the hull in the bow of the yacht (if it is found just below the waterline) is easier to repair by changing the trim of the vessel to the stern. It is possible to provide more convenient access to the side hole by moving the cargo to the side opposite to the damaged side. If the wood paneling is damaged above the waterline, a piece of plywood of the correct size will perfectly seal the hole for a while.
A soft plaster of the required size, consisting of two layers of canvas with a felt between them, must be brought to the hole with the help of the keel ends attached to the lights of the lyktros. Liktros, which is sheathed with a soft plaster, has lights at the corners for threading the sheets. If necessary, the patch can be replaced with tarpaulin or tarpaulin of the required size. The patch is applied to the damaged area from the nose, with a weak (or better, in a complete absence!) course. A soft plaster brought to the damaged area, under the pressure of water entering the hull, will press against the vessel, and the flow will stop. Large plasters have braces, the latter are attached to the lugs. This allows, in the process of applying the patch to the hole, to effectively control its movement not only along the length of the vessel, but also along its height.
It's the turn of the hard plaster. Hard plasters are pre-prepared semi-soft shields of various sizes, consisting of plywood sheathed with tarpaulin, under which a thick layer of tow is evenly placed. In fact, this is a tow pillow with a hard core. A hard plaster is applied from the inside, fixing it in place of the hole with the help of spacers of wedges, nails - everything that can ensure maximum pressure of the plaster to the hole. In the case of a torn hole, where the patch could not completely cover the edges of the hole, you should use smaller patches or use tow gags wrapped in oiled canvas. Elimination of the leak from the resulting hole, throughout the entire time of emergency work, is accompanied by continuous monitoring of the level of the withdrawn water and its continuous pumping. Correct application of the patch is determined by the lowering of the water level during pumping. If the seawater inflow is too great, it is necessary to head for the nearest shore.
Smaller water leaks are eliminated with wooden wedges, usually made from pine. The wedges are wrapped with tow or canvas, having previously soaked them with red lead. With the help of a sledgehammer, the wedges are driven tightly into the gap, completely excluding the possibility of seawater inflow. Cracks can be caulked using tow soaked in red lead or technical fat. A twist twisted from it (with a diameter slightly exceeding the width of the slot), using a caulk and a musket, is tightly stuffed into the slot.
With the help of a sledgehammer, the wedges are driven tightly into the gap, completely excluding the possibility of seawater entering. Cracks can be caulked using soaked in red lead or technical tallow, tow. A twist twisted from it (with a diameter slightly exceeding the width of the slot), using a caulk and a musket, is tightly stuffed into the slot.
If water enters through the hole from a dropped rivet, the leak can be repaired with a special pivot head bolt. If there is no such bolt, the wooden plugs will stop the leak. Large plugs (chops) are used to seal damaged windows.
Of course, getting seawater into the hold is not a pleasant thing. But a preventive inspection of the yacht before each sailing out to sea can significantly reduce the likelihood of unusual situations. Pre-cruise inspection of the vessel by the captain, who knows the "weak links" in the design of his boat, will help in time to detect the accumulation of water under the floorboards, leakage of the stuffing box packing, malfunctions in the work of the nozzle valves - anything that can have dire consequences.
Do not neglect the inspection of the rental yacht. Do not hesitate or be lazy during acceptance to thoroughly inspect the yacht, paying special attention to potentially dangerous areas of the yacht's structure.
Responsible work of the skipper, cohesion of the crew, friendly and thoughtful work during an emergency can keep the ship afloat in the most difficult situations. The survivability of the vessel is determined by good training and precise actions of each member of the crew.