Posted by JimM on November 06, 2003 at 05:45:54:
In Reply to: Sweet Caroline sinking? posted by Garry on November 06, 2003 at 04:14:59:
Without air-tight compartments or foam, if any boat capsizes or is seriously damaged, it will sink. Even a large wave over the bow could introduce enough water to make the boat unstable in rough weather and end up capsizing.
Air-tight compartments are now required by US Coast Guard regulations for boats with passengers for hire. In smaller boats and all private boats, it's still a very good idea. They should be designed to provide enough flotation for the entire rig even when the rest of the boat is full of water.
If the boat were seriously damaged by collision, grounding or structural failure, the air-tight compartments might be breached, and the boat could still sink. Adding foam flotation will take care of that problem, unless the boat is shattered into a thousand pieces! (and then the passengers would at least have those foam blocks to cling to).
How's things in Palau? Nice to get contributors from the other side of the World!!