Sinking Narrow Boat on the Thames

[CJL]

PLA report here - http://www.pla.co.uk/pdfs/maritime/S..._Sept_2012.pdf

Scary how fast it sank!

CJL

[mick]

Sounds like it was scrap to start with if it needed overplating

[chewy]

Even on a narrow boat I wouldn't have had the engine room air intake that close to the water line.

[CJL]

Originally Posted by chewy

Even on a narrow boat I wouldn't have had the engine room air intake that close to the water line.

Quite a "special" location that wasn't it!

On some other forums they are saying the conditions were as a result of the Rib and class V passenger vessel operators on the Thames.

Bottom line is they knew what the conditions on the Thames was like and they still put to "sea". As far as I am concerned their boat was unsuitable for the expected conditions.

Chris

[simsy]

Many such boats run 5 tons or more of concrete in the bottom.. Not really carring the weight in the dynamic position of a sailing yacht. Thank god they did not have young children on board. I am sure the dog would of swam ashore waking its tail...

[chewy]

Originally Posted by CJL

As far as I am concerned their boat was unsuitable for the expected conditions.

I don't think it was even suitable for canals, the half wit who put the intake there wants a good slap!

[doggypaddle]

Originally Posted by chewy

I don't think it was even suitable for canals, the half wit who put the intake there wants a good slap!

Yep, not really anything to do with the Thames conditions,
Its not really an air vent if its below the waterline with 3 people aboard
it would have sank in a swimming pool!!

[Steve_B]

Had a Narrow boat for many years and never saw a vent that close to the water line.
However, the construction of narrow boats is still a "cottage" industry and standards can vary

[m chappelow]

Surprising how dangerous and fast they can sink , I live alongside the Leeds& Liverppol canal though there seems to be stringent rules on plate size in construction ect most never seem to have any proper bulkheads should flooding present itself .

Going back s few years one sank in a lock near Gargrave after getting the bow fender ( fastened with chain )caught up on the gate sill causing a hook up with the lowering of the water level the boat position tilted and water just ran through the boat trapping and drowning 3 or 4 persons .

Only last year a narrow boat got a drenching when the owner opened s sluce gate and unbeknown to him the boats bow drifted under the cascade of water filling the living space with a few inches of water through the open front door
his wife was supposed to be keeping the bow away from the gate with use of forward reverse .

[Zippy]

Originally Posted by m chappelow

Surprising how dangerous and fast they can sink , I live alongside the Leeds& Liverppol canal though there seems to be stringent rules on plate size in construction ect most never seem to have any proper bulkheads should flooding present itself .

Going back s few years one sank in a lock near Gargrave after getting the bow fender ( fastened with chain )caught up on the gate sill causing a hook up with the lowering of the water level the boat position tilted and water just ran through the boat trapping and drowning 3 or 4 persons .

Only last year a narrow boat got a drenching when the owner opened s sluce gate and unbeknown to him the boats bow drifted under the cascade of water filling the living space with a few inches of water through the open front door
his wife was supposed to be keeping the bow away from the gate with use of forward reverse .

I remember as a kid on narrow boat holidays my aunt and uncle used to warn us of this on every single lock! i though nothing of it until i saw it happen to a boat next to us in the lock! very scary and luckly, it had a good outcome!!

the placing of that vent is just wrong on every level. how can someone with even half a brain think its acceptable!!??

[captnjack]

That's not an air intake its a water intake!!

Can't fathom why they put it that low in the first place either