Unsinkable Yacht Project

[Shearwater]

For a boat to sink 2 things need to happen. The water must come in and the air must go out. If you contain the air by making the upper part of the boat completely air tight, air pressure will keep the water from coming in. You can go one step further and actively pump air into the sealed craft. One pound of air pressure will force out 2 feet of water. Just a few pounds of air pressure are enough to keep any boat under 100 feet afloat.

[Poida]

In my personal opinion, which doesn't rate for a lot, a safety devise or design is not safe unless it can be tested periodically.

There was a ferry that ran out to a resort island here and there were no life jackets aboard because all the seats had floatation material underneath them.

Should the boat sink, the seats would float, all they would have to do is tow the floating seats back to the mainland. What a brilliant idea.

Unfortunately there was no way of testing the system without sinking the boat so it was assumed that the designer had done his job and it would work.

The boat sank, the seats didn't float, they went down with the boat. More than likely the seats had rusted to the boat and didn't release.

However there was no major inquiry as there was no loss of life as the boat was not carrying passengers at the time, the seats didn't even float with no weight on them.

Now I favour the air bag system and as pointed out the company making them didn't last long.

What is the cost for installing a reliable flotation system against the cost of insurance against the boat being lost.

What's the cost difference between towing a fkd up hull back to shore, lifting it out of the water and repairing it against making a new one.

How much does it cost to salvage a boat after it has been sunk against the cost of the installation of a flotation device that may never be used.

And what will the consumer buy? Two boats side by side and one is a lot dearer than the other because it has a flotation device in it when he/she is probably going to insure it either way.

Sometimes I just get carried away.

Poida

[wellmer]

Hi guys - a way to make a yacht unsinkable is to make the hatch airproof.
If air can not come out of the boat - water stops to enter - caission effect.

I found this when i tried to dive with my submarine yacht - hatch and snorkels closed - water stoped comming in trough the dive valve until i opened the snorkel valve so that air could escape.

It might be easier for a designer to make a airproof hatch and ventilation system than designing a cubic meter of foam for each ton of weight into a boat...



see my submarine yacht at:
http://tolimared.com/submarine

Kindest Regards
W.Ellmer

[Quicksilver]

This airtight theory seems silly to me. Let's examine again why boats sink, but from another perspective.
they hit rocks
capsize
swamp
leaks
I dont know what else, but this airtight idea, doesnt work with one of those situations, rocks, a punctured hull. Thus, not unsinkable, unless you are so lucky that the puncture never goes above the water line, but if it does. It could fill with water enough to capsize and sink, assuming it doesnt just sink.

Foam and airbags can work, but like someone said earlier it depends on if the boat is overweight for the foam or airbag. An example, on the Hudson River, A 38' Hustler speed boat equipped with self deploying airbags hit a submerged tree at about 100mph. Alright, well the airbags should float the boat. Well they deployed, however they did not have enough buoyancy to keep the boat afloat. In fact it made it impossible to recover the boat at all, the bags kept the boat in limbo, moving with the tides and assumable eventually sent the boat out into the Atlantic.

Like previously said imo only smaller boats can really benefit from "unsinkability" larger boats may not sink per say, but are you really going to want the chunks of boat left over. I say save your money and buy a lifeboat and GPS locater.

[Shearwater]

Even with a hole at the waterline there is enough volume above it to float the boat. Water would rise in the boat until the hole is covered and at that point air pressure could prevent further inflow, keeping the boat on the surface but half flooded. Plus with any hole, air pressure could help with patching by forcing material into the hole. For many small craft under one pound of air pressure could prevent sinking. A sailboat could be heeled to place the hole in more advantageous position. For very high hole, heel the boat so the hole's well into the air. For a lower hole heel the boat so the hole is deeper underwater. This will also steady the boat.

[Poida]

Shearwater, you have so many people doubting your concept, yet you keep insisting. Then I suppose they thought Marconi was mad when he said he could send sound through the air.

In a theoretical stuation you are right, practically doubtful. The hull is not going to stay horizontal allowing the water to pour in up to a level and stop when it hits the air in the top of the hull. Waves will make the hull rock forward and back allowing more water to enter until eventually the hull will be heavy more than likely at the stern when it will sink.

Surely you have seen ships with the stern down slowly sinking. The Titanic did.

You still haven't got the concept of pressure and volume yet..

Oh well

Poida