Yachting Monthly 9/2011
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YACHTING I MONTHLY YACHTING MONTHLY September 2011 We poked out our hauling line using a straightened coat hanger 10 ‘Buy you time’ repairs 1 Cushion stamped against the hole As the boat was lowered and the water began to gush in, my first reaction was a sudden rush of adrenalin. I grabbed a bright orange cushion, which has always lived in the forepeak of the Crash Test Boat, and held it over the hole with my boot. This took a second and greatly reduced the flow of water. It was a major confidence boost and definitely the quickest quick fix. 2 Flat plywood board This involved using a coat hanger to push a loop of line out through the hole, which a crewman on deck snagged with his boathook. He then inserted the line through a pre-drilled bunkboard, knotting the end to hold it in place, before I hauled the board from inside the boat, tight against the outside of the hull. A G-damp proved invaluable, providing a convenient anchor to tension the lines in this and other methods of stemming the flood. It took a couple of minutes to implement and the results weren't spectacular, ABOVE: Kieran snagged the hauling line with a boathook and tied on the board. LEFT: Even hauled in tight, this repair leaked quite badly 3 Flat engine room board A piece of engine room hatch, lined with sound-proofing sponge, was pre-drilled as the Mark II version of the flat plywood board solution. Once again, a loop of line was pushed through the hole, which Kieran, on deck, snagged with a boathook and inserted through the board’s pre-drilled hole. It took the same time to deploy, but was much more effective.

4 Pothering a sail Tried and trusted by Admiral Nelson after cannon ball damage, this involved wrapping a sail around the hull, leech forward as it’s smoother. It was not quick. Lines needed attaching to each corner, then it needed a boathook to sink the sail under the hull's knuckle. Twists needed to be removed before see-sawing the sail into place and securing very tightly to the toerail. Sadly, due to the sail’s built-in camber, it ‘pulsed’ against the hull, proving a decent fix one second, awful the next. 5DIY collision mat I tried to get a purpose-made collision mat, priced at £622...

8Suhrella This is a purpose-made emergency collision 'patch' - a sort of hi-tech 'umbrella'. As before, a line was tied on to prevent loss before it was thrust through the hole. Because of the size of the Subrella and the relatively small hole, it had to be hammered through with the blunt end of an oar. The hole was enlarged as a result but, once deployed with its safety line secured totheG-clamp.it slowed the flood to a level that would definitely buy you time. Alas, it is no longer in production and the patent belongs to a now The Suhrelln slowed defunct company. the flood of water...