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West Wight Potter Mailing List maintainer
dfarrell@ridgecrest.ca.us
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Ken:
The centerboard trunk is definitely a concern. The previous owner of my P-15
had installed a heavy rubber split seal on the top of the trunk slot and it
did a great job of keeping water out and in. If the trunk is a great avenue
for water flow and fiberglass is bouyant then a swamped P-15 should
eventually float to the level of the keel trunk. In my impromptu field
experiment I did not observe this, perhaps because water poured in the door
faster than it was going out the keel trunk.
Jim
>From: Ken Preston <preston@gencc.com>
>To: Jim Nolan <panache426@hotmail.com>, wwpotter@tscnet.com
>Subject: RE: Bow Bouyancy w/ styrofoam
>Date: Wed, 5 Apr 2000 10:19:20 -0700
>
>I think I'm right with you except that you refer to the hatch and the cabin
>door and the gunnels as if they were the limiting factors. I think in each
>case the larger issue is the centerboard trunk top slot. If you're trying
>to blow air into your turtled problem can't it freely excape out said slot?
>If you're swamped I'm positive the slot is quite a lot lower than the hatch
>or the gunnels, and not terribly blockable (though I'd try I'm sure). I
>liked Robert Manry's modification to his "Tinkerbelle". . .converted from a
>centerboard to a daggerboard that ran in a trunk extending all the way from
>the bottom of the boat plum through the cabin top. . .the British do that
>in
>a number of boats one way or another and it does seem "seamanlike" to me.
>I
>doubt I'd ever try such a thing on my P-15, I like the ability to hoist the
>board as I bump toward the beach so easily, but an enclosed CB trunk and an
>alternative method of hoisting the CB seems like something well worth
>while.
>
>
>For an extended cruise I'd be interested in putting essentially everything
>into river raft type waterproof bags and securing it all to the
>sides/bottom
>of the boat with straps. Other than that, the buoyancy bags under the
>cockpit seats would be grand. . .
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Jim Nolan [mailto:panache426@hotmail.com]
>Sent: Wednesday, April 05, 2000 8:55 AM
>To: wwpotter@tscnet.com
>Subject: Re: Bow Bouyancy w/ styrofoam
>
>
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> West Wight Potter Mailing List maintainer
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>
>Robert:
>The question is - what is the purpose of the flotation? The stock foam that
>was in my P-15 did the job of keeping the boat afloat when fully swamped.
>Adding 100 lbs of flotation will displace about 14 gallons of water in a
>swamped boat. A swamped P-15 holds roughly 500+ gallons of water or 3500
>lbs
>
>of water.
>If your intent is to make the P-15 self rescuable in the event of a
>swamping
>
>I would recommend filling every bit of unused space with some type of
>flotation. This is to get the gunwales above the water to be able to bail
>the boat out. Otherwise you have an unrecoverable boat that sits slightly
>higher in the water. If it floats with the nose down - great! you can pump
>it out as long as the hatch isn't under water. I don't think flotation on
>the cabin roof is practical, as that part is the only part that sticks out
>of the water when the boat is swamped.
>Annapolis Performance Sailing offers some nice flotation bags at reasonable
>prices. They are perfect for under the cockpit which is mostly unused space
>and where the water goes when you swamp it. It's also the hardest place to
>remove water from. You have to get the water out of there to get your boat
>back on the trailer. Check the winch and trailer capacity and figure how
>many gallons of water in your boat will make you exceed it.
>The best way to see this for yourself is to get some brave volunteer to
>swamp his P-15 in about 5-6 feet of calm water and find out how it floats
>and what it takes to get the thing out of the water. Then you'll have some
>idea of what is involved when you are a few miles offshore, alone with big
>waves.
>One thing I haven't considered in much detail, but is ripe for discussion,
>is to take a swamped P-15, turn it turtle and then blow air up under the
>boat into the cabin with the door on. This will displace water and it may
>float higher when un-turtled.
>
>Jim Nolan ex P-15; P-19 #426 Panache; Colorado (temperature today in
>60-70's, 4 feet of snow on ground, wind gusts 100+ mph)
>
> >From: Robert Skinner <robert@140.com>
> >To: HandyM2@aol.com
> >CC: wwpotter@tscnet.com
> >Subject: Re: Bow Bouyancy w/ styrofoam
> >Date: Wed, 05 Apr 2000 09:51:30 -0400
> >
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> > West Wight Potter Mailing List maintainer
> > dfarrell@ridgecrest.ca.us
> > List hosted by www.tscnet.com
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> >HandyM2@aol.com wrote:
> > > << Another approach to bow buoyancy -- 1" styrofoam secured on top of
> >the
> > > cabin floor/bunks would provide about 100 lbs of floatation. >>
> > > Why not go for closed cell foam padding? Softer to the humans and
>will
> >not
> > > crumble under the loading of feet and bodys upon it.
> >
> >Michael -
> >
> >The closed cell flex foam is an interesting idea. I could cement it
> >to the top of some floorboards I plan to put in. On the other hand,
> >as I will be stowing gear in 1/2 of the cabin and sleeping in the
> >other, and stowing some gear in the sleeping area during the day, I
> >wonder how the foam would stand up -- let alone stay clean enuf to be
> >pleasant.
> >
> >Little Dipper has a fiberglass cabin floor. It is so weak in places
> >that I hesitate to step or kneel on it. Therefore, I am covering it
> >with 1/2" plywood, secured to the existing floor where it is strong
> >enough to hold screws. The foam could go between the fiberglass and
> >the plywood.
> >
> >Re. the already low headroom in the cabin: As I cannot sit up or
> >squat in the cabin now, not much loss...
> >
> >With the noodles below the floor and the foam in the sandwich, I would
> >have 80 + 100 lbs of floatation. The key question is -- is this
> >overkill?
> >
> >Any comments will be appreciated.
> >--
> >Robert Skinner, Rockville, Maryland
> >'87 Potter 15 HMS #1618 "Little Dipper"
> >
>
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