Recent Issue of Boating Magazine - Article on Flotation

[tpenfield]

The July/August edition of Boating Magazine has an article on the USCG's testing of flotation in recreational boats (20 feet and under). Interesting read for those who can get a copy or view online.

The boat featured in the article (19 foot I/O bowrider) barely passed the test. The article also indicated that some boats have failed the test due to manufacturing oversights in not adding enough flotation to the structure.

The USCG only tests a sampling of boats, as the manufacturer's are supposed to certify their boats according to USCG guidelines, but not actually submit them for testing.

 

[dingbat]

A boat's "flotation" gives a false sense of security that has probably cost more lives than it has saved.......

 

[Scott Danforth]

FWIW, we inadvertently tested the floatation in dad's Bass Tracker III back in 1984:doh:. I know that Lund tests their boats - they posted it a few years back on youtube if I remember.

I agree that the amount of floatation on many boats is marginal. to an older boat with leaking issues and wet foam, there is no floatation. I would be interested to see the list of boats tested.

 

[tpenfield]

A boat's "flotation" gives a false sense of security that has probably cost more lives than it has saved.......

Yes, probably has . . . one factor is that the regulations for flotation are very minimal and not actually sufficient when you throw real world conditions at it.

 

[dingbat]

Yes, probably has . . . one factor is that the regulations for flotation are very minimal and not actually sufficient when you throw real world conditions at it.

Even so...what is more conducive to survival? A life jacket or trying to cling to an upside down boat?

And what's it with the 20' and over thing? People with boats over 20' don't drown?...lol

 

[laurentide]

Even so...what is more conducive to survival? A life jacket or trying to cling to an upside down boat?

And what's it with the 20' and over thing? People with boats over 20' don't drown?...lol

I'm just guessing that once you get into the 20'+ size category you find a lot of boats that aren't worth adding flotation to, as it would require inordinate amounts of material to keep the boat above water. Obviously not the case for all larger boats, as some in that class are foam core construction and, thus, buoyant. Grady is one of those manufacturers I believe.

 

[Ned L]

Hmmm, ..."~~The boat featured in the article (19 foot I/O bowrider) barely passed the test". So another way of looking at it is to say that it is fully compliant and meets all the requirements.

"~~And what's it with the 20' and over thing? People with boats over 20' don't drown?...lol",...... Well they have to draw the line somewhere.

 

[jbcurt00]

Can't ever have enough flotation, IMO.

Pix from an event I attended over the weekend. I was not present when it happened, but as I understand it, water washed in over the transom in a small 10ft boat w/ no splashwell.

It's a vintage cottage race boat, and as it came up on plane, they hesitated briefly and boat was swamped quickly by the water washing in over the transom. Only reason it's afloat at all is because the captain (he's the floating head bobbing in the water) grabbed the fuel can, & tossed it up under the bow cover. 2 Line pressure tank, that works, so no leaks of fuel out of it and as a pressurized tank, it held enough air to keep the boat's nose afloat.

Recovered fairly quickly & bailed out at a nearby dock.

 

[OllieC]

I subscribe to Boating Mag and read the article as well.

Adding floatation is not there to add a false sense of security. Floatation does not mean that the boat won't capsize. All it means is that it won't sink to the bottom, and in some cases allow a capsized boat to be used as an additional safety measure when the crew is over board for hanging on to.
In the Boater Safety course it recommends, that if your boat sinks/capsizes that you stay with it and do not try to swim to shore if you're a ways out (1-2miles). The boat is easier to spot by the USGS, and you'll waste less energy. Those of you on inland lakes, of course this wouldn't really apply.

I found the article interesting in the fact that the even though a boat is designed to float, during the build, the builder could play a part in not making the boat floatable (error in the manufacturing process)

 

[Stumpalump]

I had a 16' Glastron I/O from the 60's. When I pulled the 3 layers of waterlogged floor up the floatation foam that was in bags was nothing but goo. I think a gas leak and vapors dissolved it. So what's good enough when new my not save your boat from going to the bottom today. That boat flew once I got that waterlogged mess out of it.

 

[jigngrub]

Boat floatation and properly installed floatation materials are NOT OVERRATED!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M30nDtZ4iys

http://www.keywestboatsinc.com/mfgplant

There have been advances in materials and design for boat floatation that give you much more than "something to cling to". Displacing water with foam where water would normally accumulate in a boat and allowing a certain amount of water to accumulate in the bilge over the keel area for ballast will keep a boat afloat high and dry with less chance of capsizing.

If you want to know how safe your boat is going to be in an emergency, launch it with the bilge plug OUT!... you may or may not want to stray far from the dock.


I personally tend to err on the side of safety and will not own a boat that doesn't float like the Lund or the Key West, that's not to say I wouldn't buy a boat that didn't float like the 2 mentioned... but when I got finished with them they would float that well or better.

I see so many half-arsed floatation installation jobs on this forum, and I cringe at the sight of each one... or even worse, the ones that have claimed to install floatation but didn't post any pics of it because it's boring:faint2:... or the absolute geniuses that delete all of the floatation foam in their boats because it doesn't do anything but soak up water like a sponge and rots the entire boat, absolutely BRILLIANT!!!