AMSEA Flooding Control Production
Video Details the Knowledge and Tools to Needed to Prevent Sinking
The Alaska Marine Safety Education Association has released an informative video on how to control flooding onboard boats. Material presented is suitable for all boaters.
Uncontrolled flooding is a major cause of sinking of vessels at sea. A three-inch hole located one foot below the waterline will allow 177 gallons of water per minute to enter a boat. The same size hole located at three feet below the waterline will produce a flooding rate of 306 gallons a minute. Any sizeable hole encountered below the waterline will sink the average boat in a matter of minutes.
A New Video Production on Vessel Flooding - The Alaska Marine Safety Education Association (AMSEA) working in conjunction with the United States Coast Guard and the Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program has prepared a video production detailing the knowledge and skills needed to control onboard flooding of vessels. Available for direct purchase from the Alaska Sea Grant College Program, the Flooding Control video has sections on flooding control, damage control kits, and a flooding rate chart.
Prevention and Maintenance - Suggestions are presented to help prevent flooding from becoming an issue. These suggestions include monthly inspections of your vessel, exercising valves, installation of adequate clamps on thru-hull fittings, and the testing of high water alarms. AMSEA suggests having an emergency dewatering pump onboard, ready for use.
Preparation - There are procedures that can be taken prior to a flooding incident to better prepare for an emergency response. They include making a through review of your vessel's design, clearly marking pipes and valves, consulting with a marine surveyor, and asking for a voluntary safety examination from the United States Coast Guard or Coast Guard Auxiliary. Crew should be reminded to keep watertight doors and hatches closed, be familiar with the onboard damage control kit, and practice damage control procedures monthly.
Emergency Procedures - AMSEA suggests a series of emergency procegures that should be followed in a flooding incident:
- Assess Damage - Determine the extent of damage to the hull that is causing the flooding problem. The type of damage present will determine the course of action taken to control the problem
- Plug - Plug the leak with whatever materials are available at hand. Having a number of different sized plugs in your damage control kit will help
- Pump - Remember that normal bilge pumps onboard aren't designed to pump the large volumes of water caused by damage to a hull. Consider the purchase of a high capacity dewatering water for your boat
- Communicate - Notify the Coast Guard or other potential rescuers early on in flooding event, just in case you can't control it and be prepared to abandon the boat
- Prepare Survival Equipment - Have survival or immersion suits ready for immediate use
Damage Control Kit - This idea has been presented previously here at the Boating & Sailing Section of Suite101. AMSEA provides a short video clip outlining the contents of a damage control kit in their DVD and backs the information provided up with a detailed chart in Abode PDF format.
AMSEA has produced an exceptional educational video for boaters that will greatly improve their chances of surviving a hulled vessel and uncontrolled flooding. Skills demonstrated and suggestions provided will greatly aid a boater experiencing a flooding problem on their vessel. The DVD can be purchased for $20 from the Alaska Sea Grant Bookstore.
