Yes, I had a paddle wheel failure. No poor maintenance and the only warning I got was when my daughter told me there was water on the floor. The cause was never obvious, but I think an o-ring may have slipped when it was reinstalled after cleaning; it was pulled during the survey and it was our delivery trip). It did NOT leak for 2 days before at the dock.
In my case, it was in a bulkheaded compartment , which someone had fitted a hose through without sealing. I jammed a rag around the hose, pumped the main hull, and sailed home (2 days).
Yes, a plug would have slowed it, but remember that you can't hammer a plug into plastic. It's also not a lot of fun working elbow-deep in 35F water.
I think putting through hulls in bulkheaded compartments is VERY smart. When I later installed AC, I put a bulkhead in to protect the through hull. In my case that was mostly a matter of glassing inside and existing cabinet. It won't always be practical. I would not box over it unless it needed the protection from kicking or similar, and the lid would need to be easy to remove (wingnuts or just strew off).
In my case, it was in a bulkheaded compartment , which someone had fitted a hose through without sealing. I jammed a rag around the hose, pumped the main hull, and sailed home (2 days).
Yes, a plug would have slowed it, but remember that you can't hammer a plug into plastic. It's also not a lot of fun working elbow-deep in 35F water.
I think putting through hulls in bulkheaded compartments is VERY smart. When I later installed AC, I put a bulkhead in to protect the through hull. In my case that was mostly a matter of glassing inside and existing cabinet. It won't always be practical. I would not box over it unless it needed the protection from kicking or similar, and the lid would need to be easy to remove (wingnuts or just strew off).