The worst call you will ever get....

[Sailingaway22]

So last Saturday My son and I took Buttercup(C22) out for a wonderful day of sailing on a local lake here in MN. Wednesday morning I got a call from the DNR informing me that my boat sank. While on the shore there was a young woman showing her friends a post from Instagram of a young man standing on the sunken boat. I asked to see the pic and I took a pic of her phone (see below). After a days trying to raise her ourselves with min success, we ended up calling in the pros(lucky I have friends that dive and work in the recovery business) to lift her and bring her in. Now comes My question. There are no viable holes or cracks. So I have narrowed to two things. One someone vandalize her, because the three hatch panels are gone and the top one was latch after we finished sailing her. Two something happened with the center board cable tube. This is an old boat 1974 and is new to us. Anyone have any thoughts or ideas where I should look for clues?

 

[jviss]

Call the police.

 

[Brian D]

Wow... good luck finding the cause. Wonder since it already sank, drain it and put it back in the water and see if you can tell what the cause is. I know, sounds weird, but unless there is an obvious reason, that might be the only way to find out.

 

[gdudik]

If no obvious holes, then probably keel cable volcano or cockpit/sink drain.

 

[LakeShark]

If no obvious holes, then probably keel cable volcano or cockpit/sink drain.

Thoes are the usual culprits. Though it is odd your hatch boards are missing. Did you contact the Police and or your insurance. Odds are the electrical will give you issues in the future as things dry out.

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

Does the boat have a bilge pump? Or, without shore power to keep the battery charged, would a boat that size
even be likely to have a bilge pump? Even if it did, would it be big enough to do much good if the boat were taking on water?
Just wondering....

--Peggie

 

[thinwater]

The worst call I ever got was from an EMT, in a middle of the night, while traveling on business.

 

[LakeShark]

Does the boat have a bilge pump? Or, without shore power to keep the battery charged, would a boat that size
even be likely to have a bilge pump? Even if it did, would it be big enough to do much good if the boat were taking on water?
Just wondering....

--Peggie

There is no low spot or formal "bilge" if you will. Some have installed pumps in the past however it is normal to not have one. Most common sinking come from the volcano tube where the keel cable comes through the hull or a knockdown with an open cockpit lazerett hatch.

 

[Sailingaway22]

That was the second call I made, after my wife.

 

[Sailingaway22]

Cleaning her today and am going to check the cable housing and will float her again on Monday.

 

[AlastairLC]

As thinwater implies, there are far worse calls you can get, and some of us have received them. Count your blessings.

 

[FDL S2]

As thinwater implies, there are far worse calls you can get, and some of us have received them. Count your blessings.

Yes, there are and my first reaction was similar to thinwater's comment. But as far as our boats are concerned this is the worst one to get.

 

[rpludwig]

yikes! betting the volcano let go, any other thru hulls on the boat? or maybe the forward scupper valve behind the volcano. we usually have one boat (no c22's) sink/year at our club while in it's slip, almost always a failed thru hull....any wild weather involved?

 

[Jackdaw]

I had a boat vandalized (burned) on Lake Harriet. It’s more common than the MPRB likes to think or admit. But I’m not sure how you would intentionally sink a C22 on a mooring. Normally no thruhulls. Check the volcano.

 

[kloudie1]

MPRB?

 

[justsomeguy]

MPRB?

Minnesota parks and recreation board, I believe?

 

[FDL S2]

MPRB?

I'm guessing Minnesota Parks and Recreation Bureau

 

[Jackdaw]

I'm guessing Minnesota Parks and Recreation Bureau

Yea close, Minneapolis Parks and Rec Board. It’s wildly rated as the #1 urban park system in the county. They manage all the city lakes and the moorings. It’s so big it has its own police force. People are supposed to be out of the parks at 10pm (and that means the lakes as well) but on the water it’s often ignored by night sailing or fisherman. Or sometimes by vandals or thieves. Leave your motor unlocked and it will be gone within a week.

 

[Benny17441]

No reason why the all three hatches would be gone, looks like someone stole them and tried to hide the evidence. look around in your area for similar model boats. Check previous pictures for distinctive marks on your hatches and call police if you are able to identify them on another boat.

 

[Jackdaw]

No reason why the all three hatches would be gone, looks like someone stole them and tried to hide the evidence. look around in your area for similar model boats. Check previous pictures for distinctive marks on your hatches and call police if you are able to identify them on another boat.

I'm guessing he meant hatch boards. Probably would have floated away. Real question is how she sunk on a mooring. Its a busy lake and a busy mooring field.