[C320-list] WARNING - My boat almost sunk!!

[Harry Juris]

-----Original Message-----
From: C320-list <c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com> On Behalf Of
sail-ability at sympatico.ca
Sent: Monday, October 14, 2019 9:00 PM
To: C320-List at catalina320.com
Subject: Re: [C320-list] WARNING - My boat almost sunk!!

Design must have changed after that. My boat has a totally isolated chain
locker with drain on the bottom starboard just above the water line. There
is no hose. Water could get into the locker if something was forcing the bow
down. 
Good luck. 
JohnM
1999#574

Sent from my iPhone

> On Oct 14, 2019, at 8:52 PM, jackbrennan <jackbrennan at bellsouth.net>
wrote:
> 
> Anyone know how to access this hose?
> 
> Jack Brennan
> Sonas, 1998 Catalina 320
> Tierra Verde, Fl.
> 
> Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android
> 
>  On Mon, Oct 14, 2019 at 8:41 PM, Louis Spitz<aronella at gmail.com> wrote:
Wow, Harry, that totally sucks!! A hell of a way to learn such flaws. Hope
everything works out for the best.
> Lou
> #195
> Merry Chase
> 
>> On Oct 14, 2019, at 8:23 PM, Harry Juris <harry at citron-too.com> wrote:
>> 
>> Polar Star is a 1998 C320, hull number 541 which I have owned since 
>> the late spring of 2014. She is kept on a mooring at the Nyack Boat 
>> Club in the Hudson River just north of the Tappan Zee Bridge. Last 
>> Saturday morning, 10/12/19, I received a phone call from one of my 
>> fellow club members saying that Polar Star was way down by the bow 
>> and they were on their way to  bring it to one of our docks. I got to 
>> the club about 45 minutes later just as they were securing her at the 
>> dock (having barged her in with one of our work boats) She was indeed 
>> down by the bow with the water about halfway to the deck. Going 
>> aboard I found that the water in the main cabin was halfway up the back
rests of the settees.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> We have several high capacity pumps at the club and immediately 
>> started to pump her out. It took a number of hours to get the water 
>> below the cabin sole so we could start investigating what happened. 
>> After eliminating all other possibilities, we went to the V-berth and 
>> removed the paneling to get access to the anchor locker.  We found 
>> that the drain hose had split. The thru hull drain on the starboard 
>> side is just above the boot stripe and as the boat bobbed on a windy 
>> night, water started to back flow into the hose and then start 
>> accumulating in the bow at a rate greater than the limber holes could 
>> transfer it aft. This of course lowered the bow which accelerated the
water intrusion.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> I will follow up later with a description and some pictures of the 
>> damage which appears to be extensive. The only good news so far is 
>> that because she was so far down by the bow, a preliminary inspection 
>> appears to show no water intrusion in the engine. It does appear that 
>> water did get in the transmission and I have already taken steps to try
to protect that.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> It is a royal pain to get at access to that hose but I strongly 
>> advise anyone with an older boat to periodically inspect it. I am 
>> considering installing inspection access and possibly plugging that 
>> overboard discharge and running the drain further aft.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Harry
>> 
> 

John,

John, you may be correct as I believe the MK II came out in 1999 and a
change was made to the anchor locker to make it smaller and the v-berth
larger. However it would be worth it to be sure. Until we removed all the
paneling forward of the v-berth, the hose could not be seen. I would point
out though that your description sounds exactly like mine and since the
drain is in the bottom of the locket and the overboard discharge is on the
side. Something must connect them.

As I said above, removing the paneling was a pain. First the moldings at the
top on either side of the V-berth must be removed. Then remove the 4 screws
holding the shelf in place. Then the panel forward of the berth can be
removed (also held by screws). I guess, before I did that (If my boat was
not in danger) I would call Warren Tandy at the factory in Florida to check.