Water tight storage boxes and floatation.

[Al]

Hi All,

For those interested in keeping things dry and adding floatation, I found water tight boxes at Michael's. Assuming that the structural foam accounts for approximately 2.5 cubic feet and that it would take 50 % of total displacement to float a swamped CP-16, my calculations indicate that 6.3 cubic feet of air would be required. This could theoretically be done with five boxes that double as storage. Of course, proper placement of boxes would be required to float the boat level and it may be difficult to bail a swamped boat in heavy seas. Luckily, with it's SCA sea worthiness rating of 160, it would take very heavy seas to swamp a CP-16.

Al

[Bob23]

   Sounds interesting. I'm no math nut but that doesn't sound like enough foam and air to float a cp16 but it's just a gut instinct. It would be nice to have positive floatation but I don't think I have ample  room for enough storage boxes to float my cp23.
Bob23

[deisher6]

Interesting, my gut instinct tells me that you are probably close considering the density of fiberglass and concrete.  It would be interesting to sink a C16 in a pool to find out how much buoyancy it would take to float it. 8.8 cu ft of air would give about 540 lbs of flotation, which I agree with you would be enough.

I was pressure washing out our newly purchased '89 C16 this afternoon.  Other than the large block underneath the cockpit, I assume that there is some sort of flotation under the berths and between the forecastle and the berths around the compression post. 

I noted that the compression post did not go all the way to the keel.

I was also very intersted in a large brown (pressure washed) dead spider that came out on the sponge as I was cleaning out the stern section through an inspection port.  Scared the crap out of me.  I started looking much closer where I was sticking my hand.
regards charlie

[skip1930]

The CP-16 weighs 1,100 lbs so to float when swamped you'll have to displace about 1,100 lbs of water at 8.33 lbs per gallon.  I don't remember anymore but around 64 lbs is one cubic foot? So displace 17.18 cubic foot of water to float... Somebody will come up with the numbers, I gotta go to work. Just remember that the CP-anything sailboat is not required by law to float when swamped. With a keel she's going down.

Tie a small float to 100 foot of line so when she sinks the diver can follow the float and line down to the boat on the bottom.

Dad bought our Star Boat off the bottom of Lake Michigan, sight un seen. The Harbor Master called when the boat was back on it's trailer at Belmont Harbor, Chicago. So we went down and looked at our new boat.

"What if the water is 110' feet deep? Sorry, couldn't help myself." That was funny...I laughed out load. Yes that occurred to me as well. Where I sail I'd need 207 foot in the Bay of Green Bay or much more if I go the other way to Lake Michigan...Good call.


skip.

[MKBLK]

Tie a small float to 100 foot of line so when she sinks the diver can follow the float and line down to the boat on the bottom.

What if the water is 110' feet deep? Sorry, couldn't help myself.

Seriously, you guys that sail in the ocean... is there a real concern regarding swamping the boat? My understanding is the the CP's are self-righting (pendulum effect) due to the heavy keel (as long as the hatches are shut). I assume some water will get inside, but not enough to sink her. I would think (dangerous) that in heavy seas, everything would be buttoned up.

Marty K.

[NateD]

I was concerned about positive flotation when I purchased by 16 as well. I like sailing in high wind/wave conditions and have gotten her heeled far enough to take water over the combing and into the cockpit, but then she rounds up into the wind and stands upright again (with the stock flat rudder, with a foiled rudder you might be able to keep her on her side for longer). With the companion way boards in place, hatch shut, and your cockpit scuppers clear your about as safe as you can get in a 16' sailboat. Of course if you put a hole in the hull below the waterline, having all the hatches shut doesn't do much for ya. I always looked at it this way. The boat cost me $2,000, and I typically had $500 worth of electronics/gear on board and was within sight of land 98% of the time I was sailing, and always wore an inflatable life jacket. The worst that can happen is I put a hole in the boat, she sinks to the bottom, and I swim to shore, out about $2,500 but with a pretty good story. If I have time enough to grab the GPS, VHF, and iPod, then I'm only out $2,000, and if I sell the trailer (since the boat is at the bottom), I can recoup another $250. The financial hit wouldn't be fun, but hey, how much has your 401k gone down in the last two weeks?

Hmmm...now that I think about it, I want positive flotation for my retirement accounts, but I got a feeling no one is going to bail me out. (bad pun intended)