Background

European Marine Services undertake insurance claims, disputes and investigations for most of the UK’s leading insurance companies and this Herbert Woods GRP yacht was subject to an accident damage inspection in early 2016 involving a damaged keel – We duly inspected, estimated costs, reported, approved repairs and both ourselves and the insurance co thought that was an end to the matter.

Many months later following some quite expensive repairs the yacht heads south to the southern rivers for winter storage. The owner leaves the boat tied to the quay heading overnight – In the morning the yacht is found as seen above – SUNK

All initial suspicions fall on the earlier repairs (which had also involved sinking)  and of course the repairers yard which needed to be eliminated

The first problem was how to get this yacht out of the water which duly involved large strops (plus a diver) and secured land ties to haul the yacht upright followed by a pumping operation – Expensive

Investigation

The first question to be answered was had the earlier keel repair(s) contributed to the sinking – No

The second question was to establish if any of the many underwater skin fittings / seacock valves had failed, and though several of the installations were very much a DIY installation it would appear they all were ‘sound’

Engine propeller shaft, stern tube gland, rudder tube and all associated fittings when inspected appeared secure

Water was also seen to be ‘dripping’ from the aft end of the keel moulding (laminations) but not in enough volume / quantity to result in such a quick sinking

This presented a problem as this yacht did not sink without ‘due cause’ and there were no other through-the-hull-fittings and no damage

OR were there ??      Well   Yes …………………..

Sited below the aft portside gunwale was the exhaust outlet to a hot air heater – and all appeared secure, and other than a visual inspection there was no way of checking

There had to be a reason for the sinking and the resourceful boat yard owner suggested we pour water from a watering can through the exhaust hull outlet

Pouring water into exhaust outlet / resourceful boat yard owner

Lo and behold the water poured through the exhaust piping entered the hot air heater and exited through the air manifold into the boat AND in addition the exhaust hose was split at the unit junction and again water was viewed entering the boat

Summary

The sinking was consequent of the following:

The yacht’s keel at low tide sat on the river bottom and the yacht leaned outward due to slack mooring ropes

As the tide turned the water came firstly up the hull’s port side before there was enough buoyancy for flotation

Water entered the hot air heater exhaust outlet and into the heater unit and out through the air inlet. In addition through the faulty / split exhaust hosing

With the yacht leaning well over to port – As the tide rose the cockpit slowly filled with water through the exhaust hosing with the inevitable conclusion that there was never enough buoyancy to float this yacht.  Eventually the tide was above the port cockpit coaming and that was the end.

For more information contact European Marine Services Ltd.  Marine Surveyors & Consultants

EMS also undertake Boat Safety Inspections

Tel : 01603 327 123        www.europeanmarinesurveys.com

Water gets in to fuel tanks in many different ways, through access ports and filler caps with faulty/damaged seals, tank vent breathers and from external sources such as re-fuelling bulk tanks and containers and  Such as above – bad parking

Boat owners do not use their boats in the same way as they use their cars. Many boats are laid up for long periods particularly through the winter months. One of the main causes of fuel related issues is water contamination.

Water contamination is the starting point for bacterial growth, commonly known as ‘diesel bug’ and once in the system it can take some extensive and sometimes expensive work to get rid of it.

   Plastic Petrol Tank

Of all the users of diesel fuel the operators of boats are the most likely to encounter problems with water contamination, fungus and bacteria for the following reasons:-

• Boats operate in a wet environment and it is not always possible to stop water seeping into fuel tanks.
• The fuel tanks on boats are designed to fit into restricted or unusually shaped areas to make the best possible use of available space. This can mean that they can be difficult to drain and often have areas where free water can collect and sit undisturbed.
• The fuel tanks contain baffles to stop the fuel sloshing about. The baffles can trap free water in small pockets.
• In warmer climates boats operate in areas with high humidity. Water in the air enters the boat tanks through the breather and condenses inside the tanks.

Where free water is present it will provide a site for fungus and bacteria to grow. Often the fungus or bacteria will develop for a long time without causing any problems until one day they become disturbed and stirred up into the fuel. This will be noticed when filters start blocking with a black slime which is the dead matter from the fungus and bacteria. The fungus can be stirred up by:-

• Vigorous movement due to re-fuelling, waves, rough sea or a storm, etc.
• The fungus population reaches a size at which it grows and spreads into the rest of the fuel.
• The natural life cycle of the fungus reaches a point at which dieback occurs and dead matter floats in the fuel.
• The fungal activity reaches a point at which natural surfactants produced by the fungus cause water and dirt to be suspended in the fuel and the fuel becomes hazy.

PREVENTION:

On land the normal prevention of fungal problems is to regularly drain any water in which the fungus can grow. This may not be possible in most boats because the fuel tank shape does not provide a common draining point for all water pockets. An effective method of removing free water and preventing any build-up of water is to insert an Aqua-Zorb cell in to the tank. These cells will absorb the water and are easily inserted through the filler cap and removed the same way. Aqua-Zorb cells are available in a large range of sizes and are suitable for small tanks and for all sizes of bulk storage tanks.

To prevent water getting in through the tank breather then consider fitting a Des-Case Desiccant Breather, these absorb moisture from the air as it is drawn in to the tank and also absorb moisture when air is expelled from the tank.

Consider regular treatment with a biocide or fuel treatment. The biocide should be one that can be added to the fuel that kills the fungus and stops it growing in the water. An example of effective biocides is Marine 16.

 All products are available from FA-ST Filtration Analysis Services Technology Ltd Tel: 01246268900 or e-mail [email protected] or visit www.fa-st.co.uk for more details or buy on line at www.oilsampling.co.uk

FA-ST Ltd is actively looking for more distributors throughout the UK, Europe & Worldwide for their products and services.

For more information contact European Marine Services Ltd.  Marine Surveyors & Consultants

EMS also undertake Boat Safety Inspections

Tel : 01603 327 123        www.europeanmarinesurveys.com

We have not inspected a Moonraker since about 2010, then as the saying goes along come three Moonraker Pre Purchase Inspections in the same year.

This Moonraker was being sold by Anglia Yacht Brokers of St Olaves and was available for inspection out of the water. For those of you who need an inspection (or service) their 50 tonnes gantry / travel lift is most efficient and reasonably priced

The Moonraker inspected was built in 1975 and fitted with 2x Perkins HT 6.354 @ 175hp ea. diesel engines. These engines being the inclined model which from a surveyors perspective makes engine room inspection very difficult as there is very limited space to actually gain access.

Moonraker Models

As well as the 3 main types of Moonraker available (Sedan, Cruiser and Sports Yacht, with many variations of these also available) from 1972, coloured hulls were also available, the first being yellow. The ‘D’ series was introduced in 1973, which extended the forward cabin windows so giving greater head/standing room

The Moonraker 350 was a forerunner with the hull design being considered a medium V being very sea-kindly and relatively dry and a picture of the underwater sections is shown below

The boat we inspected was considered acceptable in structure but like all well reasonably maintained 40 year old craft had a few problems

There was evidence in underwater areas from the sample / random areas inspected of osmotic blistering ranging up to 25mm dia. Viewed over most of the entire hull being expected – However no boat has sunk consequent of general osmotic blistering and osmotic blistering today is no longer the show stopper is used to be

We also undertook engine oil analysis (samples) of both engines the result showing that one engine had a higher degree of wear, which when re-sampled having changed the oil and run for a while returned to acceptable readings. A fairly high number of oil analysis samples that we take give ‘false’ readings consequent of a lack of oil changes over several years allowing the build up of unwelcome deposits

For Information on Oil Sample Analysis please visit our website link:     

Marine Engine Oil Sample Analysis

For those of you whom are interested, and to give some idea as to the background of Moonraker Marine / JCL / Colin Chapman & Lotus Cars we have reproduced the history from www.moonrakerboats.com and acknowledge them accordingly ………..

Please visit our earlier Blog  # 01011-16

For more information contact European Marine Services Ltd.  Marine Surveyors & Consultants

EMS also undertake Boat Safety Inspections

Tel : 01603 327 123        www.europeanmarinesurveys.com

Each year boaters die or are made seriously ill from carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. Boats are built to keep water out, but this also makes them good containers for gases and fumes.

We at European Marine Services are constantly promoting & recommending in our Pre Purchase Surveys the installation / fitting of Carbon Monoxide Detectors on all boats with internal propulsion engines

Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas that has no smell or taste. Breathing it in can make you unwell, and it can kill if you’re exposed to high levels.

Every year in the UK, more than 200 people go to hospital with suspected carbon monoxide poisoning, which leads to around 50 deaths.

After carbon monoxide is breathed in, it enters your bloodstream and mixes with haemoglobin (the part of red blood cells that carry oxygen around your body), to form carboxyhaemoglobin.

When this happens, the blood is no longer able to carry oxygen, and this lack of oxygen causes the body’s cells and tissue to fail and die.

The longer you inhale the gas, the worse your symptoms will be. You may lose balance, vision and memory and, eventually, you may lose consciousness. This can happen within two hours if there’s a lot of carbon monoxide in the air.

The Norfolk Broads

2016 has been a bad year for CO accidents with the two deaths on Wroxham Broad earlier in the summer. Which if a carbon monoxide detector had been installed – this fatal accident may well have been prevented.

NB: This accident was NOT the result of an installed LPG system, but consequent of engine exhaust fumes

Only this month we had another example of exhaust fumes (carbon monoxide) being released by the engine / exhaust hose installation within the living / accommodation space, which release was detected thankfully by a newly installed detector – Nobody was harmed

It is important to note that CO detectors are NOT currently part of the Boat Safety Scheme – Install CO alarm certified to BS EN 50291-2

CO build-up in the cabin can occur with one or a mix of these factors:

• with faulty, badly maintained, or misused appliances
• exhaust fumes from a boat’s engine or generator PLUS perished / faulty / blocked exhaust hosing
• escaped flue gases from solid fuel stoves
• blocked ventilation or short supply of air – fuels need the right amount of oxygen to burn safely

For more information contact European Marine Services Ltd.  Marine Surveyors & Consultants

EMS also undertake Boat Safety Inspections

Tel : 01603 327 123        www.europeanmarinesurveys.com

Broom 345 at speed

With boat sales pre purchase surveys & insurance surveys keeping us very busy this summer, it was a joy to finally get out on the water on this Broom 345 river trial to see how she performed & handled.

Due to distances and time required to reach open water we undertook river trials making use of the derestricted zone where we were able to maximise performances etc  Our standard trials programme is to undertake speed trials at varying engine RPM both with and against current, emergency stops from max speed passing through neutral to reverse, turning performance to include figure of eight at both low and high speed. Photographing and recording speeds with GPS with associated engine instrumentation readings and much more besides

For more information on Static / Sea / River Trials visit:

https://www.europeanmarinesurveys.com/marine-surveys/static-sea-river-trials-report/

     Broom 345 at sea

This 1997 GRP express motor cruiser is fitted with a pair of Yanmar 6 cylinder 315 hp inboard diesel engines.

Typical of the Broom aft cabin design, this 345 has a full beam master cabin in the stern, featuring separate en suite shower room & WC. A light and airy saloon with a V berth in the forward cabin, galley and forward WC at the front.

On river trials she behaved very well, cruising up to a comfortable 30mph (GPS). Very stable whilst getting on the plane with responsive steering & the Yanmar engines pulled very well all the way up to 3600+ rpm.

As expected there was nothing negative to report from the river trials

As usual in any second hand boat however well maintained there were a few mainly minor items to report to include such lack of labelling, access to fuel systems, servicing of seacock valves, auto bilge pump operation, we always recommend a carbon monoxide alarm and of course as expected no osmosis was found – with low hull / GRP moisture meter readings

This example was well presented, in good order throughout and a joy to survey. We wish the purchaser all the best for the future.

For more information contact European Marine Services Ltd.  Marine Surveyors & Consultants

Tel : 01603 327 123        www.europeanmarinesurveys.com

Hi John

Can you please confirm if I can pay your invoice by credit card, if so, is there a charge for this?

May I take this opportunity in thanking you personally in the way Will Kirby carried out our survey yesterday.  He is such a polite and approachable man, nothing was too much trouble to explain different questions that needed to be answered.  He is a credit to your company and I would have no hesitation in recommending him and European Marine Services to friends and colleagues at Brundall Bay Marina.

Thanks once again.

Regards

Alan

 Broom 970 Interior

A short synopsis to Broom Boats of Brundall, Norfolk UK

The last six years

With new direction in a growing industry, new investment in 2010 saw Broom relaunch the business in to what you see today. Redesigned by Graham Warren, the 455 and 370 models were launched with contemporary interiors and this style continues to inform the interior design of the new models.

Now in its 5th year, the Broom Boat Show sees Broom opening its doors to the public offering boat trips and factory tours, Broom is proud of its heritage and has embraced this opportunity to show their traditional manufacturing process alongside the exquisite finished product.

Broom have growing presence at a number of national and international boat shows with the Southampton, London and 2013 and 2014 Dusseldorf boat shows.

Broom 30 and 35 Coupe launched in 2012 offering Broom luxury for inland and estuary cruising (estuary cruising just applies to 35 Coupe). With a growing number of Broom registered dealers, Broom are sailing through this decade with the same passion for craftsmanship and determination for success that Charles Broom showed in 1898.

For more information contact European Marine Services Ltd.  Marine Surveyors & Consultants

Tel : 01603 327 123        www.europeanmarinesurveys.com

Broom 35 European – Pre Purchase Survey / Testimonial

” Hi Will,

Thank you for your report. I would just like to say how impressed I am with not only with the report but the service and efficiency of yourself and European Marine services as a whole.

I will pay the invoice via bank transfer tonight. Again thank you for your help

Steve Fox “

Sent from my iPhone

Broom 35 European

The 35 European is one of the earlier models to utilise the, now classic, Broom layout of forward guest cabin, midships saloon, aft owners’ cabin with en-suite toilet and shower, and the helm on the aft deck. The galley, partly open to the saloon, and a second toilet are between the forward cabin and saloon.

All boats have an internal helm on the port side of the saloon and can sleep from five to seven people, depending on layout variations and the size of the people, with two or three single berths in the forward cabin, two singles in the aft cabin and a single or double on the convertible settee in the saloon. In addition to the door onto the aft deck, the saloon has sliding doors on both sides giving access to the side decks.

Most earlier boats were fitted with twin Perkins H6.354 diesels of either 115hp or 145hp, the latter being turbo-charged, whilst some had 120hp Ford Mercrafts. Most later boats, from 1978(?), were fitted with twin 140hp Volvos which, because they were taller, required the saloon floor to be raised several inches with a consequent change to the saloon roof, which is noticeably more ‘cambered’ on these later ‘Mark 2’ boats.

For more information contact European Marine Services Ltd.  Marine Surveyors & Consultants

Tel : 01603 327 123        www.europeanmarinesurveys.com

We recently carried out a Pre Purchase Survey on a Bruce Roberts Design – ‘DIY Build’ 32 Steel Motor Cruiser

Bruce Roberts Yacht Design provides construction drawings / plans for over 200 designs and plans for both sailboats and motor cruisers in GRP, alloy & steel up to approximately 85′ in length.

Bruce Roberts Yacht Design do not build boats and customers have to find their own builder / fabricator to construct. The 32′ motor cruiser surveyed had in our opinion been constructed professionally as a steel shell and then fitted out internally by third parties

The quality of the steel hull and superstructure was professional, however the internal fit-out quality left a lot to be desired

The layout had in our opinion not been given a great deal of thought with consequential loss of usable space and practicality.

Using our Cygnus 4 Multiple Echo Ultrasonic Gauge – European Marine Services can now measure steel / alloy plate thicknesses whilst the vessel is afloat – Saving you both time and money and slipway / lifting costs.

Surface Scaling / Corrosion and paint coatings are ignored

For more information contact European Marine Services Ltd.  Marine Surveyors & Consultants

Tel : 01603 327 123        www.europeanmarinesurveys.com

Birchwood 360 Challenger – Pre Purchase inspection & Testimonial

“I have now used European Marine Services twice for boat purchase surveys. In both cases, they have been totally professional and efficient. They arrive at the specified time for the survey and are extremely thorough in their examination of the boat. If the prospective owner is present at the survey, they take the time to explain any areas considered sub-standard and advise on what might need to be done to rectify.  Their report is provided as quickly as possible after the survey and is written in clear terms that are understood by anybody. Their fees for undertaking the work are also very competitive.

I would have no hesitation in recommending their services to any boat owner or prospective boat owner.

Philip Porter”       # 01088-16

For more information contact European Marine Services Ltd.  Marine Surveyors & Consultants

Tel : 01603 327 123        www.europeanmarinesurveys.com

Hi All

Enforced Absence

I would like to express my most sincere appreciation for all the ‘get well’ comments and ‘good wishes’ received from even the most unexpected quarters.

Now back in harness albeit on a reduced working week

Will has had his hand on the tiller and expertly steered the ship

Many thanks to all

John