How hard is it to sink a 20ft bowrider boat?

[F.J. & Catherine]

Hello Everyone!
As you all know I'm a newbie to boating. My wife and I are buying a 20ft bayliner (205) and we are so very excited! We rented a 18ft bayliner to go out and enjoy the sunny weather (18ft was the only thing they had available). We were out enjoying the weather and later in the day/early evening. The waters became less friendly. we were only going 15mph were getting toss around pretty badly. There was even a time that my wife was tossed up in the air 3 times and fell to the floor and hurt her leg. I had to slowly stop the boat to regain some sort of control. (I don't know if this was the best manuever). The waves were splashing pretty badly on the side of the boat that I was afraid that the water would get in the bow (bowrider). My question is this.... how hard is it to sink a runabout boat? (any advice or similar stories regarding ruff water/ time of day/ wind/ hi-traffic etc on the puget sound?)We are going to go and take safety classes for boating. Any opinions on this matter? Thanks guys.

You definitely should take a boating safety class from the US Power Squadrons or the Coast Guard Auxiliary. I recommend you do it in person, rather than on-line or on-video. This way you get more personalized instruction. In addition, consider going out a few times with more experienced folks and learning a bit from them.

Raul

[heymagic]

Generally a 20 footer is pretty safe in Puget Sound. When the wind passes 20mph and depending on tide it can get ugly. We've rolled windwaves over the deck of a 34 Tolly !! You have to slow down when the weather/water turns sour, fact of life. 15 mph can be too fast in a 30 footer at times. The water gets pretty bad between Edmonds and Tacoma due to the large exposed area and tidal influx. Even South Sound gets torn up from time to time. You have to slow to 6-10 mph and slug through the snot.

Watch the weather forecast, if they predict 15 plus winds then you won't have a good day in a 20 footer. While rare in Puget sound, Hoods Canal has frequent capsizings of small boats.

Depending on your actual needs a bigger boat may be better. If you move up a little in size , say a 23, you can get a real head, small galley, better seating, better headroom under the canvas, better sleeping and so on. Oh you'll still get beat up on nasty days, but you'll feel safer doing it. There will be many more boating opportunities in a slightly larger boat. If you're looking more to lake stuff then a 20 ftr may be too big...go figure.

Now is the time to really look at what you expect to do , look at the area you intend to boat in and see what others are doing. Ask questions, most boaters love to BS about boats.

The number one thing to do would be take a USCG or Power Squadron class. AS Raul mentioned above. You will learn what to look for, when to look for it and what to do when it happens. Classes are cheap and frequent. The quickest thing that will get you out of boating is an unhappy admiral....Good luck, Gene

[Randygh]

I agree entirely with Raul and Gene. I'd been boating all my life, but I took a US Coast Guard Auxillary boating course when I purchased my first boat. The class was extremely informative. IF YOU ARE GOING TO PURCHASE A BOAT, TAKE A CLASS (IN PERSON) ASAP.

Remember, safety is number one concern on the water. Comfort is important, especially to the admiral. Purchase a boat that is within your budget that will allow safe travel. Gene's comments about comfort are right on. If your activities will be primarily day-use on lakes, you probably don't need a head. If your thinking about overnight trips, your admiral probably won't like peeing in a bucket so you'll need at least a porta potty. Before you purchase a boat ask an experienced boater to go along with you to check out the boat. Gene looked over my current boat before I purchased it and I felt much more comfortable after hearing his comments.

Most boating accidents and tragedies occur because of operator error, bad decision making, and alcohol consumption. Simple mechanical breakdowns (dead batteries, run out of fuel, etc.) can be prevented by regular maintenance. Two people have been killed in Grant County this summer in alcohol related boating accidents.

Good luck in your boat shopping. Don't be in a big hurry, there are probably some good deals if you shop around.

[RobS4588]

I believe it's actually (almost) impossible to sink the bowrider (due to required foam floatation built into the boat) . It is relatively easy, however, to swamp it. All it takes is a good wave or two over the bow and it'll flood the engine (assuming inboard) and lower the freeboard allowing more wave water to enter. Eventually it'll stabilize with the boat filled with water, but still floating.

If travelling in heavier seas with a bowrider, it's really important to put the canvas cover over the bow, with a pole) to lower the risk of this problem.

[heymagic]

Rob's correct about actual sinking of a 20 ftr. I think up to around 24 ft or so is mandated to have flotation by the USCG. However they only are required to float level at the water . So the vessel would be somewhat visable and may give you something to hang onto. Problem is with compliance though. The USCG doesn't get to test everything and many times accepts a manufactures word. With Bayliner I would be pretty confident they are up to all required standards, some smaller more local or regional builders I don't know.