A R T I C L E S

Frozen Pipe Work
by Jerry Freeman

Do you want to hear my frozen pipe work horror story?

In 1988 I chartered a 55 footer for CSTAR 1988 from a guy in Plymouth, a RWYC committee man.

I paid a lot of money and signed a big contract. The boat had not been sailed for a year or so due to it being a total dog .

I did my 1000 miles cruising out of Plymouth in weekend jaunts in mid winter and set off for my 500 QC solo in April, westward with a poor forecast.

Second night out I am trying to clear a small amount of water from the main bilge with the hand pump in the cabin aft the steps, used below. Pumping seemed to take an age and I could not clear the water, no matter- not a lot, gave up.

Weather worsened with a warm front, pounding into 30 knots close hauled, cold, fed up, slow.

Take a peak into aft cabin, behind cockpit, accessed from on deck...berth cushions floating , floor boards adrift!

Dash below resume pumping in prone position on double berth, observe water coming past bulkhead above my head!

Rip out upholstery and trim and water tank looking for hull breach, nothing found,  on deck look in lazarette , completely full to deck level!  Panic, call container ship steaming past in poor viz at 28 knots, need pump, rendezvous with Scillies lifeboat please?... container ship is turned round to standby me, relieved by fleet auxiliary tanker Almeda, too rough for her she is replaced by HMS Diamede, destroyer.

"Casualty, this is Rescue 1" ( Nimrod from Lossimouth) orbits for hours.

Two helicopters from  RAF Culdrose appear like the US cavalry diver descends with petrol pump, pumps me out, buggers off. I turn for home, escorted by warship who keeps all shipping away. Cockpit full of rescue gear from helicopters, which gets washed away.

As cold front squalls come through that night, warned by warship RADAR man.

Trying to rig jury electric bilge pump the only hose on board a 55 foot boat that I can find are the dinghy inflation connectors for the Avons, all the rest is solid copper domestic water pipe! Two hoses together make about 7 feet, just enough to reach the top step, problem solved, leak minimal downwind anyway.

Lizard lifeboat takes over from destroyer at first light, escorted into Falmouth.

Wife alerted on TV, skips work and drives down in order to berate me on landing.

And the cause was bilge pump plumbing in copper pipe that also took rain water from deck drain system (not recommended) had frozen in a rare West Country frost, (maybe the year before?), and had burst.

I had filled my own lazarette with my own sweat, the fatigue of sailing solo had rendered logical thought impossible.

CONCLUSIONS

Cold weather may cause damage to your boat that will not become apparent until later. An alloy boat will chill really fast in the breeze, ice will form inside any compartments or tanks may be split, hoses, batteries, engine, gas cooker wont work when you are on board due to vapour point.

Leaving aside condensation, damp and mildew. Covers and heaters and draining and antifreeze required.

Snow tomorrow.

Jerry Freeman