Thread: Does anyone have extensive knowledge on boats?

I'm trying to figure out what some extremely detrimental things could be done to a boat to make sure it could never be used again. For example, what would have to be broken during a storm to completely kill all the circuits and such. Anything will help.

Sail boats? Steam ships? Modern ships? Cruise ships, aircraft carriers? Details please.

More of a yacht type boat. On the smaller side, kind of family sized...if you could consider any kind of yacht family sized lol

Ok. Well, sufficient damage to the hull will put a boat out of comission. Some holes are simply too big to be patches up, because the structural integrity of the boat is compromised. I don't have the expertise to comment on the electronic side of things, if that's the type of problem you're looking for.

I'm thinking that if a boat gets enough water damage to the interior it might destroy the electronics at some point. Holes are definitely a big part of my thought process. Thanks

UnWritten,
I sent you a PM on this

Flooding due to a failed "through hull" fitting or hull breach can flood the battery compartment, fuse box(circuit panel), and any number of other problems. Flooding can also alter the stability of a vessel and even sink it if the flooding is not stopped and the water pumped out.
Fire can damage electrical circuits, sink a boat, and cause explosions and other damage which can kill a crew. Fire on a boat or ship is an extreme emergency requiring immediate remedy; unchecked, a fire will generally lead to the vessel sinking.
Engine failure/loss of sail/rig during rough weather will cause a vessel to loose steerage, leading to capsizing, grounding, and sinking.
Lightening can blow a hole in the bottom of a vessel.
Contamination of fuel can lead to engine failure.
Contamination of water/food can lead to an extreme survival situation on a long journey.
Failure of navigational equipment, loss of charts, inexperience can lead to becomming lost at sea, possibly with dire consequences.
Loss of navigational lights at night can lead to collisions between smaller vessels and larger vessels (such as freighters). A sailing vessel doesn't even need to have anything wrong with it to be run down by modern shippers. Loss of power in a major shipping lane can create a very dangerous situation, especially at night.
Loss of power in an emergency will also lead to a loss of communications (fm radio, etc). Hand held radios may not have enough power or "height off the water" to reach rescue personnel.
More rarely is the interaction between sharks/whales with small vessels leading to disasterous results.
Remember this; most sailing vessels are designed to take more abuse than power vessels, including having decks awash during a storm. Failing to keep the companionway hatch closed during foul weather will sink a vessel as sure as blowing a hole in the bottom. Most vessels can survive a lot of punishment, but there is a limit.
Of more modern note; the use of propane for cooking fuel aboard boats can lead to explosive gas situations. Improper maintenance and installation can lead to death.
Failure of the exhaust system and leaking of carbon monoxide into the cabin area can lead to asphixiation.
There are a number of non-fiction accounts of situations people have found themselves in. You may be able to come up with even more if you ask local Coast Guard personnel of problems they have seen with boats.
I hope I haven't given you "information overload". Basically, if you can imagine it happening to a boat, it probably has.

Most small boats use an alternator running of the engine to supply DC current to a 12 Volt battery. The charged battery supplies power to all the boats systems.
Big ships usually have a diesel Gen set supplying power to both DC 12/24 volt systems and 110/240 volt AC systems.The best way to stop a large ship generating power is to have its fuel supply cut or contaminated with water. For a small boat the batteries shorting out and exploding would do the trick. Hope this helps.

Richard

Saltwater does not mix with electricty or fuel. A good wave over the bow that floods the engine room can knock out both. Also keep in mind, any good/competent captain (as a yacht would likely require a USCG's Captain's licence) would be prepared for such an emergency with 2 (redundant safety) hand held, battery operated back up communication equipment including but not limited to a satalite phone, battery operated gps system, and emergecy beacon. Further, most Captains worth their salt will file a float plan with the USCG or harbor master, notifying them of their destination, crew, and passengers, and when they expect to return to port.

That being said, a fire or flood could knock out all these safety systems if they were all stored in one place. And the coast guard wouldn't know where to look if the vessel was drastically off course. Thankfully, all our modern technology makes it fairly difficult to get lost at sea these days. It would take a disaster of epic proportions- or sabatoge.

Salt water has been mentioned, but the extreme corrosive nature of it on sensitive electronics is devastating.