Searider flooding hull & mooring

[ScubaBoy]

Hi Lads

Do any of the SR boys block their hull if they leave the rib on a mooring for the season?

Cheers

[HUMBER P4VWL]

there'll be a good few threads on this, but in summary.

We had a 5.4 with opti 90 on a swing mooring for over 10yrs.

The transom/water line is low and if wind swings the boat stern to waves, they will slosh over.

With no rear well to catch water it makes pumping out hard with a bilge pump. Though it is possible.

If the water comes over it gets exponentially worse until you end up flooded to the tubes, which unless your battery is housed in a console above the waterline, it will short and create a mess, plus cost you the price of a battery and fittings.

We didn't have a well, but did have an auto bilge pump on deck which generally worked. But due to the fact it is often working, if any rubbish/leaves/dirt etc get in and it blocks, or if the float switch sticks, which it will once older or if dirt gets in, then the boat will flood to the waterline. It happened to us, on average once a season from April to October.

Though if you are in an estuary, then without larger waves, the water may not come over so much.

In terms of blocking up the flooding hull, it will give you an inch or so higher waterline, therefore, less likely to flood the boat. We did ours and it did reduce the frequency.

Hope this helps.

[antonyp41]

I am just refurbishing my sr4 and asked the same q. Because I want to keep mine in all year round Bout 3 people commented saying they leave there's and nothing seems to grow inside the flooding hull.

[Searider]

My SR4m is on a sheltered marina mooring and no problems with water sloshing in over the stern.
When I left my 5.4m on an exposed mid river pontoon over a Christmas period water did slosh over the stern and swamp the boat - but at the same time the bilge pump failed which allowed this :-(

[ScubaBoy]

Thanks guys, fitted bilge pump and float switch last week, but as you say, it is not foolproof. Did you see any mad growth inside the flooding hull when left unblocked?

[HUMBER P4VWL]

Originally Posted by ScubaBoy

Thanks guys, fitted bilge pump and float switch last week, but as you say, it is not foolproof. Did you see any mad growth inside the flooding hull when left unblocked?

You do get some barnacles on the inside of the entrance hole, but im not sure they want to be inside where it is dark. Do they need light perhaps?

[willk]

Originally Posted by HUMBER P4VWL

Do they need light perhaps?

No. But they DO need a half decent flow of water as they are filter feeders. I'd guess they'd go hungry and thus be slow growers inside the hull.

[HUMBER P4VWL]

5 points!

[Peter_C]

Why not put a gate valve on it, so you can close it off while at rest, and open it up for when you want it to flood?

[HUMBER P4VWL]

Unless you are using it as a rescue boat/dive boat, so you can haul people over the tubes more easily, there is little value in having the flooding hull.