A sinking boat is a nightmare no boat owner ever wants to experience. Fortunately, in most cases, it is a crisis that can easily be prevented with proactive measures.
In this article, we explain what causes a docked boat to sink and what you can do to prevent it.
What Causes a Boat to Sink
Before we can get into how to prevent a sunken boat, it’s important to understand the underlying issues that cause a boat to sink in the first place. In most cases, a boat will sink due to the following issues:
- Holes or cracks in the boat
- Flooding from excess rain
- Improper maintenance
- Collision with another boat
- A missing drain plug
Ways You Can Avoid a Sinking Boat
Below are some steps you can take to prevent your boat from sinking while tied up to a dock.
Use a Boat Lift
One of the most effective ways to prevent your boat from sinking while docked is to use a boat lift. A boat lift is a device that is placed in the water to keep your boat elevated above the waterline. In addition to preventing your boat from sinking, a boat lift can help limit algae buildup and corrosion.
Patch Holes
When a boat sinks, quite often, it is because there are holes in the vessel that were not properly dealt with, resulting in water seeping into the boat. For this reason, it is important to regularly inspect your boat for holes and have them properly patched.
We also recommend being cautious while driving your boat to prevent damage to the exterior that can cause small cracks and holes that allow water to seep in.
Keep Up With Repairs and Maintenance
Adding to the last point, it’s important to take your boat at least once a year to a boat repair shop for inspection and maintenance services to ensure there aren’t any issues that could cause your boat to break down and/or sink.
Don’t Leave Your Boat Unattended for Long Periods of Time
Another way to prevent a sinking boat is to check in on it frequently while it is docked so that you can spot potential problems before the worst-case scenario occurs.
If you plan on taking a vacation and will be leaving your boat docked for weeks at a time, either take your boat out of the water or arrange for someone to check on it regularly.
Let OS Marine Help Prevent Your Boat From Sinking While Docked
Don’t wait until your boat is sinking to call for help. Let the expert mobile boat mechanics at OS Marine Maintenance & Repair Services help ensure your vessel is safe while docked. Our mechanics are highly skilled and certified, and we offer boat maintenance and repair services to marine vessels of different types and sizes on various docks in Greater Vancouver. Our services include boat inspection, patchwork, electrical repair, canvas repair and more. Contact us today via our online form to get a quote.
If you’ve already found yourself dealing with a sunken boat in the Greater Vancouver area, don’t panic. Pick up the phone and give us a call at +1 (778) 237-3565, and we will walk you through how to proceed.
