"Paul Oman" wrote in message
...
Hello

I'm an armchair cruiser, daysailer, epoxy salesman and
thinker...

Seems to me that watertight bulkheads forward of the mast,
aft of the forward cockpit, and watertight floorboards
(lots of stories of water rising up thru the floorboards)
would be life/boat saving design elements.

I think this would make most boats a lot safer, and it's really
not that hard to do. I'm not so sure about the floorboards -
they'd probably have to be about as stout as the bottom of the
hull, and most people like to use the space for storage. My
thoughts are that if you have the watertight subdivision you should
be in good enough shape to not need the floorboard seals.

The nice thing about subdividing the way you describe is
it keeps the boat from getting too far out of trim, even if
one compartment is full. Titanic rips along the hull side and
across two compartments might be a problem though.

Also, engine
and batteries in water tight compartments vented to the
deck (always - rising water kills the engine and or
electric pumps/radio).

Why not make the engine compartment watertight so
you didn't have to worry about rising water? A side
benefit is that it will be more soundproof as well. Also,
a lot of diesels will keep running without electricity.
Batteries ought to be gel type, just to eliminate the
possibility of a sulphuric acid spill which can make
belowdecks uninhabitable.

If not watertight bulkheads, how about inflatable airbags
in the cabin to keep the hull afloat?

There actually used to e a product like this - but the
company went out of business. One rumor I heard
is that the company got sued because the airbags
weren't tied to the hull, but rested against the bottom
of the deck when inflated. The hull/deck joint typically
doesn't have the strength to take this additional load,
and the boat sank.

One of the other posts suggested using the engine raw
water pump as additional dewatering capacity. Good
in theory, but the reality is they only pump three or four
gallons a minute. Better to get something like an Ericson
safety pump that throws maybe 750 gallons a minute.
That'll keep up with most holes.
http://bestmarineimports.com/ERICSON.html

So that leaves us with the other major thing that
can ruin your sailing day - fire. Paul, you're the
resin guy, what can we do to keep the galley fire
from turning the resin into a runaway ball of orange
flame and black choking smoke?