This apparently is way more common than one would think. And it seems that it’s usually not because of damage to the boat.
We notice that a vast number of boats must have their marine air conditioners on all the time and probably set on thermostat control. I suppose to keep the humidity down in the boats. This means that boats are sporadically pumping water out the side on a regular basis. When we first got Emet, I saw a boat suddenly start pumping a “huge” stream of water out the side and I started ringing alarm bells. “It’s sinking! It’s sinking!” Then I was told it was just the air conditioner. OH. After that, water coming out the side of the boat doesn’t affect me in the least. It’s just the air conditioner.
This past weekend, one of the sailboats at the head of our dock started pumping water out the side. I have never seen this particular boat pump water. But, it’s just the air conditioner. I figured the owners must have come down and either intentionally turned the AC on or accidentally left it on.
Monday morning when I took the dogs for their morning walk it became apparent that it was NOT the air conditioner. The boat had dropped its waterline by well over a foot and a half. I notified the marina maintenance officer. He called the owners, then we put in a submersible pump and by the time I left for work, the boat was floating at its designed waterline.
When I got home, the submersible pump was gone and the boat was buttoned back up, no water was coming out the side, and it was floating. Jodi said the owner was down and was cleaning stuff up. He apparently was not in a good mood. I guess I wouldn’t be either if my boat was sinking. There was a huge amount of water in the boat. Probably a good foot or 2 above the floor. I have no idea what the problem was, but this is the second boat I have assisted with in preventing it from sinking right in its slip.
Makes me want to get out of marinas.