Pics of the sunk Florida Bay Coaster

[Puffin]

rjtrane, I appreciate the info! I was shopping for a trawler back when this happened and became curious as to the distance between the CG and the CB; after all, they DO look top heavy. I sent an email to both the builder and the designer, but got a snarky reply. Stability is not a gut feeling, it is a math problem!

Oh, BTW, just saw a YouTube salesman for' Teddi Bear' (a Florida Bay Coaster 55) noting that it is an open ocean boat that can get you to Hawaii and back on one tank of fuel. Hmmmm…. Started me looking again and saw another salesman talk about taking the FBC 55 into 8 foot beam seas without any issues.

Q. So how do you know when the salesman is lying? A. Their lips are moving.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Welcome aboard.

 

[psneeld]

rjtrane, I appreciate the info! I was shopping for a trawler back when this happened and became curious as to the distance between the CG and the CB; after all, they DO look top heavy. I sent an email to both the builder and the designer, but got a snarky reply. Stability is not a gut feeling, it is a math problem!

Oh, BTW, just saw a YouTube salesman for' Teddi Bear' (a Florida Bay Coaster 55) noting that it is an open ocean boat that can get you to Hawaii and back on one tank of fuel. Hmmmm…. Started me looking again and saw another salesman talk about taking the FBC 55 into 8 foot beam seas without any issues.

Q. So how do you know when the salesman is lying? A. Their lips are moving.

Talk to the designer.


I remember reading one of Benfords books on the design. No it wasn't ever designed for North Sea work, but stability was well thought out.


Whether or not it was built to design or maintained that way is always a different story.

 

[FF]

I think the key takeaway to the Florida Bay Coaster is not the fact that an 8D broke loose,,,, stuff happens.

The disaster of a stuffing box with thin rubber bellows that when damaged will allow more water to enter than 4 bilge pumps can handle should be the KEY item to note.

With modern materials like Duramax in a 100 year old stuffing box design , this flaw can be eliminated.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. FF. But...but...then there will be 4 ounces of water in my bilge.
Until such time the "dripless" stuffing boxes are as reliable as the 100 year old design, I'm with you.
If I ever purchased a vessel with one installed, I would change it out if reasonably possible.