Fizzical
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The Fizzical was a sailing yacht with which the British yacht magazine Yachting Monthly ran various accident scenarios. The boat became known as a crash test boat, especially in England.
As part of the test series, the yacht was steered onto a sandbank, capsized and set on fire. Leaks were struck in the ship's side and the consequences of improper maintenance of gas installations were shown.
The experiments were documented through film and photo recordings and the results were published as an award-winning series of articles in Yachting Monthly , as a book, as videos and as an app. They uncovered important security gaps in yacht construction and led to improved rules of conduct in the event of accidents.
prehistory
While crash tests are prescribed for cars to check accident safety, there are construction regulations for recreational craft in the form of the so-called CE recreational craft directive , but these are not tested experimentally for their suitability. The degree of safety a safety-critical part of a boat actually offers has therefore hardly been tested in practice.
A first major attempt took place in May 1988 when a team from the German magazine Yacht deliberately and repeatedly hit a Dehler 31 off Damp against various obstacles, including a floating barrel, a tree trunk, a floating platform and finally the pier. The testers had expected that the yacht would sink or at least suffer severe water ingress; They had therefore equipped them with particularly powerful bilge pumps and removed the engine for reasons of water protection. To the astonishment of the testers, no water penetrated the boat and, apart from a few noticeable notches in the bow, there was hardly any visible damage. This showed that plastic yachts are more resistant to collisions than previously thought.
In 2011 the English yacht magazine Yachting Monthly decided to systematically test the most likely accident scenarios for the first time with an average cruising yacht. Until then, there were only a few isolated attempts and experience reports from emergencies. In doing so, not only the resistance of the boat and the extent of the expected damage should be examined, but also the practical suitability of the common rules recommended in sailing lessons and in specialist books for accident prevention and control, in order to provide tried-and-tested recommendations for the emergency equipment to be carried and the behavior in the To be able to give emergency.
The boat for these tests was sponsored by an insurance company . The Fizzical was a Jeanneau Sun Fizz with ketch rigging . It was launched in 1982 and was therefore several years old at the time of the tests. The boat is 40 feet (12.30 m) long and weighs just over 7,300 kg.
The test series
Stranding
In the first attempt, the testers wanted to find out how to free a yacht that had run aground. To do this, they set the ship aground in the Solent and tried in various ways to reduce the draft by heeling . The heeling itself was not easy to produce and only succeeded when the dinghy was heavily loaded and hung as a weight on the wing of the boom. It has also been tried (to an anchor, or another ship performs) in a a guide block with a Warptau case in the mast to move. The top of the mast provides the best lever arm on a ship. Then the line can be hauled in with a winch to heel the boat.
Capsizing
The second test was to examine the effects of capsizing . Since a sailing yacht can only overturn due to its great stability by very high waves, this accident had to be simulated on the crane. For safety reasons, only cameras and a few mannequins were on board as crash test dummies .
The test was carried out twice, initially without preparation and then after the ship had been made storm-ready as well as possible.
On the first try, pretty much everything flew through the ship that wasn't nailed down: floorboards, upholstery, dummies, books. Even the heavy stove almost tore itself loose. The battery and the machine had been specially secured beforehand, as there were already reports that the engine foundation could not always withstand the stresses of capsizing. A surprising amount of water penetrated through the lockers , which opened automatically in the overhead position and had a very large opening. The extent of the chaos below deck gave the testers an idea of why so many skippers had given up their yachts at the Fastnet race in 1979, even though they were actually still swimming. The mess and parts flying around are so scary that the panic overlooks the fact that the situation on board the small life raft is probably not much better.
For the second attempt, the ship was prepared for storm use: all floorboards were screwed down, all lockers and lids were secured with hooks or screws. At least the storage compartments in the salon and in the galley ( galley ) are already fitted with locks on most modern yachts, which do not open independently, regardless of their location. Open storage areas are protected e.g. B. with networks. Even in normal sailing weather, all hatches (windows) must be properly closed. The companionway was specially secured for the test and the lockers were locked with padlocks. In this attempt, not everything stayed in place because not all restraint devices were adequately dimensioned, but the difference made by a few simple and cheap measures was striking. The biggest problem was that a lot of water had gotten into the locked locker boxes and the equipment was partially soaked.
Broken mast
For this test, the steel bolts that secure the shrouds against the chucks were replaced by thin fiberglass rods and then a turn was made . A gust broke the port shrouds.
When the mast went overboard to starboard, the crew tested various methods of cutting the shrouds . This is necessary in order to recover the broken mast part and to prevent worse damage. Otherwise the broken mast could leak into the boat due to the swell. If it is possible to recover parts of the mast and the sails, an attempt can also be made to use them to set up an emergency rig in order to be able to approach a port without a motor.
A simple hacksaw with a bimetal saw blade turned out to be particularly effective for cutting through the shrouds . A pair of pliers helped cut through pins or bolts. Bolt cutters, special wire rope cutters or a hydraulic turnbuckle and a type of bolt gun also led to success and were in some cases very easy to use and even one-handed. In contrast to the tools mentioned above, however, they are comparatively expensive and can hardly be used for other work. Nevertheless, one, or better two, of the tools mentioned were recommended as safety equipment.
The subsequent attempt to hoist the remaining five-meter-long mast on deck turned out to be surprisingly difficult. It took a four-man team almost three hours. Larger parts would hardly be recoverable, and with a couple crew, as many are now found, it would be simply impossible.
Emergency
After the rest of the mast had been retrieved from the water with great effort, an attempt was made to use it to create an emergency rig . The crew first rigged the remaining part of the mast with the help of various traps and sheets. Then the mainsail was cut as a square sail and raised as a yard with the spinnaker pole . That way the boat could get going again. A square sail is generally a poor choice to effectively break free from a lee coast. The jib , set in the form of a trysail , significantly improved the upwind sailing properties. If the protective harbor is in the direction of the wind, a variant with a sloping sail must therefore be chosen if possible. Spare shackles and blocks as well as enough rope in reserve are also helpful for the construction of the emergency rig.
Downfall
The next test should show what means there are to seal a leak and thus prevent the boat from filling up and sinking. The tests were again carried out on a crane with which the leaking yacht was lowered into the water. Between the individual attempts, the crane raised the boat again in order to drain the water that had entered through specially made drainage holes. Based on the old yacht test from 1988 , it was already to be assumed that it would not be easy to punch a hole in the hull . Here, too, it took 25 minutes to knock a 10 × 10 cm hole in the forecastle.
The first thing to do is to find out as quickly as possible where the leak is and how to get there. If necessary, the device must also be torn out to combat it. Once the leak is underwater, it is much more difficult to fight.
Immediate action
One method was to wrap a towel around an automatic life jacket , stuff it into the hole, and then deploy it. The method turned out to be simple and quick, and sealed properly, although in this case the comparatively small hole was made larger by stuffing and inflating the vest.
Other methods of tamping something into the leak from the inside have proven largely counterproductive. An umbrella broke apart as soon as it was pushed through, rubbish bags and sail bags tore at the sharp-edged hole and if too much force was used to stuff it, the leak became even bigger.
Longer term measures
After the water ingress had been stopped or at least reduced to such an extent that the bilge pumps were sufficient, it was a matter of a more permanent seal to reach the next port. A collision mat (in the test, an insulation mat from the hardware store) sealed off quite well, provided it stayed in place. To support it, an attempt was now made to clamp or glue something on the inside of the leak. Tensioning a board against the hull turned out to be more difficult than expected, because there are hardly any straight surfaces in a ship against which something could be wedged. Adhesives and sealants were also unsuccessful because they do not work when wet.
It was more promising to screw the board onto the hull, but the hull had to be drilled. A special boat repair kit called the "collision kit," which is essentially a two-part epoxy adhesive, worked just fine. A product called “Stay afloat”, which contains a sticky, waxy mass, also does the job quite well as a sealant.
Hull breakthroughs
Many a ship has sunk because breakthroughs on the hull (i.e. inlets and outlets of cooling or service water) leaked. On the one hand, the hose can break off at the passage - the valves on it are usually open for convenience - or the sea valves themselves break. The latter has been observed several times in recent years, because shipbuilders, for reasons of cost, build sea valves from brass that is not sufficiently seawater-resistant instead of bronze (conventional brass can dezincify under the influence of salt water and thus become brittle). If the accident happens when nobody is on board, the ship is quickly at the bottom of the port. The situation was even exacerbated by the introduction of the new EU directive, because it requires a minimum lifespan of only five years for sea valves, which according to yacht safety expert Paul Stevens is far too little. An understandable opinion if you look at it in the context of the long lifespan of yachts.
For the test, a valve was knocked off first. A considerable amount of water seeped in through the circular leak. First, the common wooden leak plugs that are found on many boats were tested. They worked great as long as the hole was round and not cracked. A foam alternative called “Truplug” worked even better, as it would adapt to the leak even if the break-off edges were uneven. The aforementioned “stay afloat” also worked excellently when it was lubricated into the thru-hull fitting. Finally, the magazine tested improvisation solutions suggested by readers. Even a carrot stuffed into the hole and a potato sealed perfectly, so that further, more complex solutions no longer seemed worth checking.
Fire
In this test, different ways of fighting a fire in the galley should be tested. First the fire blanket was used, the best way to deal with pot fires. If it is used quickly enough, it extinguishes the fire quickly and easily and does not leave a mess like a fire extinguisher .
The subsequent experiment with a fire extinguisher initially showed how important it is to have the safety equipment serviced regularly. When the foam extinguisher was on board, only a dripping thin jet came out, which was no longer good for anything. The fire brigade's foam extinguisher, on the other hand, reliably extinguished the fire, although it should be noted that this was a 9 kg extinguisher and often only 2 kg extinguishers are required on pleasure boats. The attempt with the powder extinguisher was also successful, but within seconds it was impossible to see anything at all, which makes the use rather problematic. In addition, the entire facility was then covered with a layer of powder.
To fight fires in the engine compartment, many modern yachts have a built-in automatic fire extinguishing system ( carbon dioxide or a halon substitute) or at least an extinguishing opening in the engine compartment cover. The hose is held through the opening and the fire extinguisher is emptied. With the test yacht, this went completely wrong because the insulation of the engine compartment (foam that was soaked with engine oil) ignited. The yacht would have burned out and sunk if the test had not been carried out under the supervision and assistance of the fire department.
As a preventive measure, gas detectors can be installed, if possible those that can measure carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide concentrations. These are also triggered if dangerous engine exhaust gases get inside the boat, for example due to defective exhaust hoses. The installation of an automatic extinguishing system in the engine compartment is also recommended. At the very least, however, the engine compartment cover should have an extinguishing opening through which a fire can be fought without having to remove the entire cover - the latter would further fuel the fire because of the additional oxygen. The test also showed that one should avoid having unnecessarily flammable objects or liquids lying around and that spilled motor oil is also a hazard.
explosion
The last attempt was supposed to simulate what would happen if, due to an inadequate gas installation (most larger yachts use gas hobs in the galley), this gas escapes in the salon and is then ignited. There had already been a few such accidents in the past in which human lives had to be lamented, so that the testers wanted to show the readers in impressive pictures how important it is to have the gas system serviced by experts on a regular basis.
The gas in the salon ignited on the second attempt. The deck structure was torn away and the interior of the yacht was devastated. A dummy sitting in the cockpit was thrown 50 meters away. The only positive point: the boat did not sink because the hull itself was not damaged.
In order to prevent such accidents, in addition to regularly checking the installation, it is advisable to always turn off the gas supply on the cylinder. The gas bottles must be housed in their own compartment, accessible from the outside, and securely fixed there. A gas detector can also warn of a potential danger in good time.
Aftermath
After the end of the tests, the yacht was exhibited at the two largest boat shows in England. It should make all sailors aware of the consequences poor maintenance can have. At the London Boat Show 2012 in the Exhibition Center London , the wreck was given an exhibition space free of charge because the project was seen as both educationally valuable and a crowd puller. The boat was laid on its side so that any visitor could see the destruction inside as they passed. The project received royal recognition when Anne, Princess Royal and their husband Timothy Laurence , both enthusiastic sailors, saw the boat at the fair.
Today the boat is used for the training of yacht appraisers at the International Boatbuilding Training College in Suffolk .
Summary
The Fizzical had to endure various accidents in order to demonstrate that boats are generally safe and that even in the event of an accident there are often emergency solutions to prevent the loss of the boat or - even worse - the crew. For this, however, the ship must also be equipped with the necessary breakdown equipment and useful tools, and these must be maintained. In the end, if all else fails, the life raft is still your last resort - a lack of maintenance would be fatal. Timely, calm and considered action can save the yacht in many critical situations and keep it afloat until it lies in the safe harbor. It is one of the most difficult tasks for a skipper to keep a cool head in an emergency and not to panic .
The Fizzical , however, was a boat from the early 1980s and it remains unclear whether modern designs are similarly tough. For reasons of cost, significantly different processes are used in today's high-volume boats, for example for the hull construction. Although these promise a comparable stiffness, there are no verifiable studies on this.
Individual evidence
- ↑ See section Literature
- ↑ Crash test - Dehler 31 on YouTube
- ↑ Jeanneau Sun Fizz - Technical data . sailboatdata.com. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
- ↑ Since the catastrophe at the Fastnet race in 1979, many textbooks have been of the opinion that you should only change to the life raft when the ship is already full of water. So z. B. Keith Colwell, Safety at Sea, Delius Klasing, 2012
- ↑ The regulations for safety equipment on pleasure craft are subject to the state under whose flag it sails. In many countries (including Germany, Great Britain) there are only recommendations for recreational boating, in others (including Switzerland) or for commercial use there are very precise lists of equipment.
- ↑ The Crash Test Boot, page 120
literature
- Paul Gelder / Chris Beeson: The Crash Test Boat . How Yachting Monthly took a 40ft boat through 8 disaster scenarios. Adlard Coles, London 2013, ISBN 978-1-4081-5727-5 . (English)
- German translation: The crash test boat. The worst scenarios in the reality check. Delius Klasing Verlag, Bielefeld 2015, ISBN 978-3-667-10169-3 .
Web links
- Video documentation of most of the tests on the Delius Klasing Verlag website . The videos can also be found (in English) on YouTube under the keyword “Crash-Test-Boat”.
- The “Crash Test Boat” series from Yachting Monthly. Accessed December 8, 2015.
