When thinking about a boat sinking most people think of it out in the middle of the ocean. What most people forget or don\'t realize is that a boat can sink while docked at the marina. The fact is that the number of boats that sink wile docked is higher than the number of boats that sink while underway.

Sinking While Docked

When a boat sinks at the dock, the owner usually asks \"why didn\'t the bilge pump work?\" The question that should be asked is - how did the water get into the boat? Most of the time, boat owners rely on bilge pumps to bail them out when they can\'t visit or check on their boats. Many times a bilge pump will actually hide a problem until the pump clogs or the battery goes dead.

The best defense against a dockside sinking is to visit your boat at least twice a season. You should inspect any fittings above or below the waterline that could be letting water into the boat. If you are not able to check on your boat often enough, try to make arrangements with the manager of the marina. Many marinas offer to do routine inspections, but usually at an extra cost.

The sooner you discover a leak, the easier it is to correct the problem before it\'s too late. While more and better pumps may be able to keep up with the flow of water, it is critical that you discover the leak quickly, before the electrical system and the engine are underwater.

Sinking while underway

Any boat is subject to sinking while underway for the same reasons that it could sink at the dock. A hose could slip off or a packing gland could leak, etc. There are also other reasons why a boat can sink while underway, such as floating debris or it might stray onto a rocky shoal. Once a boat begins to sink, it will gain momentum as it settles into the water.

If a boat has a two-inch hole that is about a foot below the waterline, for example, over 78 gallons of water will pour into the boat per minute. Here again, the sooner you discover that you have a leak the better, It is a very good idea to invest in a bilge alarm. A bilge alarm is a simple device that warns you when water begins rising in the bilge. This early warning gives you more time to find the leak, get passengers into life vests, deploy extra pumps, and put out a distress call.