John Fox
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Aug 4, 2009, 1:42 PM
Post #2 of 2
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Re: [The Publisher] WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CYNTHIA WOODS?
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As a Marine Engineer specializing in race boats, I have followed the reports on the Cynthia Woods with great interest. There appear to be flaws in both the USCG Tiger Team report and in the report submitted by Brendon Debroth on behalf of Texas A&M. Many seem to be overlooking the fact that the ISAF Special Regulations state that besides the initial engineering being either to ABS or ISO, any significant repairs shall be certified as complying with ABS or ISO. Regardless of the original engineering, Texas A&M apparently failed to abide by that and the boat never should have raced offshore.
Owners of existing boats do have an obligation to make sure their boats are safe and continue to be safe after repairs are made. The Tiger Team report indicates that the Cynthia Woods was towed at least 1.5 miles with its keel dragging in the mud on several occasions. How could that not have weakened the structure? According to the reports, the Cynthia Woods was not built to the designer’s plans and had a heavier and deeper keel, with smaller area of attachment than the original design. It does not say who designed the newer keel or engineered the attachment, however the bottom thickness was reduced and no additional material was added to the floors. Obviously there is plenty of blame to go around. She was under built and abused in service.
ISAF Special Regulations require boats built after June 1, 2009 to have been engineered to ISO 12215 and the plans must be approved by a recognized classification society such as RYA, GL, or Bureau Veritas. This is similar to the ABS plan approval process required in the 90's before ABS stopped performing this service. I for one am happy to have an additional check on my calculations and fully support this new requirement. It would be even better if builders were required to furnish full documentation and testing that the boats were in fact built to the approved plans and specifications. And, as with ABS Classification, periodic surveys to insure the continued integrity of the boats would be good as well.
John Fox
The following is an excerpt from the Special Regs included for reference:
3.03.1 A yacht defined in the table above shall have been designed built, maintained, modified and repaired in accordance with the requirements of either:
MoMu0,1,2a) the EC Recreational Craft Directive for Category A (having obtained the CE mark), or
MoMu0,1,2b) the ABS Guide for Building and Classing Offshore Yachts in which case the yacht shall have on board either a certificate of plan approval issued by ABS, or written statements signed by the designer and builder which confirm that they have respectively designed and built the yacht in accordance with the ABS Guide,
MoMu0,1,2c) ISO 12215 Category A, with written statements signed by the designer and builder which confirm that they have respectively designed and built the yacht in accordance with the ISO standard,
3.03.2 Any significant repairs or modifications to the hull, deck, coachroof, keel or appendages, on a yacht defined in table 2 shall be certified by one of the methods above and an appropriate written statement or statements shall be on board.
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