I have taken great care not to laugh at human actions, not to weep at them, nor to hate them, but to understand them.
-Baruch Spinoza-
SINKING...!
Aliisa on her way up. All seats, beds, engine and fridge visited the world under the surface.
It would have been better for this story if Aliisa had gone totally under, with only the mast poking out through the ice. But again, the story unfolds the way I need it to fold; with enough drama for the reader but not too much for me to cope with. Aliisa's keel rested firmly on the bottom. Fortunately the bottom was only less than a meter below the keel, while the neighbouring yacht Merivuokko prevented Aliisa from laying down on her side like a dead elephant, ending completely in the muddy bottom of lake Saimaa.
WHAT HAPPENED?
It was early November and I had returned from getting Aliisa ready for winter, to my new home in Espoo. Aliisa was ready for her first winter, safely under the care of the most experienced cruising sailor in Finland, the "Greenland - Antartica - Amazon" - Pertti Duncker. The lake could freeze any day soon and as part of the preparations, I had taken the toilet bowl off, opened the engine waterpump cover and emptied the water tanks. Just before leaving, I disconnected the seawater hose from the galley. I wasn't sure if this was necessary, but I did it anyway. The hose was very close to the waterline and I had to tie it up with a piece of string, to prevent the water from siphoning in.
The fatal hose, showing how close the water level was to its end and to the start of the siphoning effect.
After my work was done, I returned back to Helsinki. Aliisa was left at the jetty, tied against s/y Merivuokko waiting for winter. And winter came.
The wet snow added too much weight while the strong wind made situation worse by heeling Aliisa towards the side of the galley hose. Siphoning started and did not stop until the industrial size pump was employed. (Blue arrow shows water level at its highest)
THE DAMAGE?
Surprisingly there was no damage - as yet. I removed the water from the engine and sent the injectors to be serviced. After 8 months (eastern Finland has some of the slowest people on earth) I got them back with a note "checked, ok, do not need service". The fridge started working after I cleaned the rusted fuse and fuse holder. I had to completely strip the altenator and starter motor, but after careful cleaning, they too started working. Maybe something will come to haunt me later...
