Boating can be loads of fun and lets you experience a thrill that is different from any land-based activities, but it can also be risky as well and at times, horrifying and even life-threatening. Collision, boat fires, and capsizing boats are just some of the worst-case scenarios to get yourself entangled in when you’re onboard a boat. Sometimes when you hear emergencies at sea, you see a boat that has sunk or capsized and the victims are out in the water.  Unfortunately, capsizing accidents can lead to drowning incidents and loss of goods.

What Does a Capsized Boat Mean?

A capsize is defined as a boat rolling over onto its side or completely flipping over because of instability. Capsizing can also lead to the boat sinking underwater. Imbalance of the boat’s weight due to overloading, leaking water that gets inside the boat, and turbulent weather can lead to capsizing.

What Boats Are at a Risk of Capsizing and Why?

Even though all boats have the possibility to capsize, small water vessels are more prone to this event. Dinghies such as tinny boats or canoes, make up the 10 percent that can easily capsize especially when there is an imbalance in weight distribution on board. However, they don’t cause much damage and it’s easier for boaters to flip them up in their proper position.

Around 40 percent of small boats that capsizes have a length of around 15 to 19 feet. Some examples of these are fishing boats that have cockpits that are hard to drain.  

What Causes a Boat to Capsize?

Poor Weight Distribution: As mentioned before, boats tend to capsize if the weight on board is distributed unevenly. If there are more passengers or cargo loads placed on one side of the boat compared to the other side, it causes imbalance.

If the boat exceeds its weight limit, it loses its stability, and its draft will increase. This increases the chances of capsizing even in calm waters. All it takes is a large gust of wind to blow the waters over for the boat to roll on its side.

Human Error: Sometimes carelessness can cause unfortunate incidents even in operating a boat. If you disregard operating your boat safely or fail to maintain your boat regularly, your recklessness will cause the boat to capsize.

Leaks: Another major cause of capsizing is due to leaks. Leaks can cause water to get inside the boat which makes the boat unstable. The water inside the boat increases its weight making it sink into the water.  Leaks happen due to a lot of factors; it may be due to a damaged hull, forgetting to put in the drain plug in the boat, or excess water accumulating in the stern.

Bad Weather: Storms at sea can cause damage to boats, especially if it’s not seaworthy enough to challenge through rough waves and strong winds. Strong winds can flip a boat at sea like a paper doll causing it to capsize and sink under the ocean.

How to Prevent Your Boat from Capsizing

• Don’t overload your boat. It may be tempting, especially if you need to transport people and goods to a destination, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. Make sure to balance the distribution of your passengers and your gear. You need to take note of the maximum weight your boat can carry. For small boats, keep the overall weight low and avoid reaching its maximum capacity.
• Make sure to instruct your passengers on which areas they can safely sit. Load your cargo where it won’t upset your boat’s equilibrium.
• Make sure to purchase equipment that drains the water from your boat. A bilge pump is usually used to drain water on boats. If you have enough resources, you can purchase a boat with a self-draining deck.
• Turn at controlled speeds especially if you’re operating a small boat. Just like driving a car, speeding can cause you to lose control over your vessel and it’ll be harder to maneuver at a high speed.
• When anchoring, secure the anchor line to your boat’s bow, not the stern.
• Always wear a life jacket on board, especially if the water conditions seem rough.
• If it can be avoided, don’t sail out when the waves are rough or if there is bad weather. Always look at your local forecast news to know what weather the day will bring.

Don’t let this risk discourage you from boating out in the open waters. These occurrences happen rarely and may not even occur at all if one does take precautions in operating a boat and avoid instances that may result in capsizing.