Is there any suggestions on how to raise a 30ft. house boat from 10 ft. of water?

Question

30ft long x 14ft. wide, rear is on the bottom, front is about 2 ft. off bottom, would enough truck tubes get it up enough to pump it out?

Answer 1

Large crane and oil drums

Answer 2

I suggest lots of explosives. But serously, if it it close enough to the shore, you could use a backhoe and some chains.

Answer 3

Is it in a tidal area? If so then push it as far up the beach as you can at high tide, then come back at low tide and pump it.

If not then sure, try your truck tubes. If the front is sitting off the bottom, then it may just float enough to pump it. You will need the compressor onsite. Position the tubes whilst they are deflated and take the airline down to them and inflate them in position.

Take care to place the tubes evenly so that the boat floats upright. Put air in each tube a little at a time, so that the boat rises slowly and comes up straight. If you tip the boat the tubes will fly out and you will end up worse off. You might want to use ropes to tie the tubes together and tie them to the hull so that they don't slip out of place when they start to take strain.

Most of all do it slowly.

Good Luck!

Answer 4

That's no different in principle, than what we actually do, to raise a vessel. The issue you have is not that you haven't figured out how to do it, but what you're suggesting to use for the lift will likely give way on you, damaging the vessel further or killing one or more of you or all of the above. Lift bags and slings are always the preferred method and an experienced recovery diver.

The tubes you want to use, will actually be reduced in volume and lift capacity if you fill at the surface and actually manage to get them down. If you decide to fill underwater, then you're going to have them bursting on you as they rise and expand. What came up, just went back down hard.

Proper commercial lift bags are filled at the wreck and have a pressure dump valve in them that vents air on the ascent, stopping the bags from rupturing. 10 feet may not sound deep, but it's 1 extra atm almost and enough to break things.

Why don't you call a local dive shop. I bet you'll be able to get a few divers out there with equipment and experience. It may not even cost a dime, if they decide to do it as part of a training course, like the PADI rescue cert as the recovery part of the course. It can't hurt to ask.

If I were to quote on the job, well...you'd probably want to leave her. The going rate is 100 bucks per foot of boat for pleasure craft to start and that's just for the lift.

Answer 5

fill it full of ping pong balls...  I saw this done with a sail boat..  It took alot less balls than they had estimated.