Plugging his boat with his finger

Posted on August 27^th 2008

tuart Wallace had a sinking feeling when his 28ft yacht sprung a leak form a faulty seacock in the hull.

The 56 year old Barrister was preparing for a day of sailing on the River Exe when water began pouring in to the engine compartment.

Mr Wallace, having nothing available to him, stopped the leak by placing his finger in the hole to stop the water rushing in.

He said, “ It might not sound big, but any hole in the hull will take on a huge amount of water quickly and the boat would have swamped in minutes”. Mr Wallace could just reach his radio, so with one hand blocking the hole he used the other to radio for help.

The coast guard came to his rescue and blocked up the hole. “They came out and plugged the hole and I could finally relax. Apart from the hole, the only damage was a swollen finger”!

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