# Helge Ingstad - Why did it sink?

**URL:** <https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/helge-ingstad-why-did-it-sink/51545>\
**Category:** Marine Incidents\
**Created:** [May 16, 2019, 10:14pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/helge-ingstad-why-did-it-sink/51545 "2019-05-16T22:14:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 5

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**Author:** ![Hornblower](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecccb3/32.png) [@Hornblower](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Hornblower)\
**Post date:** [May 17, 2019, 7:06am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/helge-ingstad-why-did-it-sink/51545/5 "2019-05-17T07:06:26Z")

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Bilge pumps are only designed to pump out the bilges; they won’t cope with a large inrush of water.  
Once the weight of water overcomes the buoyancy, down it goes.  
I’m sat on my wooden boat which has developed a 10mm hole in the hull, right on the bottom planking. It is quite amazing how much water comes rushing in through such a small hole.  
The main bilge pump is keeping well ahead of it now that I have stuffed the hole with rags plus I have 2 other bilge pumps standing by should it get worse.  
Now all I need is a diver.

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