John - this is a good point/question, and I'm glad you brought it up for discussion. Thanks. No stinging intended
I was going to say the same thing Warren said: it seems like there are multiple ways our boats (as originally built) did not meet ABYC standards. It seems that different owners have applied their own sensibilities/priorities and done improvements (or not) to various components. If I was buying a brand new boat, I would insist everything be ABYC compliant. But with a 40-year old boat I don't think that's necessarily reasonable.
For personal safety: With a 40-year old boat that had over 500 hulls made (that's around 20,000 boat-years!), I would first look for any examples of significant failures of the torpedo tubes, that might endanger the boat or crew. Lots of people (our boat included) had tiny seeps that have been plugged with various epoxies/adhesives, etc. But I haven't heard of any examples where they have caused any ship-threatening failures. If anyone knows of any, please let us know.
For racing standards: It's understandable that OYRA would have those standards. Personally, because I think it's very unlikely to cause a significant failure, I would take along soft wooden or rubber plugs that could be applied from the outside. It does seem very undesirable to hang over the edge or get in the water to apply the plugs, especially in serious seas, but if it was ship threatening, I would do it. We also have the hoists & gear for getting a person out of the water if need be. In fact, I think I might find some plugs like these and take them along for good luck anyway, even though we have no intention of ocean racing. And John, you're right, if it was a total failure things would need to happen very fast, maybe too fast.
Not to haggle details, but the OYRA specs say this:
A boat's through-hull openings below the waterline shall be equipped with sea cocks or valves, except for integral deck scuppers, speed transducers, depth finder transducers and the like; however a means of closing such openings shall be provided.
Could not the argument be made that the tubes are part of 'integral deck scuppers'? And plugs applied from the outside would be a means of closing them?
Everyone has their own opinions and I think a reasonable person might also choose to remove/re-work the tubes, as some on this forum have done. I forgot to look at & take pictures of Terry Thatchers torpedo tube modifications when he let us invade his boat looking at ideas.
If anyone has pictures of their tube modifications, please post them.
Cheers,
-Mark