It turns out the hose had been perished and cracked for some time. What lesson should the skipper take for next season?

A. There is nothing to learn — hoses fail randomly with no warning signs

B. Only check hoses if the boat has already had a leak before

C. The lesson is to remove all seacocks from the boat to avoid the risk entirely

D. Check all hoses, seacocks, and clips at the start of each season (or more often) as part of routine boat maintenance — perished rubber and loose clips are easy to spot if checked regularly, before they fail at sea

A. Check the engine first — water is always caused by engine problems

B. Tell the skipper immediately and check how fast the water level is rising — is it a trickle or rising quickly? This tells you how serious it is

C. Start bailing immediately without telling anyone else

D. Put the floorboard back and carry on — a little water is always normal on a boat

A. Assume it is rainwater and ignore it — no need to look for a source

B. Radio for help immediately before checking anything on the boat

C. Check the seacocks (the valves where pipes pass through the hull, e.g. for the toilet or engine cooling) — these are the most common source. Also check the stern gland (where the propeller shaft passes through), hose clips, and the bilge pump itself

D. Check only the deck hatches — water always comes from above, never below the waterline