andym Posted July 20, 2018 Share Posted July 20, 2018 I'm assuming it's a DUKW from the "duck boat" description: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-44895391 Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
utt61 Posted July 20, 2018 Share Posted July 20, 2018 It would appear so:- https://www.bransonducks.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enigma Posted July 20, 2018 Share Posted July 20, 2018 What a tragedy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pzkpfw-e Posted July 21, 2018 Share Posted July 21, 2018 40 deaths in 20 years in these things. Problem appears to be the canopy, when they sink, the passengers get caught up, lifejackets or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted July 21, 2018 Share Posted July 21, 2018 (edited) Yes I heard the bit about canopies on the BBC. The real problem is that the vehicles, and they are not boats, are being used for a purpose that they were never intended for. DUKWs have shown that they can survive rough water, but that is when they were new and well maintained. Time the old girls were retired. Edited July 21, 2018 by Tony B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Citroman Posted July 21, 2018 Share Posted July 21, 2018 It's bad. Didn't the ducks have nose scoops to cope with waves? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted July 21, 2018 Share Posted July 21, 2018 Yes there was a splash board type arrangment. The ones in Jersey that soldiered on for many years from West Park to Elizabeth Castle had the fronts altered at one stage to a V shaped bow. They ran because the access to the Castle is tidal so wheels at low tide amphibious at high. They only ran a few hundred yards in sheltered water but even so it was considered that the bows should be altered for saftey. I'm talking some fifty five years ago now (God, this growing old isn't all it's cracked up to be) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MatchFuzee Posted July 24, 2018 Share Posted July 24, 2018 I wonder, how many DUKWs sank inWW2 because of the sea conditions and how many were destroyed by enemy action. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
101 Ron Posted July 25, 2018 Share Posted July 25, 2018 (edited) Most of the commercial tourist DUKWs have been greatly changed from the original army design. diesel motors, only one or two axles driving etc. one of the main changes appears to be the Higgins pump usually gets removed as it is high maintance and replaced with small plastic electric items. The Higgins pump runs when the propeller turns and is very high output. What do these commercial operators do for drive shaft seals/belows, as the old new stock would be cracked or melded with age and hard to find. The hulls for commercial operations usually have been much changed from standard and constantly repaired and patched. The roof design of the commercial tourist DUKWs has been noted as a trap for people on sinking DUKWs in the past and nothing appears to have been done. May be the roof should be made from Styrofoam and float off the vehicle if it sinks and also acts as a life raft. The original design was very sea worthy Edited July 25, 2018 by 101 Ron 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MatchFuzee Posted July 25, 2018 Share Posted July 25, 2018 3 hours ago, 101 Ron said: Most of the commercial tourist DUKWs have been greatly changed from the original army design. So, it is a case of the original being well/over engineered to most of the DUKWs now being under engineered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted July 25, 2018 Share Posted July 25, 2018 Original designers Rod Stevenson and Dennis Puleston were deep water yachtsman, they respected that water and weather bites. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andym Posted July 25, 2018 Author Share Posted July 25, 2018 If you read through assorted accident reports it's apparent there is a wide variation of both modifications and maintenance regimes between operators. Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
draganm Posted July 29, 2018 Share Posted July 29, 2018 (edited) On 7/24/2018 at 10:31 AM, MatchFuzee said: I wonder, how many DUKWs sank inWW2 because of the sea conditions and how many were destroyed by enemy action. I know of only one that went down specifically because of possibly rough water / bad weather , but really the primary cause seems to be over-loading. 24 soldiers with their gear + a 75mm cannon? Wow http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2416371/Italian-Lake-Garda-hold-remains-24-drowned-US-WWII-solders.html This story in Missouri is especially sad because as someone else mentioned, this just keeps happening. Someone sent that vehicle out into an oncoming storm, and is criminally responsible IMHO. Edited July 29, 2018 by draganm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MatchFuzee Posted August 2, 2018 Share Posted August 2, 2018 An very interesting link. I wonder if all the soldiers escaped from the DUKW (if this is not one of the other 2 that sank in the same area) before it sank, with other than the sole survivor they then drowned before rescue arrived. The DUKW looks in remarkable condition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enigma Posted August 4, 2018 Share Posted August 4, 2018 (edited) Its a 2013 article, any recent info whether this was the one of the accident? Edit, A 2016 article; http://www.italianinsider.it/?q=node/4323 Edited August 4, 2018 by Enigma Found more recent info Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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