( CNN ) -- A 12 meter yacht bobbing off the coast of England is about to be blown to smithereens . Or at least , that 's the plan . In a scene reminiscent of a James Bond film , the boat is slowly filled with gas while a sailor in a nearby vessel holds his finger over the detonator , ready to blow the floating target sky high . These are n't undercover spies , but sailing experts undertaking a controlled explosion as part of a series of ground-breaking experiments into nautical safety . Over eight months , the team from British magazine Yachting Monthly , took one boat and sank it , capsized it , ran it aground , set it on fire , and finally blew it up -- all in the name of safety . Their `` Crash Test Boat '' series recreated eight nautical disasters -- ranging from a leaking hull to a dismasted sailboat -- to find the best methods for preventing and dealing with them . From January 2013 the incidents will be documented together for the first time in a new book titled , aptly enough , `` The Crash Test Boat . '' The results featured in the book have turned much conventional sailing wisdom on its head and earned praise from both safety experts and readers across the world . `` These are rare situations and when they do happen , people are n't in a position to test every method for dealing with it , '' Yachting Monthly technical editor , Chris Beeson , told CNN . `` For example , if your mast breaks off , the age-old answer was to use bolt croppers to cut away the rigging and prevent more damage . `` But we found that hanging over the edge of the boat while it 's rocking around like a fairground ride , with both hands on the croppers , was n't practical . A simple hacksaw , which you could use with one hand , was much more effective . '' Roger Brydges , sailing accident investigator at the Maritime Accident Investigation Branch , said recreating sailing disasters to such minute detail had never been done before . `` Being able to monitor the effects and test a range of responses was invaluable , '' he added . The Crash Test Boat series was first floated as Beeson and fellow sailing enthusiasts mulled over enduring maritime questions such as : 'What would you do if your mast fell over ? ' or 'How would you survive in a capsized boat ? ' `` We wanted to take theses problems and deal with them in real life , '' he said . Each experiment was modeled on real-life disasters , such as the 1979 Fastnet race in which storms in the Irish Sea capsized many of the competing yachts , resulting in 15 deaths . The series ended quite literally with a bang , in an impressive gas explosion . Though it very nearly did n't get off the ground to begin with . `` The authorities were telling us that a gas explosion was too dangerous , that we were crazy , '' former Yachting Monthly editor Paul Gelder said . `` We were considering everything -- traveling the 12 mile ( 19 kilometer ) limit into international waters to escape the rules , even using a special effects expert from the Harry Potter films to simulate an explosion . '' After finally gaining permission to carry out the explosion , the boat was anchored in a 200 meter exclusion zone and Royal Navy explosives experts were enlisted to set up the blast . But after an anxious 25 minute wait , the flash igniters set up around the leaking gas pipe failed to go off . Deflated but still determined , the team vowed to give it one last shot . This time , the explosion was detonated by a wireless trigger -- and it did n't disappoint . `` There was a brief orange fireball followed by the explosion . A hundred pieces of debris were hurled skywards amidst a plume of smoke , '' says the report in the book . `` The scale of the carnage was clear -- the entire coach roof had been blasted off the hull . '' For the team , the explosion was also a thrilling chance to live out a few Bond-style fantasies , as Gelder said : `` How many people get to blow up a 40 foot ( yacht ) as part of their job -- and all in the name of safety ? '' Now a battered mess , the Crash Test Boat continues to educate the public , exhibited at boating shows across Britain and used as a teaching aid at the International Boat Building College in Suffolk . `` A bit like the equivalent of a dead body in an anatomy class , '' Gelder explained . Beeson says the boat 's greatest gift was showing sailors that `` you really can rely on yourself . '' `` All the situations are recoverable . Your boat wo n't sink if there 's hole in it . If your mast falls down you can still row to shore . The real importance of these tests was getting definitive answers in situations where people might normally panic . ''
12-meter yacht is sunk , capsized , set on fire and blown up -- all in the name of safety . Team of British journalists conduct experiments as part of `` Crash Test Boat '' series . Using shock-resistant cameras , footage is posted on Youtube , attracting over 1mill hits . Ground-breaking tests into nautical safety available for first time in new book .