Alerting other sailors to our lifting keel, shallow draught!

Sailsalot said:
Last year we bought a Parker 275 which has a lifting keel, it also has a rather nifty 2nd plank style drop down rudder from the rudder stock, which in combination with the keel lifted and large rudder pulled up allows us to get in and out of quite shallow water, roughly half a metre.
So far this year when anchored in shallow water we have watched at least 3 other yachts and even a large 2 masted schooner approach and then attempt to follow us into the shallows……they have all had much longer stopovers than they probably expected and we have then left, trying not to look at them stuck fast at odd angles.
Yesterday we saw a small cruiser of a similar size to us sailing back and forth looking in our direction, we were sitting happily eating a very late lunch at one of our favourite spots in Poole Harbour. Even with our shallow water sailing set up, we were keeping a close eye on the depth gauge and knew we would have to head into deeper water fairly soon after lunch, the tide was falling fast.
Anyway….. the other yacht approached and I tried to think of some way of alerting them to the shallow depth, but waving at them wouldn’t have had the desired effect, would have probably encouraged them closer and I couldn't tell whether they in fact also have a lifting keel. With a spring tide they were going to be stuck for 4 hours at least, not a bad place to be stranded, hope they had beer onboard.
Any suggestions of how to alert others to our shallow draught? I feel like making a large banner to hang along the guard rails KEEP AWAY, WE HAVE A LIFTING KEEL.
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If others are stupid enough to run themselves aground in an attempt to follow you, leave them to it. Its the Lemming mentality. Comes up in groups riding motorbikes too - one goes silly fast, the rest have to follow.

How do you find the Parker? I have a 35 ft deep keeler at present but its not being used for what it was built for and likely I will sell it and downsize to something smaller which will take to the ground. Like it to be a bit racey too but concerned about the Parkers ability to cope with the 30 knot winds in which we sometimes race.
 
Sailsalot said:
Any suggestions of how to alert others to our shallow draught? I feel like making a large banner to hang along the guard rails KEEP AWAY, WE HAVE A LIFTING KEEL.
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Well if you really feel you have to do something then perhaps a white lie would see you resorting to this-

Rule 30
A vessel aground shall exhibit the lights prescribed in paragraph (a) or (b) of this Rule and in addition, where they can best be seen:
(i) two all-round red lights in a vertical line;
(ii) three balls in a vertical line.
but
(f) A vessel of less than 12 metres in length, when aground, shall not be required to exhibit the lights or shapes prescribed in subparagraphs (d)(i) and (ii) of this Rule.

But could you be bothered?

Which leads to the question- How many >30m long vessels have the necessary kit?- perhaps someone will want to start a new thread :)
 
Gin said:
Which leads to the question- How many >30m long vessels have the necessary kit?- perhaps someone will want to start a new thread :)
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I think you mean >12m :)

The coded ones should all have the lights, if not the balls; I believe these are on the surveyor's checklist. They're typically portable ones to be hoisted on a halyard if needed.

Pete
 
We enjoy sailing the Parker, I don’t think we would ever set out in 30 knot winds, but reefed down we could cope if we had to. We don’t race the Parker, but many do quite successfully.
 
birdseye said:
How do you find the Parker? I have a 35 ft deep keeler at present but its not being used for what it was built for and likely I will sell it and downsize to something smaller which will take to the ground. Like it to be a bit racey too but concerned about the Parkers ability to cope with the 30 knot winds in which we sometimes race.
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I took my Parker 235 from Inverness to Inverness via the Caley Canal and the Pentland Firth (with a VERY racey helm). We beat up the Sound of Mull into a steady 30kt wind with no problem. We also made the leg from Tobermory to Mallaig past Ardnamurchan in a "F5 to 6 then F7 perhaps F8 later" when the later was actually quite soon! I would absolutely not wish to repeat the experience but the boat coped with some very uncomfortable seas and 34kt winds extremely well.
 
From “International Code of Signals” 1969:

NK — there is not sufficient depth of water
NN — I am in … (number of feet or meters) of water (e.g. NN1M)

But I'm not sure someone who runs aground assuming that another boat has a keel will know these signals.

Edit: Found a link to an online copy! http://www.seasources.net/PDF/PUB102.pdf

Another thought. Standing in the water next to your boat is a giveaway. Perhaps you could have a mannequin for the purpose.
 
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Reminds me of the story about the boat that ran aground on the Pye Sands (Dovercourt Bay). Seems the skipper saw a small motor barge crossing the sands, concluded that he must know what he was about and followed, hoping for a shortcut into the Walton Backwaters. The barge ran aground and the sailing boat followed suite a short distance astern of it. The barge skipper sauntered aft and called to the sailing boat skipper - "I'm here to load gravel. What are you here for?"
 
this thread makes me both laugh - and also feel guilty.

It makes me laugh at the comments

but also makes me feel guilty that I would not care if depth challenged sailors went aground because they failed to look at their echo-sounders.

S13200081.jpg
 
dylanwinter said:
this thread makes me both laugh - and also feel guilty.

It makes me laugh at the comments

but also makes me feel guilty that I would not care if depth challenged sailors went aground because they failed to look at their echo-sounders.

S13200081.jpg
Click to expand...

Dylan,

when I managed to con BAE into funding my YMO course & exam, a fellow student was not entirely from this planet, doing ' competent crew '.

He remarked " one time we chartered a boat from Bucklers Hard, and I must say the instruments were perfectly calibrated; we watched the echo-sounder reading going down, and just when it said zero we hit the bottom ! "

Standing behind him was a Royal Navy Navigator, and if only I'd photographed his expression I'd never need to work again... :)
 
I have had lift keels all my sailing time .The present being a Kelt8.50. I sail out of Malahide North Dublin and has a sand bar. I have been followed in on a falling tide many times. I usually slow down to allow them catch up and then tell them I have a lifter,or I call them on the vhf and tell them they are standing into danger. It works most of the time.
 
If you're concerned, call them up on the radio. Modern tech, not this hoist a 'Q' flag upside down or set fire to your tar barrel nonsense.
Apologies if its already been said, I can't spend the time reading all posts.
 
Great photo DylanWinter.
Cid and ghostly moron -would someone that has not glanced at charts, tide tables or depth gauge be likely to be monitoring the VHF channels though?
Some ingenious ideas on this thread, so if you see a small yacht with a mannequin standing next to it, with a sign saying ‘let us tell you the good news about Jesus’, whilst using a torch to spell out ‘you are standing into danger in morse’ flying the U flag and with a mad woman shouting ‘just taking the duck for a walk’ -you know it is us :)
 
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