Deliberate grounding.

carlton

carlton

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I need to access one of my impellers located (conveniently) in the lower half of the drive leg. Can't be accessed in the briney.

One option is to have the boat lifted, at a reasonable (in the eyes of the marina) cost. :eek:

Another option is to deliberately set the boat aground and flop gracefully onto one flank thus enabling access to the drive in question.

Problem is, I don't think I have the cojones to do it! :(

Anyone on here regularly/occasionally done this? If so, any tips?

(TIA).
 
Done it but?

Done it and not hard but with a full keel boat; just make sure she goes over on the side away from the rising tide preferably on sand; but why not go somewhere with a wall and drying pad, providing you have a boat that can take the ground.
 
Drying pad (the one at Brixham anyway) looks like a series of spaced railway sleepers on the harbour bed - usually next to a wall. Just provides a soft (non-keel damaging) solid surface to sit on.
 
Should not be a problem.A nice firm sandy surface is best,if you must sit on concrete try to get a bit of wood under neath the chine you are going to settle on .
Some places still do have a drying berth which normally consists on a lot of blooming great blocks of wood laid out so that boats can dry out but with room to get a hard broom or anti foul brush right under the bottom of the hull.


However my advice is to pay to get a lift out and ashore.
If you ground the boat in order to dry out three main problems occur you will get S***t all over the boat when you clamber in and out to adjust leg angles and stuff,get tools impellors and to make tea.
You will be on your knees in the gooey **** because the bits you need to get to will be so low down and your back will get its revenge later.
AND you will be racing the tide,knowing it is on its way back will mean that the job WILL be rushed and bet you a pound to a penny something else will need doing,that requires buying bits or getting info.
Get it lifted,do it at your leisure and in comfort.
Outdrives ....the devils own work along the mobile phone and sports boats.
 
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Sound words as ever O.G. (apart from yer usual sportscruisers and outdrives dig ;)). However, it's what i've got and I have to deal with it/them!

I think I have a dodgy impeller. Lift will be organised in November, but I'm just trying to squeeze a few more weeks out of the season on the basis that we've had a fair weather period for the past two years during September and October, and it looks as though that pattern may repeat itself. Look at the forecast for this weekend, for example.
 
Just had similar thoughts, I had a broken seacock. Contempated doing the drying out thing (and also posted about it on the bristol channel forum) but chickened out and had her lifted. I went for the lift and hold for an hour option - but on the last lift of the day which gave me all night to sort it. Fortunately the local the chandlery does shut early cos I needed a few extra bits. There always seems to be something unexpected. Fortunately the previous weeks soaking it in penetrating oil paid off and the old one just unbolted easily.
 
I regularly service or replace my outdrives between tides, leaning on the river wall sat on
gravel. On tidal Thames, I can get several hours, enough to service both drives, including new bellows.
I make the effort to keep her as near to upright as possible so that neither drive is too low to work on comfortably.
 
carlton said:
I need to access one of my impellers located (conveniently) in the lower half of the drive leg. Can't be accessed in the briney.

One option is to have the boat lifted, at a reasonable (in the eyes of the marina) cost. :eek:

Another option is to deliberately set the boat aground and flop gracefully onto one flank thus enabling access to the drive in question.

Problem is, I don't think I have the cojones to do it! :(

Anyone on here regularly/occasionally done this? If so, any tips?

(TIA).
Click to expand...

You dont state where your boat is located. If you let us know someone will advise on a suitable area to get your boat grounded i.e somewhere on the Hamble where spares are nearby. Dont think ther are any problems if you dont make it on one tide. If you come out at the top of the tide [springs] you could have up to 10 hrs. to complete the work which should take no more than 2.
 
WhiteMischief said:
Just had similar thoughts, I had a broken seacock. Contempated doing the drying out thing (and also posted about it on the bristol channel forum) but chickened out and had her lifted. I went for the lift and hold for an hour option - but on the last lift of the day which gave me all night to sort it. Fortunately the local the chandlery does shut early cos I needed a few extra bits. There always seems to be something unexpected. Fortunately the previous weeks soaking it in penetrating oil paid off and the old one just unbolted easily.
Click to expand...
You had a luck escape :)
My brother decided to do his when the tide was out (on mud)

It's surprising how high mud will squirt under pressure...:D
 
davedpc said:
...a suitable area to get your boat grounded i.e somewhere on the Hamble where spares are nearby....
Click to expand...

Thanks, but unfortunately I'm a long way from the Hamble.

Someone at my marina has just informed me that he believes there could be a drying pad close by. I'll investigate that possibility first.

Thanks for all suggestions, chaps!
 
If you can't find a "drying pad" then ask around for the whereabouts of a "scrubbing grid". I think that's the traditional name for the same thing.

We are on a drying berth and regularly induce the boat to lean to stbd or port depending on what work needs doing. We normally do this by putting extra weight on the "low" side.
Presumably when your legs are fully up they do not protrude below the transom. If they do then you have to choose somewhere soft to dry out, otherwise it may end in tears. I suppose you could still use a scrubbing grid but you have to be very precise in ensuring that you settle in the right spot.
 
My leg was off for three weeks last time I changed bellows thanks to the discovery of a white stripe through the oil, despite the bellows being fine. The problem was a worn seal inside on drives having less than 100 hrs on them.
Would frighten me to death to do anything below the water line that couldn't be sealed up effectively if there was a problem, without putting the boat out of harms way first.

Ian
 
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