DIY beaching legs?

[Kelpie]

I'm looking at buying an Albin Vega which has previously been fitted with stainless plates at deck level which are for beaching legs. The plates are firmly bolted to the hull and have one hole for attachment of the legs.
I presume I can simply use a sturdy but timber with a bolt through it? Plus of course fore and aft lines. I was wondering if it would be a good idea to drill a series of holes- like a stay adjuster- to give some flexibility in length. Also, I wonder what size of wood to use?

Thanks for any help.

 

[prv]

I was wondering if it would be a good idea to drill a series of holes- like a stay adjuster- to give some flexibility in length.

I've never used legs, but I'm told that length adjustment is indeed useful.

Pete

 

[NickiCrutchfield]

It really depends on whether you want to beach her occasionally of have her on a drying mooring. In the case of the former, then just stick the legs on and dry out. In the case of the latter more care is required. The first thing I would say, is make bloody sure that your legs are the weakest part of the set-up and there is room for her to settle on her side without damaging other boats in the event of a leg breaking. If the legs are too strong you will break the boat. In my, largely bad, experience of legs on drying moorings, I'd say don't bother with the extra holes as by the time you know what setting they need to be on you won't be able to adjust them as you'll be aground. An exception can possibly be made for properly screw-adjustable legs, but they are expensive and can't auto-adjust to changing swell patterns. Lastly, if you are thinking of taking a permanent drying mooring and you are ANYWHERE near a place which gets swell, make sure you are OK with damage to your boat.
For reference I'm in the Bristol Channel in North Devon and I've tried to have three long/long fin keelers here and have wound up in Bideford, safe from all weather, but five very tidal miles from the open sea.

 

[Kelpie]

Thanks for the replies. I'd be intending to use the legs for beaching once or twice a year, that's all. I'd seen the 'yachtlegs' at over £600 a pair and wondered why there were so expensive when I'm thinnking of using about £20 of timber...

 

[vyv_cox]

Thanks for the replies. I'd be intending to use the legs for beaching once or twice a year, that's all. I'd seen the 'yachtlegs' at over £600 a pair and wondered why there were so expensive when I'm thinnking of using about £20 of timber...

Yacht Legs are quite clever and include a good deal of engineering, so it is easy to see where the money is. Mine are the adjustable length ones, via a long lead screw, which is mounted on springs to allow some give when beaching in a little surge. The feature that scores highest over a home made setup is the socket mounting that allows rapid deployment, although this should not be too difficult to make. DIY ones should be perfectly OK but may be a pain to stow for use twice per year.

 

[Kelpie]

I'm sure I can find somewhere to stow them.... in my garage!
Nice photo by the way! I'd be petrified of drying out a fin keeler

 

[Boathook]

I'm looking at buying an Albin Vega which has previously been fitted with stainless plates at deck level which are for beaching legs. The plates are firmly bolted to the hull and have one hole for attachment of the legs.
I presume I can simply use a sturdy but timber with a bolt through it? Plus of course fore and aft lines. I was wondering if it would be a good idea to drill a series of holes- like a stay adjuster- to give some flexibility in length. Also, I wonder what size of wood to use?

Thanks for any help.

My parents long keeled boat many years ago had 'legs'. I seem to remember that they were about 5" by 5" timber and slightly shorter than the keel by a few inches. I sure that there have been articles around recently about them. Good luck.

 

[SAWDOC]

I'm looking at buying an Albin Vega which has previously been fitted with stainless plates at deck level which are for beaching legs. The plates are firmly bolted to the hull and have one hole for attachment of the legs.
I presume I can simply use a sturdy but timber with a bolt through it? Plus of course fore and aft lines. I was wondering if it would be a good idea to drill a series of holes- like a stay adjuster- to give some flexibility in length. Also, I wonder what size of wood to use?

Thanks for any help.

A guy in our club with a vega bought the skin fitting from one of the yacht leg companies and then paid a local to make up stainless legs to suit. He was happy with the finished product and I assume it worked out reasonable for him.

 

[andyo]

Gaff-rigged 30 footer I sail with my brother has home-made wooden legs (in fact, whole yacht is home made!) Legs are 3"x2", with a single hole for the ss bolt, wooden foot in a loose "hinge" about 12"x12". Fore and aft lines to fix it vertically. Settles well and seems very stable.

Andy

 

[vyv_cox]

Nice photo by the way! I'd be petrified of drying out a fin keeler

Don't know if this still applies but years ago there were two Sigma 33 s permanently berthed in Ramsey, IOM, on legs. The Sigma has a far deeper and shorter keel than mine but they seemed to have no problem. We have dried on the legs many times and wintered ashore on them twice.

 

[TamarMike]

Wooden legs can be built up and shaped to fit snugly against the topsides whereas fabricated legs often just have padded struts to hol them vertical. The only, but quite significant, minus point to substantial wooden legs is th difficulty in stowing them (if I need to carry mine the only place is on the side decks obscuring the saloon window and on top of the genoa carr/sheet).

whereas with a shallower draft and only half deck stowage was no problem on the old lugger...

 

[BobnLesley]

Hi Rob,
We have a Vega and somewhere on it, is an A4 Booklet issued years ago by the Owners Club, which gives a complete specification for making/fitting timber beaching legs; by the sound of things, the one you're considering already has the hull fittings.

I've looked around and can't find my copy anywhere - how can stuff hide on a twenty seven footer? - so I would suggest that you keep checking back on this thread for a day or two and wait for Steve Birch to reply (he must have a copy of said booklet, as he gave me mine) or alternatively go to the Owners Club Website (www.albinvega.co.uk) and track him down through that

 

[alahol2]

I made a pair for my Stag 28 from fence posts from B&Q. Put some blocks on the side to match the curve of the hull. Didn't have a hull plate so tied them (very firmly) to the centre cleats which I had beefed up with big backing plates. They were only used to dry out for craning out and back in.
They did the job OK, the fact that they were lashed to the cleats meant they had a little 'give' to take any slight pounding when drying out. Wouldn't want to carry them on board.

 

[RubyII]

Hi it’s and old thread I know . It on beaching legs do you have different feet for different sea bed conditions! Any experience! Thanks

 

[Kelpie]

Hi it’s and old thread I know . It on beaching legs do you have different feet for different sea bed conditions! Any experience! Thanks

Not that I've heard of. You wouldn't want to use them on very soft ground. The feet on the set I had were something like 8x14", from memory.