Drying against post / wall question pls

wragges

wragges

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www.minstercomputers.com
Hi,

Planning on drying our our Seahawk this weekend against either drying posts or a quay call at Waldringfield.

I have never done this before on any boat with a significant keel, so I need to know what is the correct way to rig the lines to ensure she lays properly against the wall/posts.

I know I need to ensure a 3-5 degree lean-in towards the post/quay, how is this best acheived. What lines to do I need to set. Will the lines need to be re-set as she becomes aground etc. etc. How do I stop her falling warward / backward etc.

I recall seeing an article 'bout this in either YM or ST a year or so back, have turned the place upside down but cannot find it. Pls help.

Boat: is 34' fin keel (5' tall fin).
 
I'm no expert but i have tried it a few times. it all depends on what the ground is like below to how you sit. flat solid base is best. if you are mooring up against a wall do as you would normally do. long spings fore and aft to the quay and may be tie the mast to the wall and adjust as it goes down and plenty of fenders, fender boards are useful.

You can also put the anchor and boom over to one side too. but it may be better to keep some weight up front. on our boat all the weight is aft ie... kitchen, engine fuel and water tanks, raft, rubber boat and engine and there is no way of stopping it leaning backwards.

best of luck.
 
'Drying out my Fumar'

1. Be aware of what the keel is going to sit on. This involves either confidence in the harbour authorities word, or inspection on the previous tide, hoping that someone doesn't drive a car over the edge overnight.

2. Do proper tidal calculations to decide at what depth to dry (if on a sloping slip) or whether the tide is OK (won't be neaped or even remain partially immersed) for the tide choosen.

3. Take careful note with sounder, and use lead line or other manual means of checking depth in areas around hull (to be aware of slope, possible obstructions, hollows etc.).

4. Lots of fenders at contact point.

5. Tie using lines as long as possible, adjustable from onboard. Consider tensioning one with a water carrier suspended part way, or similar.

6. Place anchor and 10-15m of chain on side deck (shoreside). Lash boom to shoreward and hang emergency water carrier, gas bottle or similar from end to acheive slight heel.

7. Boil kettle or open beer and wait. As touchdown approaches, rig safety line. Dependent upon relative heights of quay, posts etc. I prefer a bowline around the mast made fast ashore as a breast line, just slack enough to 'run' down the mast as she settles, and tight enough to stop her falling away if required. I feel a halyard made fast ashore is tempting disaster in a few moments inattention come re-float time. If you use a halyard, remove as soom as operations underneath have ceased.

8. Adjust lines to keep fairly taught, with a slight heel, the compression of the fenders will give sufficient heel when dry.

9. If scrubbing, start from the dinghy as soon as settled, the level drops dramatically, and if the bottom goes dry it is 10 times harder to scrub.

10. If antifouling, consider a rinse with fresh water from a garden sprayer if a hose is not handy.

11. Have a couple of stout extra line ready to deploy at a moments notice in case of unforseen wash or something occurs just after drying. A well placed line to a foresail winch will probably put things right.
 
All of the above....

Didn't bother with chain, I knew she'd sit on her keel & rudder, ground was solid beams in a marina's drying grid.

but to check angle of heel - I just put a spirit level in the gangway, moved the rubber dinghy & spare fuel can so I had a slight heel on.
Had a halyard ready, just in case ... with a long line too ... put the kettle on, have a brew!
 
What shape is bottom of the keel? Many keels slope upwards from heel to toe, therefore nose-down when drying is likely.

Use long fore and aft lines (rather than breast ropes), that have room to self adjust as the tide drops.

If you can, take a spinny halyard ashore and make it fast to something solid. Keep some tension on it as the boat drops, to stop the embarrassment of an outward flop. If you don't have a spinny halyard, make another halyard up tight to the mast foot, and put a snatch block onto this halyard so that you can run a line from the snatch block to the shore.

Keep an eye on the mast as she drops to make sure shrouds or spreaders aren't going to catch on the wall or post.

If you fear the bow or stern might drop, make a line fast to the outboard mooring cleat and run it under the hull and back to the shore, to act as a sling.

Try not to move around the boat too much as she settles, you risk upsetting the angle of dangle.

Plenty of fenders, together with a fender board.

If you're agin a wall, handy if you can do it next to a ladder, so you can get ashore easily when she takes the ground.

Obviously, look for quiet weather.
 
If you use the posts at Waldringfield you should have few problems, I've used them several times & there is a solid concrete base with the posts well positioned.

Motor on slowly, against the tide if any is running, and get lines from the bow & stern onto the nearest post - this allows you to shuffle back & fwds till you are positioned with your keel betwen the 2 posts. I would have thought it unlikely that a Seahawk would have problems with fore/aft balance when stood on its keel, my Dufour presents no problems.

I then put a line from my mast base to the nearest post (just for security) and usually attach another line to the main halyard (ie from the masthead), taking this ashore so that I can correct the angle of the boat as she dries if need be, removing this once she's settled as it gets in peoples' way. I go for just a small angle of lean onto the posts, also usually put a horizontal fender between my topsides & the posts for a bit of protection.

Then just wait for the tide to fall and watch the lines to make sure I stay positioned on the pad with a slight lean in, put the kettle on and enjoy a chat with folks on the beach. Will very likely be down so will say hello if you're there!

Oh - and have a torch handy as it will be close to midnight when you float off on Sat /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
First time drying you will probably have a tendancy to lean further than you need to. I sit on my side deck (adjusting fenders till settled), and just make sure I have a line from my mast (low down is fine such as head height) to a post or something on the wall (in addition to normal mooring lines). Can control the amount of fore and aft dip by either springs (if cleats a good size) or lines round the mast. Not familiar with your underneath so not sure if you will want to sit on a skeg or something. Mine long keel so rather easier!

Agree with the comment about getting down there a.s.a.p. - much easier to scrub when wet.
 
[ QUOTE ]
a.s.a.p. - much easier to scrub when wet.

[/ QUOTE ] if you dont have a jet wash to hand. you cant beat a sponge mop to get the crud off, it's quicker than doing it by hand.
 
Waldringfield Posts

Lucky blighter!

Mirelle is two feet too long to be allowed onto the Waldringfield posts, so I have to use the Eversons ones (deemed unsafe and to be demolished shortly) or the Felixstowe Ferry Ones (very tricky and shallow - intended for fishing boats) since the Ramsholt landowners only allow "local" boats to lie against the quay wall there.

I have good reason to believe that the regulation limiting Waldringfield boats to 35ft OA was passed by the Waldringfield Fairway Committee, who deserve to be cast into the Outer Darkness amid much wailing and gnashing of teeth, very shortly after they kicked Mirelle out, in 1984, so as to nab her mooring for a "well connected" local.

She had moored there since long before there WAS a "Fairways Committee" and her owner, in good faith, had sold the mooring to me along with the boat, only to be told that he could not do so.

Anyway, there are only two organisations on the whole of the East Coast that I regard with hatred, ridicule and contempt and the Waldringfield Fairway Committee is one of them.

The other one is the West Mersea Yacht Club.
 
Re: Waldringfield Posts

I'm afraid I'm a humble boatyard tenant with little chance of acquiring a mooring, being neither well connected nor 'local' /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif Village property owners get first look in, followed by WSC members. The posts are very handy though. Am holding out on the Kyson FC waiting list to join you upstream...
 
Re: Waldringfield Posts

I would not want to land you in trouble! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Kyson FC are somewhat more reasonable. See PM.
 
Oh, getting back to the point - how to lean inward by 3-5 degrees

I find it best to put some weight on the "inward" side deck. The anchor and some chain, a filled water jery can, etc.

As has been said, no need to over-do it.

If you put a fender between boat and posts, the boat will squish the fender so that will add to the lean in.

...and remember to get all the equipment that you will need out of the ends of the boat... /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
 
Re: Waldringfield Posts

I'm a W.S.C member, does this mean I can forsake the muddy waters of the Colne and come to the Deben?? on the other hand as we have sensible scrubbing posts @ Wivenhoe perhaps its not a good idea!
 
Stability

Contrary to some other observations, if we assume that your have a moderately long fin like the Fulmar (or at least not a blade), you should find the whole thing very stable.

For sure we have had more than one person on the foredeck whilst dry, and have had 6 having lunch in the cockpit, whist sloping backwards on Lymington town slip. Whilst the 6 were in the cockpit, the engine, 200 lit. of water and 90lit. of diesel were sat beneath us.

If you have 4 feet or so of keel foot, it may look finely balanced, but believe me, it will be very well planted.
 
Well, after all the input from the forum we did it this weekend.

We checked out several options and managed to opt for what turned out to be the wrong one!

I looked at the drying posts at Waldringfield and could not see a good strong place to tie the mast halyard to, so I fell in favour of the quay at Waldringfield Boat Yard.

I telephoned them the day before and left a message to say what I wanted to do and why. By the end of the day I had not received a reply, so I called again and spoke to a nice lady who said yes, "that should be no problem, just make sure you arrive at the top of the tide".

So we did just that, I managed to slither on to the quay with less than 8 inches of water spare (yes the sounder really is that accurate). We tied up exactly as suggested in this thread and all seamed fine. The water dropped away and I was pretty pleased with myself.

It all worked perfectly. We had a masthead line ashore (just in case). But...

What I didn't account for was over 1 metre deep of the thickest gooeyist clay/mud/clag that God could have invented. The boat settled nicely at first, but then slowly her underbelly, prop, shaft, p-bracket etc. all disapeared into the clag. After another hour (once the water had receeded enough for me to get under the boat) there was no underside left to be seen anywhere. I estimate I would have had to excavate around 1 cubic metre of mud in order to see the p-bracket once again. So instead, by 3pm we went to the pub, where we had a really great time sitting and waiting for the next high water (just after midnight). So, a good time had by all.

She did settle lower at the stern (expected) but this would not have been a problem. Next time I will try the drying posts as recommended by Morzen. Which upon detailed inspection at low water, appear to be well, ideal really!

So, nothing found, nothing fixed, a large bill at the bar, serious sun burn, and all where happy.
 
Put lots of weight along the side deck closest to the posts so that you lean towards them. The anchor chain for a start then if you feel you want more several 25 litre cans of water.

But thats already been said!
 
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