Drying legs - practical in fin keeler ?

pampas said:
Sent to me by another member to solve the problem but the HM would not allow it on a swinging mooring.
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Sorry to revive an old thread. Pampas, you posted an alternative to legs I believe, but the link/pic is not showing. Would you mind reposting for me?

I am considering the idea of drying a long keel with legs on a f+a mooring on sand and am researching options.

Much appreciated.
 
My last boat, an Invicta 26 lived in a drying harbour (April - October) on Yacht Leg Company legs for over 20 years, had to have a steel 'shoe' on the keel to prevent damage, but the legs were no problem at all.
See attached photo.
 

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Praxinoscope said:
My last boat, an Invicta 26 lived in a drying harbour (April - October) on Yacht Leg Company legs for over 20 years, had to have a steel 'shoe' on the keel to prevent damage, but the legs were no problem at all.
See attached photo.
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Excellent, thanks for the photo.

I would very much like a boat which can dry regularly. A bilge keel is the obvious choice, and high performance is not at the top of my wish list. But... styling is important for me and I love the lines of a classic yacht with stern overhang. The long keel + leg option seems to fit for me.

I've read that its advisable to use legs only on a f+a mooring, which I would, but I suspect the use of a stern kedge anchor would help elsewhere.

Looking for something in the 30-40 foot range.

Any thoughts?
 
Sorry 30-40’ yachts a bit out of my league but I have always had a fantasy about having a Contessa 32.
I would agree that legs on a swinging mooring are NOT a good idea, but for/aft mooring worked for the Invicta.
Have now gone to a bilge keeler (Sadler25) which has opened up visiting some anchorages which were not really practical with the Invicta, but I do sometimes miss the sailing qualities of the traditional long keel.
 
Here is a Contessa 32 on legs:

15441950304_fb99c6eb25_c.jpg


Not that I am recommending it. Have a look at the Barbican 33 long keel with 4 ft draft + board.
 
grahambaines1987@outlook. said:
Excellent, thanks for the photo.

I would very much like a boat which can dry regularly. A bilge keel is the obvious choice, and high performance is not at the top of my wish list. But... styling is important for me and I love the lines of a classic yacht with stern overhang. The long keel + leg option seems to fit for me.

I've read that its advisable to use legs only on a f+a mooring, which I would, but I suspect the use of a stern kedge anchor would help elsewhere.

Looking for something in the 30-40 foot range.

Any thoughts?
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Our Deb 33 has beaching legs, with the lifting keel this works well. Similar performance to a Co32 but more internal space. Ours is tiller steered but a few were made with wheels.

Ours will be going on the market in a few months time so if you're interested drop me a line :)
 
Kelpie said:
Our Deb 33 has beaching legs, with the lifting keel this works well. Similar performance to a Co32 but more internal space. Ours is tiller steered but a few were made with wheels.

Ours will be going on the market in a few months time so if you're interested drop me a line :)
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Thanks Kelpie, I'll keep that in mind, though I won't be seriously looking to buy for a year or so at least.

I wonder weather legs are the safest choice for me (even in a sheltered estuary), as I work away at sea for 10 weeks at a time so can't monitor closely and remedy any problems.

Leaving a lift keel in the muddy sand for such long periods is debatably unwise as well.

Bilge keel is the obvious choice but my heart yearns for something wooden with more classic lines than bilgers can provide.

A cradle would at least work in my home port of Looe (if I ever get to the top of the morning waiting list - still waiting for a reply from the harbour commissioners).

Cheers
 
grahambaines1987@outlook. said:
Thanks Kelpie, I'll keep that in mind, though I won't be seriously looking to buy for a year or so at least.

I wonder weather legs are the safest choice for me (even in a sheltered estuary), as I work away at sea for 10 weeks at a time so can't monitor closely and remedy any problems.

Leaving a lift keel in the muddy sand for such long periods is debatably unwise as well.

Bilge keel is the obvious choice but my heart yearns for something wooden with more classic lines than bilgers can provide.

A cradle would at least work in my home port of Looe (if I ever get to the top of the morning waiting list - still waiting for a reply from the harbour commissioners). Cheers
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Provided lift keel is heavy iron thing not a dagger board it will drop down soon enough as tide rises, particularly if it has a bulb as did my second boat. I note the cradles in Looe with interest though. We have to dry out against the wall on our visits
 
Legs.jpg

We use legs on our 17t 43ft boat. We have let her re-float and dry again whilst swinging to an anchor but we were on board. Would I sleep well knowing she was doing it on her own with me ashore? Probably not. The French seem happy to do it though.

I'd be more relaxed if it were a bildge keeler for sure. Perhaps if it were a trot mooring also it would be a lot better.
 
Friend of friend has a Fisher 25 which he moored fore and aft with legs to hold it balanced. This was fine for several years but, on one occasion, one leg sank in a bit, the whole weight came on it and it gave way. The boat was almost swamped but largely undamaged. He moved to a marina berth the following day. This has put me off legs permanently. Not worth taking the risk except when in attendance while drying out.
 
The French do it all the time. I suspect the physics are the same across the channel. It needs hard sand and is pointless in soft mud, just dont do it in medium ground or where strong currents can swirl across boat as it settles.

I am in the middle of buying a second hand set of metal legs, though I mostly would be in attendance on my intended usage.
 
oldmanofthehills said:
The French do it all the time. I suspect the physics are the same across the channel. It needs hard sand and is pointless in soft mud, just dont do it in medium ground or where strong currents can swirl across boat as it settles.

I am in the middle of buying a second hand set of metal legs, though I mostly would be in attendance on my intended usage.
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Agreed. A few fin keepers on fore-act moorings on legs on Belle Isle, Brittany. Also some up the rivers with shore lines which seem to rise and fall ok.
 
Many years ago, we dried out in Ilfracombe. Alongside us was a classic wooden boat with nice lines, a long keel and an open low freeboard cockpit. As the tide dropped, the crew rigged legs. I commented to SWMBO that they looked new but also like soft wood.

Ilfracombe (then) had a very thin coating of mud on hard sand. Watching with horror, as weight came on leg, it could be seen to bend and eventually, with the most horrendous cacophony of creaking and cracking, the boat rolled over onto the leg and the mast ended up horizontal.

A surveyor was summoned and fortunately found no serious damage.

The harbour rallied round sourcing everything with buoyancy and clustered it around the cockpit. Fortunately, to everyones relief she did right herself.

Telling that story now several decades later, still causes the hairs on the back of my neck to become erect.:ambivalence:
 
vyv_cox said:
This one was taken in Belle Ile. The alternative was to moor bows-in with about ten other boats on a buoy that on the day was quite exposed to wind and waves. No contest!
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Vyv... do you legs have a kind of protective varnish coating on the Aluminium. Mine do. Do you know what that would be?
 
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