Drying Out Advice?

[Tim Good]

Hi have just bought a boat that can dry out but have never actually done it before. I have a marina berth but wondered if someone could give me a nice concise guide to drying out while cruising.

Would you anchor and wait for the tide to drop or would you nudge in till you touch and then just drop the anchor there?

Would you consider drying out overnight and allow you to refloat / dry whilst you're asleep if on anchor and not a mooring?

Would you set an anchor off the stern to ensure you keep in line with the tidal flow?

Any advice or personal experiences appreciated.

Many thanks

Tim

 

[Romeo]

It kind of depends... you don't say what type of keel it is that you have.

You will probably want to be around when the boat takes the ground or floats. No problem if you are asleep on board when this happens..... I guarantee that you will wake up!

As to how high up the beach you go,ie whether to nudge in on a falling tide or anchor and wait, that may well depend upon when you want to leave again. The advantage of nudging in on a falling tide is that you can choose what you are drying out on top of.

A second anchor can be a good idea, although the situation may dictate as to whether you set both off the bow or one off the stern.

Enjoy the freedom of the quiet places, and the ability to walk ashore.

 

[catalac08]

A few points on drying out

1 Be clear about the sea below, rocks, stakes or things that might damage the hull
2 Be sure that you are not going to dry out on the edge of a steep channel and have the boat fall over downhill!
3 Be certain that if you nudge up to the ground that you are not on a falling sequence of tides that could leave you stuck up to 2 weeks-neaped is the expression for this.
4 If dried out on mud be very, very careful if wading ashore or to lay a kedge anchor. If you have to do it take a long oar or boathook with you to probe for soft spots and to help you walk in soft mud.-and wear a lifejacket. A pole of any sort helps enormously in mud.
5 It is usually better to let the boat swing with the tide if there is much current as the loads can be enormous if the boat is held across the current. An exception to this is running up a beach when a kedge anchor is often dropped and a bow ancjor laid when dried out. The good about this apart from lying nose into the beach is that you can pull yourself back into deeper water without risk of damaging your propellor.
6 Be careful that when the tide comes in you are not exposed to swell as bumping and pounding as the boat starts to float does not do the boat much good.

Drying out in the right spot is terrific, in the wrong place miserable and worrying for a few hours at best and a disaster at worst.

I have dried out hundreds of times and only had a problem 3 times and each time was avoidable with a little more care. I also once dried out only just clear of a 15ft deep, steep sided gully, not charted but I did wonder why in an area with moorings all around there were non just there so there were clues if I had looked for them.

Enjoy.

 

[Searush]

Rule 1/ make sure the location is sheltered & will still be when you lift again. ANY waves will break your heart if not your boat. Lifting a boat 3" & dropping it on hard sand is an awful experience, even if the boat can take it. 6" will frighten you to death.

Rule 2/ work out exactly how long you will be aground & when you will refloat. It is more iimportant to be aboard when it refloats that when it takes the ground, but it is still best to be aboard for both events!

I have only ever used a stern anchor once in a really narrow channel with strong tides. It was a disaster as the boat still dragged sideways & the two anchor warps ended up tangled despite being at opposite ends of the boat. Just let it swing on one anchor.

As to whether to anchor & let it dry or run aground, that depends on how long you want to be there, the state of the tide & the ground. I have done both with equal success.

The biggest advantages are the ability to anchor well inshore of most moorings & other boats where he water is dead flat & the ability to put a ladder down & let the kids just go for a play. You will need to have a way of calling them back when the tide is due in tho. We use the fog horn.

One final issue, using a sea toilet becomes an issue when aground. I collect a bucket of sea water before the tide departs so that the ladies can have a wee if necessary, but depositing solids - even after they have been mashed by the pump is NOT a good idea. Although, in extremis, you could take a small shovel to cover it with sand.

 

[savageseadog]

Drying out? Don't tie up near a pub.

 

[VicS]

Ive done both.

Which depends entirely on the circumstances and the reason for drying out.

the problem I have found with nudging into a sloping beach is keeping the boat at 90° to the shore if wind or tide are trying to turn it parallel to the shore. Dropping the kedge on approach can help.

Always be sure you will float off on the next tide.

An anchor laid out ready to swing to when the tide rises can be useful.

The most fabulous place I have dried out was among les Écréhous near Jersey.

Brilliant fine weather, dropped the hook on a sandy bit clear of rocks, waited for the tide to go away.. dug a bit of sand away from one keel to level the boat and spent the afternoon exploring on foot and swimming in the water that was left.

 

[jakeroyd]

Another poster has mentioned this but it bears repeating.

Have a look and see if the tides are making , ie next Hw will be higher or taking off ie. next Hw will be lower.

If lower this can catch you out if you ground the boat near to the Hw mark.

How do I know this .............

 

[onesea]

I went through this anxiety first 10 years ago when I first got a bilge keeler.

Actually both of mine where triple keels. I agree with all of above and would also like to point at some point there is little you can do.

Trust in your boat the stories I have heard of pounding on sand are not nice (Mainly soft mud round here so I avoided the few that where not).

Enjoy being able to cut corners but the first time you do it make sure the tide is rising. Tripple keels sailed into the mud on 3 sail reach (or even gently under engine) do not come out on falling tide, particualry when the local clubs evening racing fleet are sailing past .

If drying out and a boat has been there before expect some odd effects. My middle keel often sat on the harder mud in the middle then the side keels decided today I am going to tilt.... This way, for all the alarming lists and trims she has taken it did no harm.

Do not be cavalier just remember she probably designed to take more than your nerves can handle...

If your concerned give an area and boat type you will get a wealth of information on here.

Unless its a Macgregor 26...

 

[VicS]

And if the rudder is one that lifts off take it off or it will lift off and float away if you dont watch out.

 

[Tim Good]

Thanks for all the replies guys, very helpful.

It is a Beneteau 26ft with swing keel. The keel doesnt sit flush and draws about 75cm when up so I have little beaching legs to stop her from toppling if on sand. In soft mud she will sit happily without the legs. I know this since my Dads swing keel has a similar setup and has had it on soft mud drying mooring with no problems.

Area in question is the Bristol Channel and Will be based in Swansea from May. If anyone can recommend any especially nice places to dry that would be great. The Gower would be fantastic as I do love that coastline and the beaches do seem clear of rocks mostly.

 

[Coaster]

If anyone can recommend any especially nice places to dry that would be great.

If you get as far as Milford Haven I recommend Sandy Haven. Firm sand and excellent shelter but make sure you know where the channel is.

 

[LadyInBed]

Sums it up quite well. It's not often that you dry out in unsheltered areas (waves and hard sand) more often you dry either alongside a wall, nose to a beach or swing with the current on a river or estuary.
Some of the pitfalls can be:
alongside a wall - someone has dumped a shopping trolley over the side or a small boulder right where you don't want it. If it's a place where boats often dry then there should be no problem.
nose to a beach - cross currents can push you off line and small boulders. I always put out a kedge.
on a river or up an estuary - disguarded moorings, small boulders, holes / drop-offs in river bed and if amongst moorings swinging room. I do a couple circuits watching the echo sounder, then when I have laid the anchor I check along the sides with a shot line.
The only other point's are to ensure you have sufficient ladder to get off and on! And if you leave the boat at LW don't try to get back to it at HW!