drying out fin keeler

[[3889]]

I recently tried drying out against a wall in my deep fin benny. The stern sank about 30 degrees below the bow until the spade rudder rested deep in soft mud. What I want to know is 1. whether this is bad for the boat and 2. is it safe to prevent this pitch with lines off the mast / stern?
Cheers
Andy

 

[andy_wilson]

1. Not realy, unless there is significant movement, for example twisting loads on the rudder whilst well immersed. More problematic for the effect it has on the ease in completing the task in hand.

2. Tricky one that. I would be very suspicious of a further tangle of ropes under the strain required to hold her level, let alone the effect on the stern cleats and mast / rigging.

More to the point, what is the local knowledge on the drying wall, or rather the bottom? If the norm is drying into soft mud, is there an alternative grid or concrete pad? Is your keel (I expect) fairly short in length (as opposed to depth)? If so drying in mud or a grid is fraught with such problems, and a concrete pad or known clean, firm bottom is the only sensible option.

 

[[3889]]

thanks for that Andy. Am I right in thinking if I dried out on a firm surface the boat would remain upright rather than tilt back on its rudder?
Andy

 

[oldharry]

If the hull is not strong enough to take steady loading of its own weight, then its not much of a hull! But then it is a Ben... harrumph! Seriously though, straigt loading like that will not strain anything seriously, unless there is excessive loading or twisting of the rudder and its mounts.

And no, you will not easily hold her level by using ropes. You may get considerbale loads - in the order of tons if you try to hold her upright, and although 'strong points' such as cleats will take reasonable loads, there is a real danger of simply tearing your cleats out! I have seen a boat this size topple over, tearing the sheet winches which had been used to hold her against the wall, clean out of the deck! Scary!

The only safe way is to pass ropes under the hull, and make very sure the bollard or whatever you fasten them to is capable of taking several tons strain. using the mast and rigging could impose massive loads in directions it is not designed to take. The rig is designed to hold itself and the sails up, in a balanced system, not to take heavy point loads in unusual directions. Which is why masts tend to fall down if any companent fails!

 

[JAYEL]

I have the same problem when drying out my Trapper 300. The boat gradually settles down as far as the rudder, so as soon as the water level allows, I lay a board flat on the mud/ sand/ shingle, and wedge a stut up under the P bracket. Seems to do the trick. As long as you dont dance about in the cockpit, there is not too much weight involved.

 

[oldharry]

Fine, but the further off balance she moves the more weight there will be on the supports.

If you can keep her level there should not be much load on the supports. But if she moves at all you would be in serious trouble if things are not strong enough. As I said above, I have seen what happens when things go wrong. They were very lucky no one was aboard or underneath