drying out

[roberth]

Fisrt, a big and belated thanks to all of you who replied to my posts regarding a first boat back in the spring. I went for a Seamaster 925 and have no regrets - a great little heavy-displacement, seaworthy boat ideally suited for sailing off Newhaven and surrounding areas.

After sailing her round from Essex in June and enjoying several day-sails over the summer, we managed to catch the hot weather at the start of the month and headed down to Lymington and back over eight days. Pleased to say met some really helpful and friendly people on our first cruise.

My question is this. Has anyone any experience of drying out against a wall with a Seamaster or similar - fin keel, 5ft 6in draft. The reason is that I want to expand horizons beyond marinas/pontoons when visiting new areas, and would like to try a couple of smaller harbours near home first, including Rye. The quay dries to soft mud.

I have contacted the previous owner, but he said he never dared try.

I'm sure the boat is no more of a problem to dry than any other fin-keeler -unless any of you out there suggest otherwise.

Thanks in advance.

Robert

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[Clive_Rigden]

SWMBO has been trying to dry me out for years. She tryed me against a wall but I kept sliding down into the mud, so she's since tended to leave me there listing pretty much one way or t'other. Apparaenty, so long as there's some decent purchase I generally right myself and, hey-presto, I'm bobbing along good n stiff and ready for anything !

Glad you're enjoying the Seamaster. I'm bringing a Hustler 30 XM round from West Mersea to Beaulieu River at the end of October; tell me about your trip.
Cheers!


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[Evadne]

I kept my boat at Rye for the first season, and re-visited a year or so later. In my experience it is worth visiting by land to look at the state of the berth (I assume Strand Quay) and talk to the harbourmaster about the sluicing if [possible, because it varies between floating in gloopy mud to perched on hard sand. I've done both.

Re. drying out, the only real way is to try it and see. Most, if not all, boats are designed to dry out upright when sitting on their keels. This doesn't mean that you can wander around the deck safely when dried out but a 50kg person isn't easily going to tip over a 4 ton displacement boat, especially with a couple of thousand kg of lead or iron attached to the fin, unless she is particularly precariously balanced. If it were me I'd try and find somewhere that I could dry out against for a tide. From Newhaven this is probably Rye, unfortunately.

Rye is a nice place: if you get there, let me know if the Ypres Castle and the fish and chip shop at Strand Quay are still as magnificent as I remember them. It's also hard to spot: I used to anchor at the fairway buoy then head in on a compass bearing at, or 1 hour before, HW.
If you get caught out and have to anchor behind Dungeness instead, don't drop the anchor until you se the whites of the seagulls' eyes!

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[Ohdrat]

1. If possible check out the surface you intend to dry out on prior to drying out.. if too steep or v uneven or v stoney / bolders/ chunks of concrete / still girders etc then don't

2. Look along side the wall to see whether you will need a plank outside your fenders

3. Be v careful that you have long enough warps to let out as the water level drops

4. Check weather as I don't think drying out in a gale is something that you would want to experience..

5. Is your keel long .. if so is it level otherwise you may be in danger of going bow down on whatever you have dried out on..

There are probably a lot more points to think about but those are the ones that come to mind immediately!

If too dry head for the pub!

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[RupertW]

Rye's a harbour I've missed since moving from an old triple keeler to boats with fin keels. I agree it's a great place to stop if you can take the ground, but I think it'll be pot luck whether the mud is deep enough for the boat to be stable. If it works for you then I'd love to know as I've got a boat based in Brighton (although it's in Newhaven at the moment as I chickened out of sailing it back on Monday).

Like you I bought my boat on the East Coast (Felixstowe Ferry) and sailed it round this Summer, and alas felt I had to give Rye a miss.

Cheers

Rupert


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[Spuddy]

No first hand experience since 1975 but I live up the road and have sniffed about Rye.
There are certainly fin keelers berthed up the river. Finding a patch with gloopy enough mud is the thing. Assistant harbour master has a hurley 27 up there and is very helpful - reliable advice.
There's a dirty great ketch up at strand quay currently.
Be brave but tell us how it goes....spuddy

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[sailorman]

your 925 should be perfectly ok drying - out along side or on "scrubbing posts".
my Holman & Pye fin keeler is no problem done it several times to scrub / alter pitch of propellor.
my boat draught 6ft 3ins loaded

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[Haddock]

In a nutshell:

Speak to harbour master.

Go and look at berth(s) at low tide (spring low is best of course), to see the state of the bottom. Always be aware that there could be something sharp and nasty waiting down there for you. Broken pilings etc etc

Do your homework and only continue if you happy to do so.



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