Going up the mast of a bilge-keeled Westerly Falcon, whilst she's ashore?

[geem]

I was in the Isles of Scilly a few years ago. A French yacht came in to Green Bay on Bryer and dried out. Once the water had gone, to my astonishment I realised that it was a long Keeler. No legs. It just sat there. The couple happily living aboard without a care in the world.
I cannot see how a 75kg load at the top of a mast could pull over a 6000kg boat. They don't blow over easily even in gusts of 100mph when the pressure on the mast area would be extreme. How could a 75kg guy exert anywhere near that kind of sideways force?
Chances are that if you fastened a rope to the top of the mast and started pulling sideways with a vehicle that you would break something before the boat pulled over. It's not going to happen

 

[steveeasy]

No it wasn't.

Some have suggested that ashore is, in some ways, safer than afloat: I think there is some merit in that argument (eg no risk of being buffeted by wash

I am not at all convinced by the "water is softer to hit" type of logic, for reasons already discussed.

Neal,
Its not about the water being softer. its about making sure you dont fall or get whipped in to the air. I think we have established your bilge keeler is so stable and heavy it would never move, oh unless a keel is on its way out or the yard owners huge tractor does not crash in to your boat while your up the mast. All Joking aside, they are all scenarios I would consider before sending anyone up in the air. Its just being sensible.

Steveeasy

 

[NealB]

Neal,
Its not about the water being softer. its about making sure you dont fall or get whipped in to the air. I think we have established your bilge keeler is so stable and heavy it would never move, oh unless a keel is on its way out or the yard owners huge tractor does not crash in to your boat while your up the mast. All Joking aside, they are all scenarios I would consider before sending anyone up in the air. Its just being sensible.

Steveeasy

The "water is softer" argument, is not mine!

I think there is absolute unanimity, amongst those in this thread, that it is eminently sensible to consider different scenarios before sending anyone up in the air.

 

[NealB]

............ you could probably have a substantial party on the bow of the OP's 34 ft Falcon without it tipping.

Hey, care needed with that one: it might be during a lockdown.

 

[Praxinoscope]

When we had a Leisure 17 on a drying mooring, one of the adjacent boats was a Hurley 20. At every low water it would nose dive so was very unstable. I'd have shifted some ballast so we could have enjoyed nights aboard.

Obviously a sailor with good judgement along with many others, a one time Leisure 17 owner, our 17 was on a drying swinging mooring, but we’re surrounded by 8m Catalac’s.