how do you beach a twin keel ?

[oldmanofthehills]

Some small tension is good but it will bounce whatever on falling or rising tide. However its that chunky iron keel taking most of the initial impact just like on a drying mooring

An exposed lee shore in rough westher is a different matter

 

[Daydream believer]

No knowledge or experience yet, hopefully soon, , but I wonder if, with a seaward anchor, it might be worth putting some tension on it, perhaps with the help of weight, or the elasticity of a nylon rode, so that it gives you a bit of a tug out of the bouncy zone on refloating

What if somebody swings over it or somebody walks along the dry beach & has to jump over your rode?

 

[ducked]

What if somebody swings over it or somebody walks along the dry beach & has to jump over your rode?

OTOH, what if somebody trips over it or stubs a toe on my chain, which is perhaps more likely if its slack. Risky biziniz altogether.

 

[oldmanofthehills]

OTOH, what if somebody trips over it or stubs a toe on my chain, which is perhaps more likely if its slack. Risky biziniz altogether.

Oh my god, what if they walk into your boat expecting empty sand?

To be honest, most of your chain will be on the sand with only a short catenary near the boat - which is fairly visible - so only risk is they trip over half buried anchor. I fear folk are over thinking things. We dry out our long keeler on its legs several times a year and used to dry out our old bilge keeler similarly. Its really no more challenging than drying out on a mooring except one has to set anchors not grab pick up buoys

 

[Stemar]

No knowledge or experience yet, hopefully soon, , but I wonder if, with a seaward anchor, it might be worth putting some tension on it, perhaps with the help of weight, or the elasticity of a nylon rode, so that it gives you a bit of a tug out of the bouncy zone on refloating

Once I'm firmly aground, I tend to slacken off both fore and aft anchor lines so they aren't a trip hazard, but take up the slack as the tide comes in so the boat's held in place. When the time comes to leave, I'll stow the bow anchor - the landward end and, as we get near to floating, put tension on the stern line to pull me off. At this point, the engine's running, but in neutral - you don't want to be going astern on the engine with a rope dangling off the stern! Alternatively, if I can get to the stern anchor without getting wet, I'll stow it, and put the engine slow astern when we're close to floating so we go off as soon as we float.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

What if somebody swings over it or somebody walks along the dry beach & has to jump over your rode?

This is in fact what we do, but, whilst actually dried out, we leave it slack to prevent that. We only tension it 5 ins before we expect to float, when you'd be wading thigh deep round the boat. That tends not to happen, they’d see the rode hopefully if they tried it. You need to slacken both bow and stern anchors when dried to avoid trip hazards. Used to get the kids to bury then as a part of their general beach civil engineering, castle building etc.

 

[Neeves]

We learnt to beach stern first as departing, often in the dark, its easier to manouvre going forward. If you depart bow first you can also keep tension on the rode relatively easily which allows breaking free quicker. If we were staying on board we would deploy 2 stern anchors to keep the yacht roughly aligned (as the Slave Driver says - slackening off the rodes when it is actually dry removes trip hazards, unless you have slaves to bury the rodes.



Probably not the twin keeled yacht envisaged for the OP - but you can see the aft offset stern anchor, red rope (dyneema) off the starboard transom. There is a similar anchor on the port side. The stern anchors would be deployed from the dinghy with the engines in reverse, low revs). The stern anchors would be retrieved and stored in the dry - before the tide returned. The bow anchor would be retrieved as we floated off.

The bay we regularly used was only accessible by boat, so not many would be around to trip over the rodes. The location is/was of significance as there is a Government house, hidden in the trees behind the starboard transom, where the Petrov's were hidden when they defected.

Jonathan

 

[Roberto]

Also, keep an eye to where the dinghy is I once saw a picture of an RM (double fin keel version) floating back with its inflatable barely visible under the water surface, stuck under the hull.

 

[Refueler]

Think the OP has his answers !!

For me ... I consider :

1. Is beach sloping .... if yes - then its definitely Bow first ... if flat area for taking ground - then doesn't matter.
2. Anchor of Bow if nothing else at least ... to have boat still there when you return !
3. Have ladder that allows you to get off / on boat without need of dinghy
4. Make sure 'elbow room' and no other boats anchor rode can be fouled

Many other points / factors as well ... not least that 'other half' is not moaning about where / what / how !!

 

[peter gibbs]

how do you beach a twin keel on a beach ? go up to touch, lower the front anchor go with the dinghy cast the rear anchor.

Thank you for your advice

Spot your beach or river bank at low tide and land at least an hour before HW rising springs. Take a ladder to get down safely.

 

[Sailing steve]

Depends on why you're beaching.

For a quick hull scrub I'll go aground just as the tide starts to flood and hold the keels against the bottom with the engine ticking over but for longer I'll work the tides out and check the forecast wind direction for any predicted changes and go aground on the ebb at least a couple of hours after HW.

Obviously it's important to know what it is you're going aground on. Firm sand or shingle is good, knee deep Essex mud not quite so much.

 

[seeSimon]

Depends on why you're beaching.

For a quick hull scrub I'll go aground just as the tide starts to flood and hold the keels against the bottom with the engine ticking over but for longer I'll work the tides out and check the forecast wind direction for any predicted changes and go aground on the ebb at least a couple of hours after HW.

Obviously it's important to know what it is you're going aground on. Firm sand or shingle is good, knee deep Essex mud not quite so much.

My boat has a lift keel with bulb, a central spine skeg, and twin rudders. Built to sit like a "tripod", skeg + rudders.

I always go in bow first so as to try to offer some protection to saildrive and rudders. Perhaps A couple of hours before high water?
I lay my Fortress kedge, with a boat length of chain, off the stern on the way in.
This helps prevent any possibility of broaching, and allows you to haul off as soon as afloat - hopefully without needing the engine.
In my case the sail drive (and hence sea intakes) will be very close to the bottom, which risks prop damage on errant stones, and more likely filling your coolers with sand/mud.
Beware your own warp on the way out!

If you're worried about beach goers v anchors/warps (I often am, although dogs cr@pping/peeing on me/my gear has actually been the realistic risk!)...cut up some strips of hi viz and attach appropriately.
Never underestimate the stupidity of "emmets" (holiday makers) I've had folk "crabbing" underneath the dired out boat

 

[Stemar]

Perhaps A couple of hours before high water?

Do you mean after HW? Then way you can drive aground and stay put as the water drops. Before HW, you'll drift off as the water rises

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Do you mean after HW? Then way you can drive aground and stay put as the water drops. Before HW, you'll drift off as the water rises

That’s why the kedge goes out over the stern on the way in. You can regulate your position between the 2 anchors, useful if you are staying a few days. You might want to be higher or lower on the tide.

 

[Stemar]

I tend to go drop the kedge as I go in, run myself aground and put the bower out by hand when my feet will stay dry. That's much easier on a falling tide. It seems quite difficult to get the bower in position and dug in, in shallow water and a sloping beach from on board

 

[seeSimon]

Do you mean after HW? Then way you can drive aground and stay put as the water drops. Before HW, you'll drift off as the water rises

I see what you mean, and understand.

A. "Sometimes".

For me it depends on the beach and tide/current. Sometimes I drop the Bower from the bow and use it to keep me square on/aligned but don't usually dig it in.