Keeping a Hurley 18 on a tidal mooring

[Squuges]

I am hoping to buy a Hurley 18 with a long fin keel, and I am wanting to keep it on a tidal mooring at Langstone harbour. Does anyone have any expirience with keeping a boat on that mud?

 

[duncan99210]

Hurley 18 has a simple long keel, not a fin. However, that semantics. It’ll sit nicely on mud or a harder bottom with beaching legs: I kept mine on a half tide mooring for a few years. The point is that you need a fore and aft mooring to keep it in the same place unless the bottom is really nice and flat throughout the area the boat can swing over. Getting one of the legs into a hole will put too much strain on the leg as the boat dries and likely damage the leg and/or the hull.

 

[PeterGR]

I am hoping to buy a Hurley 18 with a long fin keel, and I am wanting to keep it on a tidal mooring at Langstone harbour. Does anyone have any expirience with keeping a boat on that mud?

The level of anxiety I would have!
I had a fin keel boat go down on shallow mooring before and never again!
She swung over a not so flat area and was on her side. When the tide came back it was a disaster.
I don't think you don't want her pounding the bottom as the tide drops in concert with any bad winds or swells coming through either.
I wish you well!

 

[LittleSister]

Hurley 18 has a simple long keel, not a fin.

No, Hurley 18 has a long fin -



Here's a long keel (Halcyon) -

 

[Squuges]

Hurley 18 has a simple long keel, not a fin. However, that semantics. It’ll sit nicely on mud or a harder bottom with beaching legs: I kept mine on a half tide mooring for a few years. The point is that you need a fore and aft mooring to keep it in the same place unless the bottom is really nice and flat throughout the area the boat can swing over. Getting one of the legs into a hole will put too much strain on the leg as the boat dries and likely damage the leg and/or the hull.

Were there any problems with it on the tidal mooring and where was your mooring?

 

[Squuges]

The level of anxiety I would have!
I had a fin keel boat go down on shallow mooring before and never again!
She swung over a not so flat area and was on her side. When the tide came back it was a disaster.
I don't think you don't want her pounding the bottom as the tide drops in concert with any bad winds or swells coming through either.
I wish you well!

Thanks for you comment. Was she on soft mud?

 

[Squuges]

Here she is. My main concern is the rudder, it looks quite feeble and I am worrying it may bend when coming in contact with the mud. Or maybe I am just being paranoid?

 

[Stemar]

I don't know Langstone, but I'd be quite happy to put a long fin on my mud mooring in Portsmouth. The keel would just sink in the mud and the boat would stay pretty much upright. The mud on my berth is so soft that when I took out the log impeller at low tide, I got a sausage of mud flowing in. Other places may not be so accommodating.

 

[Squuges]

I don't know Langstone, but I'd be quite happy to put a long fin on my mud mooring in Portsmouth. The keel would just sink in the mud and the boat would stay pretty much upright. The mud on my berth is so soft that when I took out the log impeller at low tide, I got a sausage of mud flowing in. Other places may not be so accommodating.

That’s you that is very reassuring, Langstone is just next to Portsmouth, and from what I have read the mud is also very soft

 

[neil_s]

You do need to check out your mooring before you use it. I have a drying mooring in Chi harbour next door - it is right on the edge of a channel, if the wind is from the West, i dry out in the soft stuff and the boat stays upright and if it's in the East the ground is hard and she lies on her bilge.

 

[STOL71]

My main worry would be the rudder.

 

[Squuges]

well that’s that

 

[Rappey]

I look out my window and can see hundreds of swinging mooring boats.
The mud may be soft on the surface but it rarely holds a single keeled boat upright as it does not sink in enough.
Even bilge keels lean over sometimes where one keel does not sink in as deep as the other.
The sailing club pontoon has a huge amount of keels sat in the mud whilst along side when the tide is out so it's as dug up as can be possible yet boats still lean over when the tide goes out.
So my 10p worth, don't do it.

 

[Binnacle]

OK, that looks like a setback for your chosen area, but there are lots of sub-20ft yachts who have found good sheltered moorings in adjacent areas.

Have you thought of joining a club in the area ? Some clubs have their own moorings, and are also useful for storing a tender, and such luxuries as showers. Google search may give you a list.


Good looking boat BTW; looks really tidy. You must be well pleased.