Lifting keel twin rudders - Drying mooring

[GeorgeLlewellin]

I am thinking of buying one of the following or something similar.

Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 32.2 Swing Keel
Beneteau Oceanis 311 Lifting Keel
Gibsea 362 LK Twin rudders

Does anyone have experience of keeping any of these on a half tide drying mooring. There is a hard bottom but there is a fairly stong tide while taking the ground and floating off, especially at springs. It would have a fore and aft mooring.

I know some of the designs with lifting keels and twin rudders tend to fall over when drying sometimes.

Thank you George

 

[jaustenstock]

Hi George, I have a Jeanneau 32 lift keel and although I do not have a drying mooring I regularly dry out whilst cruising. My big concern is that the twin keels are set well in so I feel there is a risk of tipping if there is any slope. I always check the bottom is flat and have not had a problem yet. I would not recommend one on a drying mooring if is there is any slope.
A couple of other considerations are that the windward sailing performance is not as good as a keel boat and manouvering in confined quarters with no prop wash is difficult at the best of times, in a strong cross wind you will have no control!!! I had a bow thruster fitted which has solved the problem but at a cost of 3k it is not cheap.
I really enjoy my boat particularly the option to go places keel boats cannot get into, a real boon on the busy solent.
Hope that helps
Jim

 

[wotayottie]

I can only repeat to you what Beneteau themselves said to me 2 years ago when I was looking - namely that their lifting keel boats are not suitable for drying moorings and are intended for shallow draft and occasional drying out. No doubt the same apllies to Jeanneau.

Try Southerly. Or Ovni. Or do what I did and go for a bilge.

 

[Tintin282]

Hi there,

We keep a lift keel GibSea 282 on a drying mooring with no problems at all and no worries. The key for us is that we have a large lump of cast iron under the hull and this is what she sits on. This means we never have any worries about drying out, we always know that the lump of iron will be ok! The lift keel pulls up inside this casting and is protected, we have not yet had any problems with it jamming. We also have a single rudder that swings up, with a very strong stock that ensures we dry out level. All I can say is that it works for us, and drying out causes zero stress.

Good luck with your search, a good lift keel boat is a real joy.
Matthew

 

[GeorgeLlewellin]

Thanks for your comments, my brother has had a Southerly 100 in the same creek for a few years, that works really well, but they are expensive. Thanks again.

George

 

[Andy_Smith]

I have a Gibsea 242. Your rudder sounds like it swings up. I assume a modification. Mind lifts vertically but still dries out stuck in the sand with quite a lot of weight on it. Could you send me a photo of your rudder please?

 

[Tintin282]

Hi there,

The swing keel is standard on the 282, and is in fact just like a sailing dighy swing keel - there is a large pivot in the stock! The smart part is the stock which is very strong, made of stainless steel, and keeps everything safe, and if you do dry out tipped astern it seems to take some of the load.

Sorry no picture to hand of my rudder!
Matthew

 

[dedwards]

We have a gibsea 84 with what sounds like the same arrangement to yours except our rudder is fixed.
We dried out for the first time the other week but it jammed the keel. Do you take any precautions to stop yours jamming? Also, are you not worried about your boat tipping sideways?

 

[Tintin282]

We have never taken any precautions to prevent jamming - and it has never been a problem on mud or sand. I've never worried about the 282 going off sideways, the metal keel is pretty broad and seems to be quite stable. I guess we don't run from side to side to test it though!