Long Keeler and Mud Moorings

[Nina Lucia]

We changing location this summer from deep water swinging mooring to the swinging moorings that are on soft mud giving about 3hrs either side of a high tide. Boat is Vancouver 27 Long Keel. Any big disadvantages, except not be able to get to the boat at low tide?

 

[Davy_S]

Any big disadvantages, except not be able to get to the boat at low tide?

If I have understood this right, the boat will land on the mud at half tide?
I can see lots of problems, including the long keeler falling over and flooding on the incoming tide!

 

[graham]

Depends how soft the mud is ,If soft enough for the boat to sink into then no problem at all theres whole harbours full of boats with all keel types sat happilly in mud around here.

 

[rob2]

After a few days, the boat will have dug its own puddle to settle into at low tide. Typically during Springs, the boat will be standing with the water somewhat lower than the waterline, but sufficient floatation to keep her upright(ish).

The down side is that the mud will coat the keel, blocking the antifouling and promote marine growth. Two ways of combatting this - do lots of sailing and find some free scrubbing piles with a pub next door (scrub off and then sup until she refloats). Of course, if you know a compliant diver you can still go to the pub as you have to buy him copious beers in payment!

Rob.

 

[1937rogerdon]

Keeler & mud moorings

I had a Vancouver 28 and a V 32 sitting in a mud mooring with no problems,although this was a trot mooring which kept the boat pinned within a small area, they then dug a soft berth. Many long keel boats in the Bristol Channel lay in mud berths and whilst they may lay on there side when dried out they never fail to lift.

 

[prv]

I have a long keel, although not a very deep one. We go down and up in the mud with no problem whatsoever, albeit tied alongside a pontoon rather than a swinging mooring. If the mud is nice and soft, you sink into it while still afloat, and then the mud solidifies around you as the water runs out of it. We get about half an hour during which the motion of the boat gets slower and slower, and then at the end of that we stop where we are. If I've been sitting on the side-deck while the mud stiffens up, we'll stay at that slight angle. We don't come down and "land" on the bottom as such - we're well buried before the mud is hard enough to hold anything.

If you have soft mud you'll sink in like that. Some places don't, from what I hear, and others are OK only once a boat has softened up a hole for herself.

What other boats are in the same place?

Pete

 

[prv]

Apart from the falling-over question, which I now realise wasn't really what the OP was asking about, the main disadvantage we've had is that the mud seems to have accelerated the corrosion of the stainless-steel fitting that provides the hinge between the bottom of the rudder and the hull. It's been fine for nearly 20 years (I assume), but after only one season on our drying berth, it lost quite a bit of metal in places. We're having a new one made in bronze by Classic Marine, which I hope will fix it.

You need to use hard antifoul, of which there seems to be less of a choice, and it will also build up over the years more than self-eroding.

If you're on board while dried out, you can't flush the head unless you saved a bucket of water while there was still some around you

Pete

 

[VicS]

Sometimes they dig a hole, sometimes they don't.

Marie of Itchenor ( a Tamarisk ??) lived on a mooring near mine for a number of years ( Now sold and taken away).

I guess the owners didn't sleep on board while on the mooring !

 

[Davy_S]

After a few days, the boat will have dug its own puddle to settle into at low tide

I used to have a half tide mooring, but against piles, so yes the keel dug itself a nice hole to sit in. On a swinging mooring surely the yacht wont lie in the same place every time, what about strong winds from differing directions?

 

[Scotty_Tradewind]

My Twister was sat in mud on low springs early in my ownership.
Best to check the engines water intake filter fairly often, especially in a period where she has sat in mud on low springs. Don't try starting the engine if you know she is still settled in the mud otherwise the water intake may block.
Depending upon how much silt there is, you may find the cutlass bearing and the rudder pintles will wear faster possibly due to abrasive silt.
I replaced the propshaft and cutlass bearing 2 seasons ago. The shaft had much wear where it went through the cutlass bearing.
I'm on a much deeper swinger now and I've fitted a water fed stern gland to my boat recently, instead of a grease fed one, so that the cutlass bearing is now immediatly washed through with water as soon as the engine is started. Then hopefully any grit which finds its way in there is washed out before she goes into gear.





www.sailingscotty.com

 

[Evadne]

My boat (4' 2" draught, narrow beam, long keel) spent a year on a half tide mud mooring, some years ago. The main problem I had was the cockpit drains getting blocked with mud. A quick suck and blow with a sink plunger will clear them, as long as you don't leave it too long to compact.

 

[Avocet]

Avocet spent a while on a drying mud berth in the river Wyre next to a jetty. She's a long keeler with a cut-away forefoot and draws 4'6". She was OK provided she always went down in the same place. Big tidal range meant it was quite tricky to ensure that happened and, of curse, the rubbing strake took a battering.

We also tried her in drying mud in North Wales for a few weeks, next to a pontoon (that also dried) but she didn't "dig a nest" in that mud. I came by at low water to see her "hanging" off the pontoon, from her mooring cleats - leaning outwards!

As has been said, a lot depends on the mud, the boat, and getting it to settle in the same place every time. Not ideal, from my point of view.

 

[NUTMEG]

Hurley 27 at our club seems to manage (long keel version), everyone else has twin keels. Only problem I can see is the big brown stains she always has above the boot line. Looks a bit odd leaning over too.

 

[john_morris_uk]

If I have understood this right, the boat will land on the mud at half tide?
I can see lots of problems, including the long keeler falling over and flooding on the incoming tide!

I can't think of many (maybe NONE) boat I have sailed, known or had dealings with that would flood on the incoming tide after drying out on their side. Its really bad design that has such a bad habit/trait. Perhaps there are some old narrow gutted classics which would have such a problem, but most cruisers that people sail around on nowadays will dry out on their side and lift again without too many dramas. Its not comfortable - but you don't flood. In fact water often barely comes over the toe rail and onto the deck before many boats start to lift; the keel is still aground - and thats 30/40% of the weight.

 

[Poignard]

Here are some pictures from the Twister Class Association website that might provide some reassurance. Mind you, the result could be very different if there were any waves to lap over the cockpit coaming.

http://www.twister.org.uk/techfaq/index.php?action=artikel&cat=8&id=27&artlang=en

 

[Davy_S]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Avocet spent a while on a drying mud berth in the river Wyre next to a jetty.

Yup, thats where I used to be! I saw many a yacht aground for the night on the way to Fleetwood.

 

[Scotty_Tradewind]

Here are some pictures from the Twister Class Association website that might provide some reassurance. Mind you, the result could be very different if there were any waves to lap over the cockpit coaming.

http://www.twister.org.uk/techfaq/index.php?action=artikel&cat=8&id=27&artlang=en

Twisters..... very special little ships!
Could it make any difference to the buoyancy that 'Scorcher' is an all wood Twister?




www.sailingscotty.com

 

[Poignard]

Twisters..... very special little ships!
Could it make any difference to the buoyancy that 'Scorcher' is an all wood Twister?




www.sailingscotty.com

I don't know. You have an all-glass Twister - are you willing to try it out? In the interests of science. of course.

 

[Ceirwan]

If its soft mud she'll settle upright or with a light list up to the waterline no matter what the keel type.

 

[Ubergeekian]

I don't know. You have an all-glass Twister - are you willing to try it out? In the interests of science. of course.

As long as she won't fill and sink at a particular level of heel when sailing, she won't fill and sink at the same level of heel when aground.