My boat is stuck!

T

tomo45

New Member
Joined
8 Sep 2009
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Lancashire
www.ybw.com
Hello everyone,

This is a little bit hard to explain but il try my best. A couple of days ago after purchasing my first yacht, i ventured to moor it down a river bank not far from me. I waited till high tide and dropped it in the river from a slip way, however the first problem occured when i hit a shallow point in the water and got it stuck in the mud, so i waited till the next high tide (which was at 2 o clock in the morning) to get it afloat again, but as you can imagine it was pitch black and i could'nt see a thing, i could'nt even tell if my yacht was moving. As it happens i ended up at the opposite side of the river (in a field near enough) and got it stuck again. It was a 9.7 tide, i don't believe anything less then that would be high enough to put it afloat again. Only problem is that the next tide equal to that is'nt till next year. I know it sounds confusing, but does anybody have any ideas about how i can get it afloat again?
 
I'm not sure I have any practical advice except to suggest that you give a reasonably precise location of your boat so that those with expertise and/or local knowledge can give advice. You are almost certainly not the first to have done this.

A recent PBO had an article about how to get your boat unstuck. 1) Lighten it so it floats in less water 2) Tow it 3) lean it over to reduce draft 4) Kedge it out with a kedge anchor, were some of the suggestions, but you do need some water obviously.

Tim
 
Not that confusing. A fair few of us have gotten stuck at one time or another, and even fewer willing to admit it!

Not knowing the particular stretch of water etc I would say your options are:
1) I suspect you will need the assistance of a motorboat to get off, all depends on how "high and dry you are". Suggest you pop down the local club/harbour master and ask for some advise/assistance.
2) try and lighten the boat as much as possible, ie taking as much kit off as possible;
3) not sure what keel configuration you have, but you way also get some benefit from heeling her over when you come to move here. Swing the boom out, and hang something heavy off the end, small crew member generally works best :)

Good luck, but start with 1 above!
 
Well my boat is stuck on the coast of the river wyre, however i don't imagine anybody from that area looks at these forums due to its relevent obscurity and decadencey.
 
Bad luck; however, since the UK was under an anti-cyclone a few days ago, you might be very lucky and find that the next set of spring tides is near enough as high as the one that you got stuck on. Do as Alfie suggests and also, if you can, dig a trench for the keels to move through. Dig the kedge anchor in well.
 
Hello, and commiserations.

I guess you're in the Wyre & quoting tidal heights for Fleetwood?

19' Caprice - bilge keel, I presume? Draws ~0.8m?

At the end of this message are predictions for the tides at Fleetwood for the next month (from a program called 'X tide' - heights may differ a bit from your tables).

I think you've got a digging job on your hands!

I would guess (again! sorry) that the bottom 0.5m of the boat's draft is just keels, so there's no buoyancy from the hull until the tide is within ~0.3m of the tidal height that you went aground (was it the top of the tide?).

Is there any way of getting a lorry with a hiab pick the boat out? Otherwise, I think you're stuffed until the first week in October, and even then the tide is predicted to be ~ 0.7m lower than the highest tide in the last week, or so.

What sort of ground is the boat on? You may be able to get timbers underneath the keels and slide it closer to the water using greased planks as skids, maybe.

If you let us know whether these details are roughly right, hopefully you'll get some more optimistic suggestions. :)

Will give it some thought...

Andy

Code: 
Feetwood, River Wyre
Units are meters

Thursday 2009-09-10   
  High Tide:   2:56 BST   9.09
   Low Tide:   9:37 BST   1.97
  High Tide:  15:18 BST   8.69
   Low Tide:  21:56 BST   2.19

Friday 2009-09-11   
  High Tide:   3:40 BST   8.58
   Low Tide:  10:22 BST   2.46
  High Tide:  16:05 BST   8.23
   Low Tide:  22:47 BST   2.63

Saturday 2009-09-12   New Moon
  High Tide:   4:35 BST   7.99
   Low Tide:  11:19 BST   2.95
  High Tide:  17:07 BST   7.74
   Low Tide:  23:56 BST   3.00

Sunday 2009-09-13   
  High Tide:   5:48 BST   7.47
   Low Tide:  12:35 BST   3.30
  High Tide:  18:28 BST   7.46

Monday 2009-09-14   
   Low Tide:   1:25 BST   3.09
  High Tide:   7:20 BST   7.34
   Low Tide:  14:08 BST   3.27
  High Tide:  19:57 BST   7.64

Tuesday 2009-09-15   
   Low Tide:   2:55 BST   2.71
  High Tide:   8:43 BST   7.70
   Low Tide:  15:29 BST   2.79
  High Tide:  21:10 BST   8.23

Wednesday 2009-09-16   
   Low Tide:   4:05 BST   2.03
  High Tide:   9:47 BST   8.32
   Low Tide:  16:31 BST   2.12
  High Tide:  22:07 BST   8.94

Thursday 2009-09-17   
   Low Tide:   5:01 BST   1.32
  High Tide:  10:38 BST   8.97
   Low Tide:  17:21 BST   1.47
  High Tide:  22:56 BST   9.61

Friday 2009-09-18   New Moon
   Low Tide:   5:48 BST   0.75
  High Tide:  11:23 BST   9.50
   Low Tide:  18:06 BST   0.98
  High Tide:  23:40 BST  10.10

Saturday 2009-09-19   
   Low Tide:   6:31 BST   0.41
  High Tide:  12:05 BST   9.86
   Low Tide:  18:47 BST   0.70

Sunday 2009-09-20   
  High Tide:   0:22 BST  10.34
   Low Tide:   7:11 BST   0.34
  High Tide:  12:45 BST   9.98
   Low Tide:  19:26 BST   0.68

Monday 2009-09-21   
  High Tide:   1:02 BST  10.31
   Low Tide:   7:49 BST   0.54
  High Tide:  13:24 BST   9.88
   Low Tide:  20:04 BST   0.88

Tuesday 2009-09-22   
  High Tide:   1:41 BST  10.00
   Low Tide:   8:26 BST   0.96
  High Tide:  14:02 BST   9.56
   Low Tide:  20:41 BST   1.28

Wednesday 2009-09-23   
  High Tide:   2:21 BST   9.47
   Low Tide:   9:01 BST   1.53
  High Tide:  14:41 BST   9.07
   Low Tide:  21:19 BST   1.82

Thursday 2009-09-24   
  High Tide:   3:01 BST   8.78
   Low Tide:   9:38 BST   2.19
  High Tide:  15:21 BST   8.46
   Low Tide:  21:59 BST   2.43

Friday 2009-09-25   
  High Tide:   3:44 BST   8.01
   Low Tide:  10:17 BST   2.86
  High Tide:  16:07 BST   7.80
   Low Tide:  22:45 BST   3.02

Saturday 2009-09-26   First Quarter Moon
  High Tide:   4:36 BST   7.27
   Low Tide:  11:05 BST   3.46
  High Tide:  17:04 BST   7.19
   Low Tide:  23:44 BST   3.52

Sunday 2009-09-27   
  High Tide:   5:49 BST   6.70
   Low Tide:  12:11 BST   3.90
  High Tide:  18:27 BST   6.82

Monday 2009-09-28   
   Low Tide:   1:05 BST   3.76
  High Tide:   7:26 BST   6.55
   Low Tide:  13:41 BST   4.01
  High Tide:  19:57 BST   6.88

Tuesday 2009-09-29   
   Low Tide:   2:35 BST   3.60
  High Tide:   8:43 BST   6.84
   Low Tide:  15:04 BST   3.72
  High Tide:  21:03 BST   7.28

Wednesday 2009-09-30   
   Low Tide:   3:41 BST   3.15
  High Tide:   9:37 BST   7.33
   Low Tide:  16:01 BST   3.21
  High Tide:  21:51 BST   7.80

Thursday 2009-10-01   
   Low Tide:   4:28 BST   2.61
  High Tide:  10:17 BST   7.86
   Low Tide:  16:44 BST   2.66
  High Tide:  22:30 BST   8.34

Friday 2009-10-02   
   Low Tide:   5:06 BST   2.09
  High Tide:  10:52 BST   8.37
   Low Tide:  17:20 BST   2.14
  High Tide:  23:04 BST   8.85

Saturday 2009-10-03   
   Low Tide:   5:41 BST   1.64
  High Tide:  11:24 BST   8.83
   Low Tide:  17:55 BST   1.71
  High Tide:  23:37 BST   9.28

Sunday 2009-10-04   Full Moon
   Low Tide:   6:15 BST   1.30
  High Tide:  11:55 BST   9.21
   Low Tide:  18:28 BST   1.39

Monday 2009-10-05   
  High Tide:   0:09 BST   9.59
   Low Tide:   6:49 BST   1.11
  High Tide:  12:27 BST   9.47
   Low Tide:  19:03 BST   1.22

Tuesday 2009-10-06   
  High Tide:   0:42 BST   9.76
   Low Tide:   7:23 BST   1.08
  High Tide:  13:00 BST   9.59
   Low Tide:  19:38 BST   1.21

Wednesday 2009-10-07   
  High Tide:   1:17 BST   9.75
   Low Tide:   7:58 BST   1.23
  High Tide:  13:36 BST   9.55
   Low Tide:  20:16 BST   1.36

Thursday 2009-10-08   
  High Tide:   1:55 BST   9.54
   Low Tide:   8:37 BST   1.55
  High Tide:  14:15 BST   9.32
   Low Tide:  20:57 BST   1.66

Friday 2009-10-09   
  High Tide:   2:37 BST   9.13
   Low Tide:   9:19 BST   1.99
  High Tide:  14:58 BST   8.93
   Low Tide:  21:44 BST   2.06
 
On a river, heavy rain can increase tide depths as can strong winds pushing the flood offshore, but a low pressure system is the best thing for deeper water. However, you are relying on chance for any of these ot coincide with a high tide - but it can happen.

As MrG says, digging is a good start, make a channel (at least 2-3' deep)towards deep water, if there is a tree or other strong point across the river take a line to it & back to your sheet winches & dig the trench directly towards the strong point. You may then be able to winch her back into the water yourself. A powerful hose or powerwash if you have a power supply available would be a good way of making a trench. Perhaps you could hire a petrol powered pump & use the river water to blast a trench & soften the mud under the keels.

You might also try empty plastic barrels tied between the keels to help her float a little higher - but a bit hit & miss really.
 
You have my sympathy! It's well over 10 years since I sailed on the Wyre estuary, but you're by no means the first to get stuck on there, and I'm sure you won't be the last! I'll understand if you don't want to give a precise location, but I used to trail and sail from the Blackpool and Fleetwood YC many years ago. The most difficult bit was the first bend in the river between the club and ICI. I imagine it will have silted up even more in the last 10 years! The water on the Wardleys side can be pretty shallow.

As has been said, your only real option is to start digging. I imagine you're a bilge keeler so that's two trenches in whatever direction gets you to deeper water quickest. Well worth taking a walk down there at low water and taking some bearings from the boat to some landmarks on the opposite bank. You'll need two objects, one as close as possible to the opposite bank and the other some distance behind it on the same bank. Keeping them lined up with each other should keep you in your trenches when the tide's in and you can't see them.

Also lighten the boat, as already suggested. At 19' it won't be that heavy, so anything you can remove will make a difference.

If you have some waders or a dry suit, you'll be surprised what a couple of strong blokes can push with their shoulders if it's "nearly" afloat!

Maybe try to befriend some of the powerboaters that hang out round the slipway at Stannah (I assume they still do)! If you can get a couple of them to try and drag you back off the mud at high water slack (which can be the best part of half an hour after high water at Fleetwood, I seem to recall!), you might just get somewhere (especially if you've got people pushing at the front too! (just make sure they don't fall down into the trenches if the boat starts to move)! Also, if you're going to get a powerboat to tow you (or even 2 powerboats) be VERY CAREFUL where they put their lines. Your aft cleats might not be strong enough and could rip out. The standard advice is to try and rig some sort of "bridle" around as many strong bits of boat as possible to spread the load.

Finally, apologies if I'm trying to teach granny how to suck eggs, but on your way down the river when you DO finally manage to get afloat again, the deepest water is generally near the OUTSIDE of each bend. I seem to recall that there is sometimes a faint trail of frothy scum on the Wyre that more or less tends to follow the deepest water path.

Good luck!
 
Pushing her is a great idea, I have done that to my 25' when neaped. First of all, there is no-one on board making her heavier. Get your shoulder under the transom & lift & push using your legs. If you can get a mobo zooming up & down, the wash will help lift her an inch or two as well.

If the trenches are steep & well lubricated with wet, slippy mud you may be able to get her to slide down the slope. Don't forget to have a couple of ropes on her if there's no-one aboard - you don't want her floating off on her own. Good luck.
 
Hello,

Thanks everyone for the replys; you've given me a lot of confidence so far, the point about digging a trench is something i will get started on straight away. It is a bilge keel by the way (splaide) im not sure about the length exactly, but i would guess at about 2.5 feet. It was peek tide when it ran aground, and like i said it was a 9.7. According to my tide table the next 9.7 is october 19th, after that its not till next year.

So i guess i got a lot of diggin to do then.

cheers.
 
tomo,

What sort of ground is she standing on?

Unless it's soft mud, I'd think seriously about trying to slide her down a couple of scaffolding planks (or similar):

Lighten her as much as possible (as suggested above) then get one/two people on the end of the boat furthest up hill. It should then be possible to lift the other end of the boat if you get your shoulder under it - shove the planks as far as possible under the keels (in line with them), then reverse everything to tip the boat the other way and onto the planks. If you grease the planks I can't believe she wouldn't slide with a good pull. You could put a webbing strop, or something around the very bottom of each keel and use these to pull her with a tractor on the opposite bank/powerboat/'tirfor'/etc. (Make a bridle to share the pull evenly between both keels without forcing them together). If she won't move, how about using scaffold poles as rollers between the keels and the planks? Tip the boat up to insert, as before, but have a rope made off to something on the up hill side (tree/anchor/car/etc.) to control progress.

0.02p

Andy
 
To get greased planks underneath, dig a small hole under a keel to get a scaffold pole underneath & use a couple of wood blocks as a fulcrum & lever the keel off the ground, put a small block underneath the back (furthest from water) of the keel, release lever & slip the plank under from the end nearest the water. Knock the small block out & repeat on the other side.

If you can't get a tractor to pull her, it would be just as effective to push her - use a log of wood tied on a bale lifter or similar. There's another idea, if the ground is reasonable, a palette or bale lifter may be a good way of lifting one keel at a time to get the greased plank underneath.

It all depends on the state of the ground & what might be available to you. Forumite Sixpence once got a 21' plywood Debutante on & off a trailer without a crane, just using jacks, levers & wooden blocks. Old Salt has done similar too & my 25' was refloated by diggiing after breaking adrift from her mnooring & going aground in a big storm
 
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With a little preparation at low water (digging, laying out kedge as others have suggested), there are a few tides in the next month which should be enough (see below.)

For the moment, have you put out a good anchor in case a river flood and a high tide coincide and get her afloat when you are not there? It wouldn't be good to find that she had gone exploring by herself!

Fleetwood

Monday, 05 October 2009
00:01 9.5m
06:47 1.0m
12:19 9.3m
19:01 1.1m

Tuesday, 06 October 2009
00:34 9.6m
07:21 1.0m
12:53 9.4m
19:37 1.1m

Wednesday, 07 October 2009
01:11 9.5m
07:57 1.1m
13:31 9.3m
20:14 1.2m

Friday, 16 October 2009
04:37 1.3m
10:17 8.9m
16:59 1.5m
22:36 9.4m

Saturday, 17 October 2009
05:24 0.9m
10:59 9.4m
17:43 1.1m
23:17 9.7m

Sunday, 18 October 2009
06:06 0.8m
11:38 9.6m
18:23 0.9m
23:55 9.8m

Monday, 19 October 2009
06:43 0.8m
12:15 9.6m
19:00 0.9m

Tuesday, 20 October 2009
00:33 9.6m
07:19 1.0m
12:52 9.5m
19:37 1.1m
 
Boating disasters

You really need to try to maintain a sense of humour in this difficult time. Boating is all about stuff ups and trying to minimise the stuff ups. It is all character building and all that.
I am off to help a friend now 7.30AM who had a dreadful day yesterday trying to get his boat out on a slip for painting. Firstly the o/b gave trouble then we couldn't get the boat on the cradle correctly and by then the tide had dropped and we couldn't get it on the cradle far enough. Back several hours later tide still too low, back several more hours later finally got it far enough on the cradle but the operator had gone home. Now after the boat has been on the cradle in the water overnight has it moved on the higher tide? There is only about 20cms difference between high and low tide so we don't usually worry about tide. This slip way is mostly used for motor boats so a fin keel boat is a bit of a problem.

Good luck with your unsticking from the mud olewill
 
Hi
We had a similar problem when a boat washed ashore on a very high tide and in strong winds (it also brought it's mooring with it)

P2150114.jpg
[/IMG]

P2140084.jpg
[/IMG]

We dug a slope to get the boat out of the hole luckily the rudder was transom mounted and removable, we used a couple of tirfor's attached to anchors well dug in, and to strops behind each keel. We managed to get wooden skids under the keels but later found some old crash barrier which was perfect.

P2140081.jpg
[/IMG]

This is how far we moved it,from the muddy patch in the foreground.

P2140090.jpg
[/IMG]

We dragged it to a muddy ditch and dug a slope to lower it into, after a lot of digging to widen the ditch the boat was re-floated and pulled along the ditch into the sea on the next spring tide.

P2140113.jpg
[/IMG]

This happened quite close to our club and the owner was unknown to us at the time of the boat going aground but as most of us can put ourselves in there position there was no shortage of helpers so don't be afraid to ask for help at a local club.

pete
 
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Searush said:
if there is a tree or other strong point across the river take a line to it & back to your sheet winches &
Click to expand...

What about other river users? (Do Jet Skiers use this stretch? - in which case many on here may suggest piano wire).
I, on the other hand, being of sound mind and completely pi%%ed again, would suggest either a weighted line or .... have you thought about driving in stakes at low water on your side, which you could attach a line to and winch forward from?
 
How about jacking the boat up and sliding a home made sled undernearh. With plenty of water to lubricate it may be possible to winch the boat across the mun to the water. Ive lifted my 25ft Spring 25 up with trolley jacks.
 
pete said:
This happened quite close to our club and the owner was unknown to us at the time of the boat going aground but as most of us can put ourselves in there position there was no shortage of helpers so don't be afraid to ask for help at a local club.
Click to expand...
All of that for a stranger. Top man. I know most boaty people will go out of their way to help each other, but you lot deserve an award!
 
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