Weedy Legs

[dur]

I leave the boat on a drying mooring with her legs on. This year is particularly weedy at our end of Chichester Harbour and so the lines which stay the legs soon end up with a mass of weed on them. In the pic. I have just removed most of the weed.

I am wondering whether I can get away with the lines fastened to the legs just above the waterline. I think the legs are substantial enough (4" softwood fence posts) and if I can get the lines tight enough I don't think they would move much fore and aft. It is more a question about the degree to which the lines pull the bottom of the legs in towards the boat to stop them splaying. At a point just above the waterline the lines would be fastened about half the distance away from the boat than is the case at the moment.

Draught is 2'6" so about half the leg is below the waterline. They are located with a 1/2" bolt into a block behind. The ground is reasonably firm with about 4" of sloppy mud on top. The boat has a 6" wide iron keel so tends to sit upright unless the wind blows.

I would be grateful for any views and experience.

Thanks

Max

 

[Sequoiah1]

I used to keep our old six tonner on legs over the winter and have seen any mumber of boats on legs fall over due to slack lines etc.

Personally I would leave the lines going to the bottom of the leg and either cover the lines with flexible pipe which is aeasy to clean off, Antifoul the line (what I used to do) or live with it. Am sure there will be some wiser sages who might have some better ideas.

 

[Seanick]

MMmmm. Weedy legs? ditch the car get some excercise!

The lines keep the legs plum untill the load comes on and the boat has settled, thats all.
If you moved the lines up to the waterline you would need a line that does not stretch, or a way of getting them nice and tight, as the angle is less and the possible leverage more.
You could use wire, dyneema or Vectran.
Alternatively you could have two bolts through the leg and no lines........

With your nice long keel and shallow draft she is a low risk for legs and I would not worry about moving the line up.

I have a nice C3 mooring you could use with deep mud - no legs required!

 

[dur]

I have a nice C3 mooring you could use with deep mud - no legs required!

Thanks Nick but I am somewhat wedded to DQ for various reasons.

I was thinking I would have a go with some 6mm low stretch high tech stuff and take the after lines round our (very modest) jib sheet winches. I have the forward lines set up with an eye in the end so that is just looped over the sampson post.
As you say, the legs are pretty low risk on WS, especially on a known mooring.