Westerly Pageant on shallow mooring

[swpostie]

I’m still looking for my first “proper” boat, and a bilge keeler such as a Wester Pageant features high on my list...

However, on a low spring tide (0.0m) my mooring drops to a depth of about 2’4” (over sand) whereas the Pageant draws 2’10”…

I know they’re designed to dry out but I can’t help worrying about the occasions when the boat’s not quite standing and not quite floating - bumping about on the bottom!

Will this put undue stress on the hull/keels or am I worrying about nothing?

After all, a boat on a drying mooring might presumably be going through the same thing on a neap tide - and be left standing on it’s keels most days!

Should I just go and buy one? Is this exactly what they’re designed for?

 

[Praxinoscope]

99% of the yachts in our harbour, which is predominantly gravel or stoney bottom, are bilge keelers that dry out at low tide, the bumping and grinding sounds as the keels touch bottom sound horrific, but I don't recall any serious problems with any of the boats.
There is a degree of cushioning from the water as the keels touch the bottom so it is not a direct crashing up and down.
All of us lift-out in October and the boats are on their keels on the hard until the following April.
There is a mixture of boats including 2 x Sadler 25, 4 x Westerly Fulmar, a Westerly Centaur, 5 x Sadler 29, 3 x Achilles 24,
and Jaguar 25. All are on drying moorings. The Centaur has been in our harbour for over 30 years, the Fulmars about 10-15 years, the Jaguar 25 about 15 years. There was a Westerly Pageant in our harbour, but it was sold about 10 years ago and I think moved to the South Coast.
Obviously you will have a survey of any boat you are considering, and any damage or weakness in the keel area should be noticed.

 

[swpostie]

99% of the yachts in our harbour, which is predominantly gravel or stoney bottom, are bilge keelers that dry out at low tide, the bumping and grinding sounds as the keels touch bottom sound horrific, but I don't recall any serious problems with any of the boats.
There is a degree of cushioning from the water as the keels touch the bottom so it is not a direct crashing up and down.
All of us lift-out in October and the boats are on their keels on the hard until the following April.
There is a mixture of boats including 2 x Sadler 25, 4 x Westerly Fulmar, a Westerly Centaur, 5 x Sadler 29, 3 x Achilles 24,
and Jaguar 25. All are on drying moorings. The Centaur has been in our harbour for over 30 years, the Fulmars about 10-15 years, the Jaguar 25 about 15 years. There was a Westerly Pageant in our harbour, but it was sold about 10 years ago and I think moved to the South Coast.
Obviously you will have a survey of any boat you are considering, and any damage or weakness in the keel area should be noticed.

Thank you - that’s very helpful!

 

[Refueler]

Think on this ... the Pageant is not a new boat - been around quite a while .... she's probably spent most of her life drying out ...

She'll be fine.

 

[Rappey]

There are hundreds and hundreds of bilge keelers outside where i live, and a few fins that dry out every day. In 30 years ive only come across one centaur that never got its reinforcing upgrade that had a problem with its bilge keels !

 

[Praxinoscope]

It's the encapsulated bilge keels that tend to suffer, the GRP slowly grinds away, but this can be avoided by fitting a steel shoe.

 

[swpostie]

Thanks for all your replies - I feel reassured!