Yacht Legs

[rivalranger]

Hello,

Has anyone used/installed yacht legs ? (A pair of adustable legs that allow keeled boats to take the ground)

How did they perform ? Do you use them often ? What is your proceedure for taking to the ground ?

Regards

 

[brianhumber]

The Yacht Leg Company will be able to advise you. Mine are well made and work well ( 16 years old) by this company if little bulky and difficult to stow and store securely in the rear side locker.

You must ensure the side of your vessel has sufficient strength in way of the hull attachment ( through the hull fixings) as unless you settle down exactly level and even on your keel some hull weight will be transferred on one sides leg and thus through this hull attachment.

 

[Athene V30]

Used to do this in the Solent on a lift keel Sonata in early 80s. Haven't done it for years but from memory - choose spot (clear of rocks / soft patches etc), put boat aground, rig legs (may need to do other way round if tide falls away v quickly) secure legs for and aft.

Got legs on my 27 foot sloop but not used them yet! Watch out for soft ground as may settle unevenly / fall over!

 

[Captain Haddock]

My Gib'Sea 84 has yacht legs, so far the only use they have is in winter when I lift her out.

Even though the legs have the potential to be of great use I'm seriously thinking of leaving them behind this season and giving myself some extra space in the cockpit locker.

Sods law will mean I'll need them when I've left them behind.

 

[bob_tyler]

A pair of Yacht Leg Co legs came with the Invicta when I bought her.

The alloy feet had perished but I bought a new pair from the makers. I use them a couple of times during the season for a quick underwater check between tides and also for the winter layup.

They are excellent - well worth the space they take up. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[MedMan]

I have a pair of adjustable legs from Yacht Leg Company. They are first rate. The MD of the company is an engineer and the legs are very well thought out and very well made.

The whole process of drying out is much more relaxed when you have previously seen your chosen spot at LW so you know what to expect. Drying out in unknown turbid water can be a nightmare and is best avoided.

If you know you are over level sand, anchor fore and aft to keep you in your chosen spot and then deploy the legs wound fully up. As soon as you touch down, but not before, wind the legs down so they both make contact and show about 1 cm on the wheel shafts. Watch very carefully now and make immediate corrections if you are not settling upright: back off the high side and wind up the low side. So long as you keep watching and adjusting, you will be able to dry out perfectly level. You may even find that, like me, you have at last discovered a use for a spirit level on board!

Needless to say I have not actually done this since entering the Med but my legs do actually get far more use here than they ever did cruising around the UK. Whenever I am lifted, if the yard does not have good, solid steel cradles I rig the legs as an added precaution. When I first fitted tham at Brighton Marina I persuaded the yard to let me rig them whilst still in the travel hoist slings. They slacked off the slings so that they just became a safety net so-to-speak and my wife and I walked around the deck to see how she felt. Even with both of us right forward on the foredeck she (the boat!) was still stable. Knowing that has given me the necessary confidence to use them and rely on them.