how do we feel about beaching boats

[woodee148]

Re: how do we feel about beaching boats

I'll be beaching mine in 4 days on North Captiva and cayo costa. You can always buff out the few scratches you end up with. This is one of the reasons I bought a boat, to access some of the harder to reach places and having young children means there won't be much wading or swimming in. I think if you are smart and careful and know the beach its fine

 

[kaferhaus]

Re: how do we feel about beaching boats

There's a small barrier island just off the coast here and on the weekends or holidays you see 30-40 boats beached on it. Folks having a bar b q or just getting a tan without all the crowds at the public beaches.

Ironically the name of the island is "sand island" LOL it's all soft sand and I don't remember ever doing any gelcoat damage other than taking the "shine" off of it.

The aluminum boat I used to have got beached all the time... the fiberglass boats just get eased up until they bump.

 

[DJ]

Re: how do we feel about beaching boats

No worries here. I installed a Keel Guard.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: how do we feel about beaching boats

I've got an old 12' Sears aluminum jon boat which I've used for fishing small ponds around here. NJ is pretty sandy overall but there's a lot of small pebbles mixed in that sand. Over the course of many years, I've worn the keel rib down the center clean through. I just got done digging out all the epoxy I used over the summer to fill the crack and welding the center back up. I went and found a piece of 1/8" aluminum angle which I flattened out a bit on a roller, then welded it down the center. I then filled the inside seam with thin epoxy and will Gluvit the whole inside afterwards.
The boat isn't anything special, but what I did cost me only $12 for the piece of metal and an afternoon of work. It should last me another 30 years or so like this with little fear of wearing through it again, at least not in my lifetime.

What had happened was simple, the sand and small stones just gradually wore away the center keel, to the point where it finally perforated. I am surprised after taking a close look that it hadn't leaked sooner.
With that style boat, beaching is pretty much normal, it's too low to pull up to most docks and getting in an out is a matter of beaching the bow. The last person in shoves off, last one out ties up the boat. (It spend a good 10 years in the water all year round when I lived on a lake, now it comes home with me and gets flipped over for storage.

 

[RickV1955]

Re: how do we feel about beaching boats

What exactly is a "keel guard"??
(guess I should look it up here at the iboats store...lol)

Actually was wondering about "beaching"....in Florida (beginning of Long Boat key) there always a ton of boats beached at "Beer Can Beach"....anything from small skiffs, to huge boats......and the beaches are all sand......

soooooooo, with all these boats doing it, can't imagine that it does too much damage??

 

[redone4x4]

Re: how do we feel about beaching boats

I never beach my boat completely. I anchor out, back in, and then stake the stern still floating at around 18 inches prefereably. And NOW, I Never turn my back even then.
it's wise to keep the stern facing the shore.

+1, i was taught the same theory and practice nothin else. id rather be safe than sorry, plus no rocks against the fiberglass for me...sand might look good, but you never know whats underneath it. id rather not find out.

 

[capt sam]

Re: how do we feel about beaching boats

lol...look at my sig pic.

we have sand here so it's not an issue really. I was out yesterday and saw a 36' Yellowfin with triples about 10' up on the beach....if he ain't skeert, I ain't skeert.

 

[rrhodes]

Re: how do we feel about beaching boats

Nope, I did with my old boat and most people have no issues beaching a pontoon. I think I am more concerned with the motor than the hull. It is the other boaters that bother me. Running too fast and throwing a wake which could push my boat further into the shore. I have had this happen before on a rented pontoon and I was lucky to have some other boaters help me push it back out. It was too heavy to push by myself.

 

[smclear]

Re: how do we feel about beaching boats

I get nervous anytime I have less than 3 fathoms under me.

A fathom equals 6 feet. Do you really get nervous in less than 18 feet of water. That must seriously limit your boating area.

 

[golf101]

Re: how do we feel about beaching boats

I'm not sure this should make any difference as to whether you beach your boat or not, but, interestingly, Four Winns has shown their boats beached on the front cover of at least their 2006 and 2008 catalogs, and they put ladders on the fronts of some of their boats for beaching. The 2006 catalog cover is at http://assets3.fourwinnsmarketing.com/past_product/catalogs//2006/Sportboat%20&%20Cuddy/01%20Cover.pdf

 

[204 Escape]

Re: how do we feel about beaching boats

I have a keel guard, but I still don't/won't beach our boat. It's only there for a preventative measure, in case I get into a bind.

 

[redone4x4]

Re: how do we feel about beaching boats

lol...look at my sig pic.

we have sand here so it's not an issue really. I was out yesterday and saw a 36' Yellowfin with triples about 10' up on the beach....if he ain't skeert, I ain't skeert.

okay...then in that case, i'd rather not "sand down" the hull unless im doing repairs lol...sand is abrasive.

 

[capt sam]

Re: how do we feel about beaching boats

in time it will wear down the gelcoat, so many boats here do it, it's tough to find one without the beaching scars.

 

[chicknwing]

Re: how do we feel about beaching boats

I beach mine in the soft sand on nearly every outing. We got a nice sand bar that slopes off nice at 4 feet. We come bow in and bump the sand, o/b stays down in 8 feet of water. Occasionally we have to pull the boat up on the sand a little. See the pic in my sig.

 

[JH3]

Re: how do we feel about beaching boats

I beach our bowrider in sandy areas. It does scratch the hull a little but I put several coats of wax on the hull at the begining of each season and that seems to keep it to a minimum. Most folks would not be able to tell it's been beached. I think that's half the fun of a bowrider, taking right up to shore.

 

[new boat guy]

Re: how do we feel about beaching boats

here we have a popular spot called noreago point. pretty much all the locals don't beach and all the tourists in the jet skis and pontoons do.

 

[Mark_VTfisherman]

Re: how do we feel about beaching boats

.....soooooooo, with all these boats doing it, can't imagine that it does too much damage??

It actually can do a lot of damage. I beach my fiberglass boat often, and in kind payment, I have repaired my prow 3 or 4 times. I have also had to make-shift repair it before mid-season with 5200.

In my last repair I epoxied in a length of 3/8" thick oak on the forward keel, planed it fair after curing, and epoxied over it. This wear bar has proven to be a good idea and I am contemplating screwing a piece of aluminum over it as a skid plate this summer.

But I accept the damage and repair as part of the cost of taking the boat camping or what have you. I'd have a keel guard but probably still do the same if I owned a $60K boat But that's my choice...

 

[75reinell]

Re: how do we feel about beaching boats

Here at most lakes you have to beach it or swim in. With water temps in the 50's half of the boating season it doesn't take long to start beaching.

 

[Ram58]

Re: how do we feel about beaching boats

We do it all the time on the rivers, but that's with aluminum boats.

 

[Mark_VTfisherman]

Re: how do we feel about beaching boats

In another thread I detailed my addition of a piece of Aluminum on my bow and keel. It is working quite well. I think that beaching is part of boating...