"Beaching" a boat

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pvs0806

Cadet
Joined
Jul 28, 2002
Messages
12
I have a 1989 19 foot FourWinns I/O. There are several areas on our local lake that have sand beaches and many people "beach" their boat by slowly driving bow first towards shore until the sand stops them. <br /><br />I haven't done this yet for fear of what it would do to the hull of my boat. However, I would like to do this so my family and I could go up and enjoy the beach.<br /><br />What are your thoughts on this? How hard is it on the hull?
 
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jocko_nc

Seaman
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Mar 18, 2002
Messages
65
Re: "Beaching" a boat

From what I have experienced, sand is not really bad for the hull at all. Beware of rocks lurking in the sand though! Rocks and shells will leave a mark. A large rock could be a bad thing.<br /><br />There is a product advertised in Overton's, West Marine, etc that bonds to your keel for people who beach a lot. I have no experience with it.<br /><br />I assume this is a lake? Tides would be a whole other matter!<br /><br />jocko
 
rogerwa

rogerwa

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Nov 29, 2000
Messages
2,339
Re: "Beaching" a boat

Beaching will eventually wear out the gelcote on your keel. Quicker if it is coarser sand or gravelly type material. I bought my boat and thought I did a fairly thorough inspection but missed the worn off gelcote on the keel.<br /><br />I put some Marine tex over it and then applied a Keelshield. The keel shield will protect the keel when beaching without affecting performance. I would recommend this over beaching unprotected..
 
N

Navigator

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Feb 6, 2001
Messages
517
Re: "Beaching" a boat

Since you're in Iowa I dont think you have to worry much about the tides :) . Something to keep in mind when you do beach it... the I/O unit. Unlike outboards that can be tilted out of the water, the outdrive you have cant. Be carefull when you beach it that the skeg doesnt get damaged in the sand. Another problem I've seen is when the bow is beached and the outdrive is buried in the sand, the waves hitting the side of the boat will put a lot of stress on the lower unit housing. Over times, things will snap. Thats an expensive piece to damage :rolleyes: <br /><br />Just a few cents :D <br /><br />Nav :cool:
 
rogerwa

rogerwa

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Nov 29, 2000
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Re: "Beaching" a boat

I have an I/O and when I beach, I give a little power and then shut the engine down and put the LU into the trailer position and then coast into the beach.<br /><br />On the way out, I push the boat off the beach and use an oar to push out far enough so that the outdrive will not be interfered with. Don't do what I see a lot of people doing. That is backing off the beach with the LU in near trailer position. That's a great way to ruin your u-joints..
 
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epresutti

Chief Petty Officer
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Aug 14, 2001
Messages
465
Re: "Beaching" a boat

FourWinnsFan,<br /><br />I beach (I guess I don't comletely beach) by stopping short of the spot where their is still enough water to back out, throw the anchor off the bow and tow the boat by hand to its final resting place (I have an outboard and I move it to the trailer position). I also throw the stern anchor out to keep the boat from comming broadside to the shore. I seldom drag the boat on the sand. I leave the bow floating in about 8 inches of water.<br /><br />Made the mistake of beaching on an outgoing tide once, was lucky enough that I saw what was going on before I had to wait 6 hrs for it to come back in :) <br /><br />Just my $.02<br /><br />Safe boating to all.<br /><br />Cheers.<br /><br />emp.
 
M

MrBill

Senior Chief Petty Officer
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Aug 4, 2002
Messages
710
Re: "Beaching" a boat

"Keel Shields" are available at most marine dealers for about $120, for your size boat. They adhere directly to the boat, are about 3 inches wide and protect the most vulnerable underside "keel' portion of the boat. I beach my 1989 bowrider all summer long in fine sand, and so do many of my neighbors with newer more expensive boats, some have opted for the shields. If I had a newer boat, I'd probably opt for more protection, but on mine, the sun and normal use is doing more damage to the hull gel coat than the sand.
 
Ross J

Ross J

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Nov 30, 2001
Messages
1,119
Re: "Beaching" a boat

Keel shield and stern anchor would appear to be the way to go. I particularly like the keel shield idea.<br />Does anybody have a product name for these, I would like to buy one. <br />I use the stern anchor with the main bow anchor, although we have tidal beaches here, with the anchor rope from the bow to the forward anchor directly to the stern anchor and back to the bow I can control the whole unit either from the boat or from the beach, whichever I choose.<br />Ross
 
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blifsey

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jan 17, 2002
Messages
769
Re: "Beaching" a boat

On a bass boat forum I've followed, everyone swore by Hamby's Beaching Bumper. The dealer installed version is pretty pricey. The Light model is the "stick on at home" version. Sorry, no personal experience with them.<br /><br />BL...
 
F

FUBAR

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Apr 14, 2002
Messages
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Re: "Beaching" a boat

Where I boat here in Oregon, the beaches are usually coarse sand/gravel or rocks. The shorelines tend to drop of kind of quickly.<br />What we use is a stern anchor on a LOOOOng length of bungee cord available at most sports stores.<br /><br />Drop the stern anchor. Pull in towards shore and when you get where you want your boat to be tie off the stern anchor. Beach the boat, the bungee cord wull stretch.<br /><br />Unload passengers and stuff. Make sure your bow line is long enough, tie up, let go and your boat will back it self up to deeper water as the bungee cord tightens.<br /><br />Pull back on the bow line to retrieve boat to shore.
 
S

suzukidave

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jul 1, 2000
Messages
387
Re: "Beaching" a boat

Fubar that's hilarious and it also might work for me as I am always struggling to anchor a short way off rocky shores that drop away where I can only touch and load/unload and then want my boat to hold at anchor 20 or 30 feet away. Your idea may be better than my attempts to use a bow anchor and stern line and swim. What length and type of bungee are you talking about (solid rubber or the coil kind?)and what kind of anchor?<br /><br />Fourwinns to add to what Rogerwa said, if you are going to beach remember that the raw water pickup on your motor will take in sand if you run it right into shore. I try not to run the motor over a sandy bottom until I have 2 feet of water under my leg. As for the hull, if you want it pristine or your sand isn't fine follow the advice of those above but for fine ocean sand unless there is wave action, a gentle beaching seems to do very little except gradually take the shine off the keel.
 
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blifsey

Senior Chief Petty Officer
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Jan 17, 2002
Messages
769
Re: "Beaching" a boat

Hey suzukidave, there's actually a bungee product called anchor buddy. I hope to get one soon.<br /><br />BL...
 
P

pvs0806

Cadet
Joined
Jul 28, 2002
Messages
12
Re: "Beaching" a boat

Thanks everyone for your ideas. We're probably about done swimming on the beaches this year in Iowa. I'll probably find a keel guard this winter and stick it on.
 
S

suzukidave

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jul 1, 2000
Messages
387
Re: "Beaching" a boat

thanks hotbyte, I found it locally and I'll check it out this weekend.
 
flashback

flashback

Captain
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Jun 28, 2002
Messages
3,987
Re: "Beaching" a boat

I guess I'll put my 2 cents worth in. 30 years ago, on an inland lake in georgia, i had a 50 foot house boat called a star duster. it had a steel hull. you don't want to scratch a steel hull. so I had a very thick piece of canvas that was 18 feet wide and 24 feet long, I would tie the 18 foot end to the front bow rail, throw the rest of it over the bow and let it drift back as i pulled into the beach. never scratched the hull best i can remember. and just kept it tied up on the front rail of the boat..... piece of cake./
 
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Baldguy

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Sep 30, 2001
Messages
174
Re: "Beaching" a boat

I've used my anchor buddy for a couple of years now and it's great.<br /><br />What I do is have my wife hook the bitter end of the thing onto the stern tie down and I get going towards the shore. I then judge about how far the bungee will comfortably stretch and I "ask" her to throw the anchor. There's a knack to knowing the distance of the stretch of the anchor buddy. You then motor up to the shore, kill the motor, trim up, hop off and you're there.<br /><br />What I do then is tie a bow line off and then after everyone gets themselves and everything off the boat, I let out the bow line enough to let the boat float and then tie the bow line off on a tree or something.<br /><br />What? No trees or anything to tie off on? I also carry a piece of PVC pipe about a foot and half long and I can pound that into the sand and loop the bowline around it.<br /><br />Best $25 I've spent in a while...
 
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DJ

Guest
Re: "Beaching" a boat

FourWinnsFan,<br /><br />The product you are looking for is called KeelGuard. www.keelguard.com<br /><br />They are availble through Overtons and West Marine<br /><br />www.overtons.com<br />www.westmarine.com<br /><br />If you beach, I highly recommend them. You will more than pay for it in resale value.
 
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