beaching a boat

[sstuna]

I just got 25 foot boat & my last one was 15. I beached it on islands I'm afraid I will beach this one & not get it off. Any tips or tricks?
Thanks
BTW it a 1985 regal ambassador 255 xl

 

[capt sam]

Re: beaching a boat

watch the tides, don't plant it, make sure you throw an anchor out on the beach if you're going to take a walk, tilt the motor up......and update your SeaTow.......

 

[slasmith1]

Re: beaching a boat

Buy a good tender(dinghy) anchor off and use the tender to explore the shore.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: beaching a boat

the best is to come in softly, unload, then anchor off. there are several extended thread on this subject. http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=256993&highlight=beaching+boat

setting stern anchor.

 

[Rocky_Road]

Re: beaching a boat

watch the tides, don't plant it, make sure you throw an anchor out on the beach if you're going to take a walk, tilt the motor up......and update your SeaTow.......

Agreed...don't treat the beach like a drive on bunk trailer!

Just use a little discretion...a 25' boat needs to be brought to shallow, and 'pulled' to moor from there. You have almost doubled the length of your boat...and tripled the weight.

 

[sschefer]

Re: beaching a boat

Sounds like you've been beaching boats for a while now, I don't think you have to take any more precautions other than the usual, just get intimate with your new boats hull and draft (including prop) and the location of things like your raw water inlet(s) and possibly a through hull transducer.

Most shallow draft boats under 35' can produce enough reverse propwash to break mud suction if that's what's worrying you. You might have to walk to the back of the boat or transfer weight but that's about it. I suspect you're familiar with doing that already.

There's a old trick my Grandpa used to do with his salmon boat when we'd beach and go pick abalone. He had a big sack of lead weights that he'd put on the bow. When we went to leave he put them on the stern and we'd float right off.

 

[jaxnjil]

Re: beaching a boat

 

[dave11]

Re: beaching a boat

You have more guts that I to get a boat that size that close to shore.

 

[ebry710]

Re: beaching a boat

I still get out and walk my boat to shore. I am always looking for submerged objects the can dink my boat, but then again I am dealing with a 18' boat and I hate repairing it.

 

[Docknocker]

Re: beaching a boat

Have beached my 28', but only when I have intimate local knowledge of the shoreline (bottom material, location of submerged rocks, stumps, ect).
Come in to a safe area with a wide berth dead slow, cut engine, trim up drive and barely nudge shore. Takes minimal hull contact to hold an 8,000lb boat.
Better to back down stern in though - bow takes waves and we utilize swim platform for shallow water boarding.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: beaching a boat

i think the main thing is to be familar with the area you are beaching. also when anchoring off, beaware of other boats lines, and you may have to deploy 2 stern lines, to keep the stern from swinging into other boats.

 

[ebry710]

Re: beaching a boat

Why two stern lines?

 

[capt sam]

Re: beaching a boat

depending on the current and location, I'll often trim my motor down so that the skeg acts like an anchor in the sand, that way the boat doesn't swing but it's easy to trim up and reverse off the beach.

 

[Silver Heels]

Re: beaching a boat

I too would like to beach my boat and have seen advertised in West Marine and Overtons some sort of huge bungee cord that is designed for just such a purpose. The idea is to drop anchor connected with this cord a little ways offshore, motor up to the beach, and jump off with another line that will remain attached to the boat. When ready to leave the beach, you simply pull your boat back to shore and go from there. It sounds like something that would work on paper, but might not work as well in the real world. Obviously, it could only be used on calm days. Does anyone out there have any experience with this contraption?

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: beaching a boat

i have one, use it rarely. it is fine when not in a crowded area.

the reason for 2 stern lines, in crowded anchorage, you boat cannot move, when ever you anchor, there is a certain amout of swing from slack. you may have to anchor the stern off to the port and starboard to hold it, where i needs to stay,

 

[Docknocker]

Re: beaching a boat

i have one, use it rarely. it is fine when not in a crowded area.

the reason for 2 stern lines, in crowded anchorage, you boat cannot move, when ever you anchor, there is a certain amount of swing from slack. you may have to anchor the stern off to the port and starboard to hold it, where i needs to stay,

Agree with TD - I always use 2 crossed anchor lines on the offshore end of boat, whether bow or stern. Bitter end port anchor starboard, bitter end starboard anchor port. Eliminates swing while preserving rode.

 

[fishrdan]

Re: beaching a boat

I am always looking for submerged objects the can dink my boat

only when I have intimate local knowledge of the shoreline (bottom material, location of submerged rocks, stumps, ect).

I've been to a certain cove 15-20 times over the years and even though it's a bit tight it's always do-able (this reservoir is usually kept at the same elevation, doesn't drop in droughts). Last time there the lake level had dropped 10' for repairs and I didn't put 2 & 2 together... While swinging into shore I looked in the water and WHOLLY CARP, THERE'S a HUGE FARGIN ROCK DOWN THERE Bumped it into reverse,,, whew,, close call...

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: beaching a boat

ALWAYS be aware of the surrounds, polarized sunglasses.

 

[sschefer]

Re: beaching a boat

I am always looking for submerged objects the can dink my boat

ROFLOL... You must fish the Dry Creek side of LS. Watch out for that tree.

To fill the others in - Lake Sonoma was built first as a water shed project and second as a fisherman's paradise, (due to the inablility to properly manage the later never panned out). To provide a welcome habitat, they left many of the trees in the lake, some of them are 100+ ft tall and one sits right in the middle of the north arm of the lake just past the no ski bouys but in a 50mph zone.

Last year they tested the gates at the dam and were supposed to drop the lake only 5 feet but ended dropping it nearly 10. The top of that tree was just barely sticking out and a few others were just under the surface. They didn't mark it or anything.

I was up there at 4:00am the following Sunday when the bass tourney went off and the guys raced up that fork. I didn't hear or see them hit but there were a lot of messed up boats in the parking lot when I left and the Sheriff was busy taking reports.

This relates directly to the beaching question in that what was safe one day may not be the next. If you can, pick out a marker when you find a safe beaching spot. The next time you visit, use that marker as your reference and if there is a significant change, re-check.