Beaching Question

[Cobalt226]

I was hoping to get others opinions on how to best beach my boat? I was on a beach last weekend and was struggling a little with my boat being moved by incoming wake waves. I had an anchor off the front and back of my boat. A guy who was beached next to me told me that there was an easy way to secure your boat when beached. He pulls in pretty fast and gets his boat up on the sand and then lowers his lower unit down into the sand to hold the boat from walking off the beach or having his back end swing from side to side. While this seemed to work very well for him, I am concerned about driving my lower unit into the ground and wanted to know if anyone else uses this method and if there is anything to worry about when doing this? I do not want to do this and have it damage my lower unit in any way. Thanks!

 

[MJG24]

Re: Beaching Question

I don't know specifically the risks or potential damage, but I would never beach by driving the lower unit into the sand!

 

[Cgoshia]

Re: Beaching Question

I am an inboard guy but there is no way I would ever imagine lowering your unit into the sand to hold it in place as a good idea. I've seen guys take really big tent stakes and out those into the sand like three feet and that seems to hold there boats well on the beach.

 

[coastalrichard]

Re: Beaching Question

Nah...that's not a good idea...too much chance on gettin sand in the cooling system (impeller). I use two anchors (fore and aft) and often anchor up bow out to take the surrounding chop.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Beaching Question

We have plenty of trees where we beach, so I just run a line from one of the stern cleats to a tree at a angle. Also keeps folks from parking right on top of you.

 

[jestor68]

Re: Beaching Question

Don't put the drive down where it's burying in the sand/mud. This can cause sand/mud to get into the cooling water intake. It's not good for the water pump impeller. And it will eventually wear the paint off the bottom of the lower unit as well.

I usually tie the bow off to something onshore and place an anchor off the stern to hold it in place.

 

[lncoop]

Re: Beaching Question

Don't put the drive down where it's burying in the sand/mud. This can cause sand/mud to get into the cooling water intake. It's not good for the water pump impeller. And it will eventually wear the paint off the bottom of the lower unit as well.

I usually tie the bow off to something onshore and place an anchor off the stern to hold it in place.

Agreed. Some times when I'm unable to tie off to anything onshore I'll chunk the anchor up there and put a big rock over the chain and under the flukes if I'm concerned about it holding on its own. Works pretty well.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Beaching Question

If your boat is being moved by the waves, you aren't setting your anchors properly. You should have the bow facing the waves and the stern towards shore to ease the force on the boat. You likely aren't providing enough scope on your anchors to allow them to work properly. If you are anchoring in 5' of water, you should probably have at least 40' of rode out. The longer your anchor rode, the more holding power you will have. The stern anchor can be set easily by hand once the bow anchor is set, just carry it out to the appropriate length and set the anchor by hand.

Also, don't bury your drive in the sand, that is a good way to break a skeg, and get sand/debris in your cooling intake. Personally, I don't allow the hull to touch anything but the water. I always anchor in 4-5' of water so that the boat is safe from hitting the bottom when large waves pass by.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Beaching Question

If your boat is being moved by the waves, you aren't setting your anchors properly. You should have the bow facing the waves and the stern towards shore to ease the force on the boat. You likely aren't providing enough scope on your anchors to allow them to work properly. If you are anchoring in 5' of water, you should probably have at least 40' of rode out. The longer your anchor rode, the more holding power you will have. The stern anchor can be set easily by hand once the bow anchor is set, just carry it out to the appropriate length and set the anchor by hand.

Also, don't bury your drive in the sand, that is a good way to break a skeg, and get sand/debris in your cooling intake. Personally, I don't allow the hull to touch anything but the water. I always anchor in 4-5' of water so that the boat is safe from hitting the bottom when large waves pass by.

He is beaching the boat - I don't think I would try beaching with the bow out

 

[louiefl]

Re: Beaching Question

I bought a sand spike and attach it to a bow cleat - holds well. I also use a danforth anchor astern in deeper water.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Beaching Question

He is beaching the boat - I don't think I would try beaching with the bow out

Well I should have rearranged my comment at the beginning specifying that I don't "beach" my boat. Beaching it stern in would make for a an ugly situation.

 

[Old Yeller Boater]

Re: Beaching Question

Cobalt, I'm not an old grizzled boater by ANY means, but I would not be listening to that guy in any way if it was me. Driving your outdrive into the sand, as noted above, exposes your water system to dirt and potential problems. But what bothers me more is this guy suggesting putting pressure on the transom like that. In my view, I'm not thinking that's good in any way, shape or form. I doubt that outdrives, gimbal housings, and transoms are designed for that kind of use and will be a problem in the long run. Sadly, that other guy will probably just sell off his boat to some unsuspecting new boater (like me...LOL) who will end up paying the price. when I've had situations like you describe, I've tied off the back of the boat to a tree on the shoreline to keep the stern from coming around. I like the tent stake idea someone mentioned. seems easy to drive that into the beach and tie off to that.

Just food for thought, and not meaning to sound like I'm trashing you.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Beaching Question

Those corksccrew stakes work well for these applications as well. No hammer needed and easy to remove in most cases.

 

[RedMan1973]

Re: Beaching Question

I never beach my boats, you run this risk of damaging the bottom side. not to mention then you have to re-paint every year depending on how much beaching you do, unless you in an aluminum boat? Were I am from, we would throw out the bow anchor and then back into the beach to about waist deep, take the Aft anchor and walk it to shore. This will give you plenty of water if the tide moves, and also normally your ladder is aft as well so convenience for us, at least that is what we do.

 

[SDSeville]

Re: Beaching Question

I don't beach as much as I used to. I grew tired of worrying about wakes and tides. If you are not paying attention at my local lagoon, a beached boat can be almost completely out of the water in no time if the tide goes down quickly. I do like RedMan says above.

I still beach for quick stops (see my avatar) and to unload when we 1st get to our spot.

 

[jkust]

Re: Beaching Question

Firstly, I would never beach my boat so I simply moore it out a few feet and let it ride the waves and put the drive up as far as it will go. Works great and never any issues. It seems sand and rock are more dense than fiberglass and gel and physics will eventually show you that.

 

[Vegas Naturist]

Re: Beaching Question

I stopped beaching my boat when I noticed there was no more gelcoat on my keel! :facepalm: After spending $$$$ getting my keel repaired, I drop an anchor off the stern about 40' from shore, stop at a point where the boat still floats, and sink a sand spike into the shore and tie off the bow. This varies with the depth of the water, but you get the point. We camp alot on the lake, and all the gear is stowed in the bow. this is the reason I anchor stern out. Makes it easier to unload. In heavier chop, I set 2 stern anchors. In really bad chop, I would probably spin her around, but that hasn't really happened yet.

John

 

[BobGinCO]

Re: Beaching Question

Pontoons may be a lot more beach-friendly than fiberglass boats, but I'm not a fan. We drop the anchor off the bow, as I was instructed in my boating safety class, then back toward the shore, then use a floatie to float to shore with a stern-line which gets tied to a tree, or rock, or our corkscrew land anchor.

 

[emoney]

Re: Beaching Question

"That Guy" is a perfect example of how "those things" get started in all things boating. I'm sure that when his lower unit fails this Fall, he'll then swear off whatever type boat/motor he has and tell everyone he knows to "stay away from Brand X, they're junk", too.

We don't get to do a lot of "beaching" around here as the tide is always in play on the sandbars (closest thing to a beach that's not a "beach" if that makes sense), but I do recall lake boating back in the day and the "tie to a tree" or a "sand stake" was always the better route to take. Assuming you have no choice but to beach your boat due to an emergency. Otherwise, keep it in the water where it belongs, lol.

 

[coastalrichard]

Re: Beaching Question

Agreed. Some times when I'm unable to tie off to anything onshore I'll chunk the anchor up there and put a big rock over the chain and under the flukes if I'm concerned about it holding on its own. Works pretty well.

You've got rocks? All I've got is sand:facepalm: