Couple Questions on Beaching a Boat

[JZammetti]

Okay, over the weekend I was at a place where there was beach and no one there. I've never put my boat anywhere but a dock. My question is Do you beach your boat? If so, does it do damage the boat? How do you know they'll be enough water to leave? (Will I be able to put down the transom down and leave). Thanks for the help!

 

[mxzeatr]

Re: Couple Questions on Beaching a Boat

I've beached mine a few times. I just line up and go slow, shut motor down and trim it way up and coast into the beach, of course this is pure sand, I wouldn't do it on any other substrate. Then to leave I start pushing it back and spin it around, I push until its deep enough to start motor then up the swim platform I go, and off we go...

 

[shrew]

Re: Couple Questions on Beaching a Boat

Plenty of people do it. Personally, I wouldn't but this is just one man's opinion. I would recommend installing a keel guard installed on the boat if you plan on beaching it. Even sand will scratch gelcoat. Done enough and your hull will will not look so hot. Do it enough to scratch gelcoat down to fiberglass and you could introduce water into the layers and create osmodic blistering of the fiberglass. This is to say nothing of unseen underwater hazzards like a rock or other obstruction in the sand that might do more damage.

If you're in tidal water, I'd be extremely cautious of when to beach and I wouldn't do so in a falling tide. I'd at least keep a close and frequent eye on the tide. I sit at anchor and watch boats get beached in a falling tide every single weekend. I find it hysterical to watch, but wouldn't feel the same if I were trying to get my boat off of the beach. I've seen some so bad they had to wait hours for the tide to come back in.

Personally, I'd toss out the anchor and walk in. What are we talking about waist deep water?

 

[JZammetti]

Re: Couple Questions on Beaching a Boat

Thank you for the good thoughts, I did actually think about the tide (amazing for me) and thought no way would I think about it on a tide that is going out. I have visions of my boat sitting in sand and the water is 20+ feet away. I'd be so ashamed I'd probally sell the boat LOL... I do like the idea of anchoring and wading in. Do you recommend using just my one anchor or should I buy a second?

 

[shrew]

Re: Couple Questions on Beaching a Boat

I think one anchor is fine, provided it's properly sized for the boat and is an appropriate anchor for the location. (This is relative since we'll assume there is a sandy beach, it is most likely sandy bottom as well.) The only downside to a single anchor is, if the wind is coming offshore or if the tide is going out then the boat will swing on a single anchor and the walk out might be further than the walk in. It might be worth getting a 2nd anchor or a sand spike to hold the boat stern to the beach. but still in deep enough water to disembark at the end of the day.

 

[capt sam]

Re: Couple Questions on Beaching a Boat

very common here but we have soft sand. I just plow up on the beach and throw the anchor up on land, usually leaving the skeg down to keep the stern from swinging. I have done this for years, it is very common to do, yes we have pushed a lot off boats of the beach when the tide fell and someone wasn't watching, it's no big deal with most boats under 25'.

Now having said all that there's gonna be three pages of people who boat on ten acre lakes only telling you how bad it is, whatever....your boat won't explode if you try doing it.

 

[PitchFork]

Re: Couple Questions on Beaching a Boat

Since we have hardly any pure sand beaches I use single anchor with bow out and sometimes double anchor if rough or wind blowing from shore. I used to beach all the time until I saw what it does to the hull when you beach it and their is a rock under the hull and grinds into the fiberglass. I still will pull up on a somewhat of a sandy beach and unload people and gear.

 

[asm_]

Re: Couple Questions on Beaching a Boat

You know, sand paper is made out of sand glued to a paper, right? So, if you would rough up your boat hull with a few pieces of sand papers, then I would say go ahead and beach it...

I have done it on old aluminum boat that needed polishing, but never on glass boat.

 

[RRitt]

Re: Couple Questions on Beaching a Boat

very common here but we have soft sand. I just plow up on the beach and throw the anchor up on land, usually leaving the skeg down to keep the stern from swinging. I have done this for years, it is very common to do, yes we have pushed a lot off boats of the beach when the tide fell and someone wasn't watching, it's no big deal with most boats under 25'.

Now having said all that there's gonna be three pages of people who boat on ten acre lakes only telling you how bad it is, whatever....your boat won't explode if you try doing it.

Around here we have a saying. There are two kinds of boaters. The first type runs aground. The second type never leaves their dock. If you're sensitive about a little sand on the hull then you should just swim everywhere.

I think wind, waves, current, and tides will determine your best anchorage. If you don't pay attention to them then your boat could be gone when you come back. Around here we have no waves, little current, and only inches of tide. The water gets about 1 foot deeper for every mile out so trying to find a nice deep spot is pointless. The best way to beach a boat is in the shade. Find a place where the palm trees hang out over water. That's the spot.

 

[USMCMatt]

Re: Couple Questions on Beaching a Boat

Beach that thing every chance you get, if you don't then you're missing out on a big part of boating.

 

[milmat1]

Re: Couple Questions on Beaching a Boat

Me lake is a little over 15,000 Acres. And I still beach it sometimes. If you have only sand to deal with No Worries !! If it were rock/gravel etc you might want a Keel gaurd ! But then some people are very anal about there boats too.. Me Its just a means to get to the FISH !

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Couple Questions on Beaching a Boat

Beaching on sand won't hurt anything unless you grind in hard, and leave it hard aground, daily. Hit the beach, unload, and push back. Better not to have it touching bottom the whole time, though.
I may wear off some anti-fouling paint but it's easy enough to touch up.
The keel is tough enough to take a sand beaching; you have a long way to go before you have issues. Keel guards at a sand beach are like leaving the plastic on the furniture at home.
Departing I prefer to shove back and spin around but backing out if you're careful isn't bad--keep you motor up and speed down. I often beach where there's a drop off so it's not an issue.
beware the tides and currents, and unless you really really know what you are doing, don't stern-anchor out.
I carry a small mushroom for stabilizing the anchoring.

If you can't tolerate any marks on a boat that show it has been used for its intended purpose, best to leave it on the trailer, and be ready with a towel in case it gets wet.

 

[Mark42]

Re: Couple Questions on Beaching a Boat

I stopped beaching just because the tide was difficult to deal with. Always having to move the boat so it would either not get stranded at low tide, or float away at high tide.

So now I anchor about waist deep, bow out, stern toward shore. It does use two anchors. One off the bow, the other off the stern up on the beach. Or you can use a big stake on the beach side. But I found a Danforth type anchor works best on the beach.

 

[JimKW]

Re: Couple Questions on Beaching a Boat

OK I think I'm a little confused about this? People on here are saying that you need to wet sand your boat to get the oxidation off and to bring the shine back. But never beach your boat in sand because it will ruin the finish. If the gel coat is thick enough to wet sand, isn't it thick enough to handle beaching it? Not running into the beach under power, but just drifting into the beach.

Personally I have never done it and am very particular about the looks and the finish on my boat. It's 10 years old and the previous owner kept it looking like new and I plan on doing the same thing. But if I was at a very sandy place (none around here) I would love to have the boat up on the beach bow in. I do anchor stern in at the beach at the lake we always go to, but is mud and rock so no way am I beaching it there.

 

[fishingman220]

Re: Couple Questions on Beaching a Boat

i am with mark, i normally come in, spin around about 100ft from beach drop front anchor, back up tell your where you want to be tie off the front and pull to set, then jump off the stern and carry a anchor to the beach and tighten it up and your boat isnt moving, tide, wind, anything. i normally do this at our beach because it is very crowded and cant have it swinging around. i do beach it sometimes though when not crowded and less people on the boat cause if your by yourself and try doing all that, its way too much work and not much time to do it before your drifting back over your front anchor and foul it or put anhor on beach and you tied the line to short and cant get it on the beach.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Couple Questions on Beaching a Boat

jumping off the stern and wading in is not a favored method by duck hunters, in season.

 

[madurodave]

Re: Couple Questions on Beaching a Boat

we always beach up. always on sand though.

 

[Mark42]

Re: Couple Questions on Beaching a Boat

jumping off the stern and wading in is not a favored method by duck hunters, in season.

Flats and Duck boats are exempt from the "wading" rules.

 

[Stachi]

Re: Couple Questions on Beaching a Boat

If I see signs of beaching on a boat , I'm not gonna buy it..... drop anchor off of the bow,and anchor the stern to the beach....I boat on a tidal river , and I don't want waves breaking over my stern....every boat that goes by you during the day , will send a wake over your stern if you beach it bow in. Also , as has been said above...sand is abrasive....that why I look for signs of beaching when I look at a boat before buying it. If the boat has a keel guard ,... guess why it does....

 

[foodfisher]

Re: Couple Questions on Beaching a Boat

The boat I bought had the keel rubbed raw. Fiberglass showing with a couple gouges from rocks. Marine tex for the gouges and a keel guard fixed it up and looks good too. Beaching for a pit/refreshment stop is not a problem now.