how do we feel about beaching boats

[David Greer]

Re: how do we feel about beaching boats

On a sand bottom, or marsh, why not? Why would you care if the 8 inches of keel at the deadrise has scratches? It's a boat, made for fun, not an antique table. Do you care if the undercarriager of your car has a gravel ding?

But once beached and unloaded, best to back out a foot or two, more if there are waves. Now, I wouldn't try to run the boat up onto the beach.
Where I mostly boat, ESVA, there are big tides and lots of flats, so I have seen several strandings of non-locals. Usually they beach at high tide at noon, hav a jolly day, and then find their boat 10' from any water, with the lobster-colored girlfriend chomping on the guy's butt as the wind dies, the sun sets and the bugs come out. Nothing to do but cover them with wet towels like any other stranding!
You do have to watch wear-down on an aluminum hull, maybe coat with some JB weld or something. But the keel point of a glass boat is inches thick. Keep an eye on tri-hull chines, though.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: how do we feel about beaching boats

On a sand bottom, or marsh, why not? Why would you care if the 8 inches of keel at the deadrise has scratches? It's a boat, made for fun, not an antique table. Do you care if the undercarriager of your car has a gravel ding?

Really just depends on where you boat. The lakes I boat on almost all have rock/sandstone shorelines and bottom. Very few sand or mud beaches, so my boat never gets beached. I have beached the jet ski on a mud beach, but I still probably wouldn't beach the boat.

 

[idrownworms]

Re: how do we feel about beaching boats

In my part of the world if you use the public ramps beaching is a way of life. There are a few ramps that have a pier but mostly you have to beach.

 

[bekosh]

Re: how do we feel about beaching boats

We go to a beach on the Wolf River near Fremont WI a couple of times a year. If I did it more often or if it was anything other than very fine soft sand, I would probably add a Keel Shield. I actually did have one on my old trihull because the hull was painted not gel and we went up the river more often.

It really does depend on the circumstances. Where we are in the pic below, the current is very slow, there are trees all around sheltering from the wind and it is a no-wake zone. We have about 2 feet of our bow pulled up onto the sand and our stern is in 5+ feet of water. Pretty much perfect conditions for beaching.

Our old trihull with the black Keel Shield.

Close up.

 

[scoutabout]

Re: how do we feel about beaching boats

Guess my avatar pic says it all...

Been doing it for decades on multiple boats without shields and have done zero damage.

(Now, of course, next weekend will be different... )

 

[P 0 P E Y E]

Re: how do we feel about beaching boats

Beaching is not good for the boat or the beach. i occasionally soft beach, for boarding or disembarking passengers seniors or infants, gear. then i back off, and anchor up. if not seniors or infants, we swim the gear in.

setting stern anchor

not the correct way

this is Ponce Inlet Florida.

What a beautiful place Ponce Inlet is. Great to see she has held her lines.

We live in a beautiful country and the Shore is as diverse as the latitudes but all wonderful in their uniqueness.

In new England with 5 foot tides and a protected cove, beaching is a regular activity with my 26 Trojan.

I go bow in and walk ashore with an anchor. I do it on a flooding tide so the boat's situation gets better with time.

When I have all night, I stay off the beach and let the tide go away and st high and dry. Have the place all to my self...for 6 hours..Stranded on purpose.

HAving a 1975 model with previously worn everything aids in the alleviation of gelcoat and fiberglass anxiety.

 

[Thad]

Re: how do we feel about beaching boats

I to beach my boat. Cut off just when i feel the sand. Get out pull her up and anchor off. I get more scratches from my trailer bunks than I do from beaching.

 

[Andy in NY]

Re: how do we feel about beaching boats

I beach mine every time i go out. we go to a sand bar, and its really easy. the side we beach on drops off to 5-6 feet within just a few feet from the sand, and its not rocky at all. i dont even have to put up my motor and my boat is only 14'.

i checked the keel the other day, and after 1 1/2 seasons of it, you cant even tell.

 

[joecooool]

Re: how do we feel about beaching boats

Its the reason I bought a pontoon!

 

[pmat1]

Re: how do we feel about beaching boats

there are no beaches on my lake, but by our familys island in canada, there is a very nice little beach we just drift in and beach, never had a problem, mainly because we use a boston whaler

 

[raquettelaker2]

Re: how do we feel about beaching boats

To each his own I guess. There's a very soft sandy beach on the lake we frequent and have never had a problem beaching it. I was under there a few days ago waxing the hull on the trailer and it looked almost new. It's 16 years old... I just come in slowly, trim the prop up a bit, give it a burst of gas while the water's still about 4 ft. and turn it off and raise the prop all the way as we glide in.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c326/raquettelaker2/DSC00272.jpg

 

[dontask]

Re: how do we feel about beaching boats

Keep driving your boats up on the beach, the fiberglass and gel coat guys will love ya.

 

[WAVENBYE2]

Re: how do we feel about beaching boats

agree with what everyonre here says, one might get out of boat to where another will beach it, I too also beach my boat on pea size to small cobblestone size and occasional sand, with a stern anchor also to keep stern out in the deep end too, you can chech this out because I am seriously wanting to put them on my boat too.
http://www.keelguard.com/keelguard.html

 

[Mark42]

Re: how do we feel about beaching boats

I think a lot has to do with the type of beach the boat is resting on. For me, its a tidal beach with sea shells, and small stones mixed in the sand. If the boat was beached, the waves still move it around and it makes this horrible crunching, grinding noise. After seeing the results of beaching a few times on the MFG Niagara, I now anchor in 2-4 feet of water, with a stern line to a shore anchor to keep the bow pointed into the waves. Same as others have described.

The Bayliner's hull is so cherry, I haven't beached it at all.

 

[Whiskey Sowers]

Re: how do we feel about beaching boats

Ah yes...fond memories of North Captiva....beautiful beach.

 

[mysticowner]

Re: how do we feel about beaching boats

I run Raystown lake in pa, I only beach the boat where I know the bottom is soft. Some places you'll be bailing all the way home!

One thing to consider is this. There is a camp ground on a point below the lake marina. There were about 5 boats lined up beached on the bank.

Guess what, they were all full of water to the dash board. The 4th of july traffic swamped them all.

I never leave my boat when it's beached.

I bet these guys never do that again! It was however a very soft beaching area

 

[trendsetter240]

Re: how do we feel about beaching boats

Forget about the scratches you might find on your hull!.. What you really need to be concerned about when beaching a boat is the waves. If the wind picks up or waves become a problem you may find your boat swamped in no time.

You don't want your boat bow on the shore and stern facing the waves when the wind picks up..see below for consequences.

 

[Impactg]

Re: how do we feel about beaching boats

I run Raystown lake in pa, I only beach the boat where I know the bottom is soft. Some places you'll be bailing all the way home!

One thing to consider is this. There is a camp ground on a point below the lake marina. There were about 5 boats lined up beached on the bank.

Guess what, they were all full of water to the dash board. The 4th of july traffic swamped them all.

I never leave my boat when it's beached.

I bet these guys never do that again! It was however a very soft beaching area

The campground just south of Seven Points? On 4th of July?

Yeah, that's risky. Water really gets rolling off that point.

 

[slasmith1]

Re: how do we feel about beaching boats

This happened at Blake Island last year. someone beached thier boat at high tide when the tide came back in it swamped thier boat. when it went back out they drained it and waited for it to come back in again and had to be towed home since thier fuel tank was full of water.

 

[riverkeg]

Re: how do we feel about beaching boats

I don't remember if the OP said what type of beach it is they'd be beaching on. I boat on the Mississippi river and there are several nice beaches to beach on and almost every boat there has a keel guard of some kind including mine now. The previous owner beached at the same places for 14 years and yes, the gelcoat was wore down on a portion of the keel. I cleaned it up, skimmed it with Marine-Tex and then slapped a keelguard on it. I agree with the guys that deal with tides and large waves but us river rats don't worry too much about that. Only barges