Beaching a glass boat

[WalrusLike]

I am wondering what damage if any I will do to my hull if I beach it on good sand. Maybe Horshoe Bay or the Bedroom etc.

If its not slammed on to beach will it cut through the gell coat? How many times do you think i can beach it before the damage is apparent?

I will get a tiny inflatable tender at some point... But not for a little while.

[Noelm]

Sand will slowly rub through the gelcoat (just as it will grind away an ally boat) it will take a long time, but it will happen, there is a few proprietry things available to put on the front to stop it. depends on how often and for how long as to whether it is worthwhile or not.

[WalrusLike]

So you reckon a few times until I get the tender won't do much or any damage?

[Chimo]

One of the other problems with beaching at the places you mentioned is the tide. As it leaves you may not be able to. :'(
So why not consider offloading the crew and you and sending the scratchable fibreglass boat into deep water with an endless loop passing through a pulley block on the end of your anchor chain with a tail (paynter)off the loop fastened to the bow bollard.

No more scratchee and much better resale. (Based on the hypothesis that if the guy trying to flog me his boat did this to the boat what else did he do that I'm gunna find out about later!!!)

Cheers
Chimo

[WalrusLike]

I have thought about that sort of thing but it always seemed like a recipe for tangling up the motor, or trapping the unwary idiot in the passing gin palace etc.

Do you use that system anywhere in Southern Moreton bay?

I would think that Horshoe would need 100 metres (x2) to get you out to the deeper water.

I do like the idea of it.... Beats endlessly adjusting according to tide. And beats watching wakes come and grind your hull.

[Chimo]

WL

"Do you use that system anywhere in Southern Moreton bay?"
I use the system pretty well whenever we would otherwise be beaching the boat for some time.

With the pulley block "deed" to the anchor chain the endless loop is laying along the bottom and only the short paynter runs up to the surface from the end of the anchor chain to the boat bow. The loop is kept tight either tied off to a tree or if no trees are handy to another anchor on the beach. No risk of line being cut even if a boat runs between the beach and the boat.

We use a long length of 10 mm silver for the anchor mooring loop and use the same line as an adjustable bridle to hang a 12 foot way back in the sweet spot of the wake when towing it. Used the same line to pull over a yacht fromm the top of its mast the other day so the club tender could haul it off the sand.

An old plastic garden hose reel makes it east to roll up when not in use.

GOMs find easy ways to do stuff.

Cheers
Chimo

[WalrusLike]

Love your work Chimo... Using a reel is genius.

I had the wrong idea.... I thought the pulley was up on a float. That would be dumb.... Your way is sounding best of all.

Now what sort of pulley and where to get it....

How long is the tail rope going to the bow?

[Chimo]

Something like this https://www.whitworths.com.au/main_itemdetail.asp?item=8592&search123=pulley+block&intAbsolutePage=1 or https://www.whitworths.com.au/main_itemdetail.asp?item=8447&search123=pulley+blocks&intAbsolutePage=1 or similar and if you can get one that has a swivel all the better but not essential just nice. Second hand is another good option too:-*

The tail is a tad longer than the depth at high tide. Long enough to not pull the anchor and chain up and out but not too long so the boat wanders all over the shop. Technical terms but suck it and see. ie have a long rope and adjust it on the deck when you tie off on the cleat.

If you anchor as normal so you lower anchor and chain and back away towards the shore after you tie to your cleat you then let out the loop as you back and step off the stern with the tribe and their gear then hand over hand the loop so the boat sits on its "mooring" but you can retrieve it at will. No more scratches but wait there's more. Another benefit is no more stuff nicked from the boat by beach dwelling tea leaves.;D

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[WalrusLike]

That sounds good.... I think I will have one two tiny issues to work through to a good result.

The first is the actual handling of the loop plus anchor. I bet my first attempt is a fiasco of rope around radio ariels and my ankle, and twice around the toilet seat. But practice will improve it.

The second is using the loop, won't it end up all muddy? Just clean it as you retrieve?

[AnthonyL]

I had a keelguard installed on my boat as I was worried about scratching it up too. I figure I can replace the keelguard when needed.

I had mine fitted by the dealer as I dont have the patience to do the install.

http://www.keelguard.com/

[WalrusLike]

Anthony yours is a Baysport too so you have the same tunnel in keel as mine.

How did they put the keel guard on? From the bow at waterline down to tunnel then a fork to each side?

[Triple]

Heard good things about the anchor buddy or try this - http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/showthread.php?149695-easy-boat-retrieval-set-up&highlight=boat%20retrieval

[Chimo]

WL

Keelguard is useful on concrete ramps, less so in rocks and good to have but tide is still a pain.

That sounds good.... I think I will have one two tiny issues to work through to a good result. The first is the actual handling of the loop plus anchor. I bet my first attempt is a fiasco of rope around radio ariels and my ankle, and twice around the toilet seat. But practice will improve it.

Feed line off the hose reel thru the pulley tie a bowline http://www.netknots.com/html/bowline.html thru the eye at the other end (or if no eye join the two ends with two bowlines ) and rewind onto the hose reel so the pulley block last back onto the reel adjacent to the bowlines. About now you just reaalized that it isn't an endless loop; it runs one way and stops.

To moor secure the "dee" on the pulley block to the end of the anchor chain (after removing your normal anchor warp that you can leave in the bow rope locker) and the end of paynter to one of the bowlines or the eye in the "loop". Another bowline or its eye can alternatively be captured by the original bowline, just untie and re-tie it.

Now lower anchor at you chosen mooring site with two parts of the "loop" together with the paynter that you tie off to your bollard. While the boss backs the boat to the beach feed the unrolled line out without catching your foot in it and getting hauled overboard!

The second is using the loop, won't it end up all muddy? Hopefully not. If so Just clean it as you retrieve? Or at home as you re roll the hose reel when your bored with TV.

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[For Steve]

G'day Chimo,

I've been trying to work out how your system works. It's a great idea and gives the result I'm looking for. Any chance you have a diagram of how to set it up?

[Chimo]

79546

Hi Steve

Here is the reel and the tinny paynter that gets "Deed" onto the tinny tow eye.

The line (that doubles as the loop for anchoring) goes thru the pulley next to the float with one side secured to the rear bollards on the Vag. One side fixed the other adjusted depending on the Vag speed.

Can you read the text in the post above and work out the anchoring system? . No pic at the moment, sorry:'(

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[For Steve]

Thanks Chimo. I'm starting to understand now. :-[

When you've fed the line through the pulley and tied the bowline to the bowline or loop at the other end to make a "endless" loop, which part are you rewinding onto the hose reel to get "unrolled line" to feed out?

I think I just need to go out and try it! :-[

[Chimo]

Start rewinding in the middle of the line and wind the two halves in ending up at the knots / knot & eye and the pulley block with "d".
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[For Steve]

Ah right, so you wind it back on doubled. Thanks mate.

[PADDLES]

hey mr walrus, don't worry about beaching a fibreglass hull you'll probably put more marks on the hull running it onto the trailer. just tilt the leg up so it's not hitting the bottom and pull the stern into the shallows. at moreton where there's a drop off and some run in the water all i do is drop the front anchor well over the drop and pull the stern into the shallow water with a rear anchor. as the tide drops i just move the rear anchor towards the boat which allows the boat to swing into the deeper water using the run in the tide, when you want to jump back in just pull the stern back into the shallow water again using the stern anchor rope. it's not rocket science but it works.

if i'm overnighting i usually drop the front anchor a fair way over the drop and when we're ready to jump in the boat for the night we simply stow the stern anchor allowing the boat to swing into the deeper water for the night on the front anchor and next morning just go for a swim with the rear anchor to set it again.

[WalrusLike]

...While the boss backs the boat to the beach feed the unrolled line out without catching your foot in ......

That's where the plan goes astray.... My missus is smarter than me, and has more common sense, but she has crap instincts for boat handling.

It'll be me doing the backing and her feeding line out. But I do need to get her skilled up in boat handling. My power boat skills have lifted from absolute novice up to beginner level. If they improve some more I will start skilling the family deckies up.

As bad as i am though.... I still feel i am not as bad as some of the giant boat skippers I've seen lately. But I digress....

Now I am tempted to do a Chimo Special when I anchor up, but I must admit my original plan was more along Paddles guidelines. I will probably try both and see what suits us best. I am indebted to you blokes for sharing your experience and systems with me. Thanks.

[WalrusLike]

Um.... Something else just occurred to me. You know when you see older glass boats the keel area is dull and cut through some of the gelcoat. New boats are all shiny and pretty.

Does shiny keel mean slippery in water... so less drag? More economical and faster? Or is it not significant?

How many beachings in good conditions would you think before it's looking secondhand?

[PADDLES]

i would be thinking lots of beachings mate, but in all reality you never really hit the bottom if you just back it into the shallow water, if you get it right it's always floating. you'll be surprised at just how shallow of water quite a big boat can float in, you are really only limited by how far you can tilt your drive leg up. the only boats that suffer a little are boats with a bravo drive leg, they don't tilt up as far as alphas or outboards. we've got an inflateable tender but usually leave it at home because we couldn't be bothered messing around with it.

[Chimo]

Hi

I got a pm this morning from a local AF friend of mine who wants me to help him set up the loop thing. Just thought about what I laboriously typed out last night ie trying to simplify and it occurs to me that what I wrote in trying to simplify is wrong.

In the past I have connected the pulley block to the anchor chain (after taking the anchor warp off) and fed the end of the loop line thru the pulley and then backed in to the beach feeding the line out so that it runs thru the pulley as you go beachward.

When you get to the beach, is when the knot tying and paynter attachment needs to occur. You just need to remember the depth of water and allow for tide at the position you lowered the anchor when tying off the paynter to the bow bollard.

Then after gear and crew are on the beach the boat is hand over handed out to its mooring and the loop end secured to another anchor or a tree / log etc.

Sorry again for the confusion. It seems it sometimes doesn't pay to try and simplify just tell it as it was.

Cheers
Chimo

PS Paddles, your spot on re the depth a boat will float in but having been caught out soon after buying the Vag by the speed sensor (mounted at the vee on the transom) and the triducer also low getting "sanded" by waves on the beach and having to replace items damaged I opted to keep the hull floating in spite of the tides. We do what we do for what ever reasons and we are all correct at some time or other.

[WalrusLike]

Chimo you have no need for apologising.... You've got a good system and you are generous with your time to explain it to us.

Good karma to you. I like your system... And will try it soon. I was thinking of using a stainless snap link at the end of the anchor chain to join to anchor rope (and when doing a Chimo, to pulley rope. )