INVESTIGATOR 563

I was wondering if anyone has seen "beaching legs" in action. Am thinking they might be useful cruising in large tidal areas. As to design, most of the ones i've seen seen to involve a bolt going through holes drilled through the hull on each side - a scary thought.

A simple solution is a drying plank. This can also be used as a fender board. Holes drilled at each end and ropes attached. Board is slipped under the boat before it takes the ground, and then the ropes are tied to the chain plates. You do, however need a substantial plank, as too much bending allows the boat to tilt too far.

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=664&p=3427&hilit=Drying+plank#p3427

Thanks Ian, for the great plank idea and link to bilgekeelers discussion page. "?Keel planking" is simple and have some storage space under the cockpit for it too. I guess a heavy hardwood (which sinks) would be easier to get under the keel.

Maybe, if the boat was accidentally beached the plank could be used as a prop on one side at least,

I came across another beaching idea on the net, he was also adverse to drilling holes in the hull. (but it involves 2 wooden legs and a keel chain)..

http://www.roxane-romilly.co.uk/Romilly ... ching-legs

I remember in 07 on my second trip to NZ up in Te Wahapu Bay we came across two large keelers that had rafted together and tied to each other then let the tide go out around them . A sort of makeshift catamaran . They looked like they had done it many times before but I could only think of the chaos that may occur if it went pear shaped.

They were happily cleaning the boat's bottoms . They are much more liberal about this in NZ having special cleaning poles in areas you can dry out . No pressure washing allowed. Here you get arrested. I understand the idea behind our regulations but by the time you scrape your bottom all the toxins have already leached out into the water anyway . That's why you are cleaning it.

Andrew I think the feet part of whatever you use for legs is the important bit. Where I moor there is "thong gobbler" mud . In other words your foot sinks in about a foot and when you take the next step your thong stays buried. Drying out here would need a very broard foot on the legs or Ian's plank for stability. More solid bottoms may be kinder to the leg and chain method.

If you google "beaching a yacht " and hit images you get a good selection of ideas that work ...or otherwise.

Edit .#%€<£ spelling

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/others ... -race.html

Of course if you are good at keel placement drying out is a snack. As they say in real estate .POSTION ,POSITION ,POSITION.

I have pulled up close to the beach in enclosed waters and in rivers and I would add a cautionary tale that beware you are not too close to a windy lee shore or an outgoing tide. Investigators are quite able to make little holes in the sand or mud to sit in.

Geez that's a miracle that boat survived that rock perching event, very lucky,! and Ive often wondered where all those single thongs you find washed up come from too! Also relieved that Investigators have a good chance of staying upright if ensnared in very soft mud, as long as they don't get held down like a suction cup when the tide rises. i will try to stay away from it. Fortunately the "early warning device" (swing centerplate) has saved me a few times in the falling tide groundings.. its worked on all bottom types - coral bombies, sand and TGmud

doing some preliminary sketches on beaching legs and details - especially around the gunwale area. On Teria the gunwale/rubrail/toerail is 3/4" thick wood and not all that strong enough to take a heavy weight bearing down on it (like a rope or strap from the leg or keel plank). May try making some kind of wooden support block that fits just inside the toe rail. also there seems to be a 1/2" thick ply or wood slab moulded into and beneath the side deck at the cabin area, this looks like its got the strength to bolt any fittings through it.

Hi Team

I have used regular scaffolding in a recent project lifting my boat off the trailer for a CB refit. This is a $3 (on ebay) Putlog Butterfly clip. you can attach it to a piece of aluminium or steel scaffold tube, I think I'd go with the aluminium. It could be easily height adjusted easily for different situations. You may need to modify it somewhat to suit your own boat.

Obviously there would be a need for some kind of a base plate to prevent the tube from spearing into the mud or sand bottom

The tube & clip could also be added to and modified further as a mast raising system or whatever else you can think of.

I look forward to seeing what you end up with.

Mambo

I guess life is full of choices, but my choice is to dry my boat out on its trailer even after adding quite a deal of fibreglass to the full length of the bottom of my keel.

Sounds safest option Peter, the keel base should be nursed along, a depth sounder and anchor out without grounding..

Did start on a set of legs for my wylo2#67 and another for Allagai (thetinytallship.com), which sailed up here from Kangaroo island via Tassy. Their web blog a great read.