Hurricane Mathew put my boat on the hard.. What do I do?
- Thread starter End80
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Since your bottom is firm sand you can get very good holding with a couple of used danforth fluke anchors. They hold really well in that kind of bottom and in a single direction of pull. Working a pair of them with a lashed strapping system and a couple of come-alongs would allow you to slowly kedge that boat closer to where a boat in deep water could do the final pull.
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Well... not sure, there's been no progress but do have some hopeful possibilities in the works..
A friend is suppose to have access to some large used PVC pipes that he says he'll bring from town down to me so I can use them as rollers, the stern is currently right at the edge of the little hill before it drops about 16" down to the marsh area, so if the rollers are laid there then the boat should drop down right on top them (if it doesn't bust them) I'm going to try using some auger style mobile home anchors screwed into the ground so I have something to pull against with comalong. A friend has 4 - 200ft sections of very heavy cable he had salvaged from a shrimpboat which he says I can use, which is probably better than using rope.
Also might have a group of about a dozen kayakers volunteering to use brute pull force to pull with ropes..
I've been unable so far to get someone else with a boat big enough to try another pull.
Nothings definite yet.
Fortunately there has been no more looting going on.
There's only standing water over there for a few days each month, and then it's usually around a foot deep, so there will be no floating, the best chance was during that supermoon a when it had waste high water, but I already told you how that went.
A friend is suppose to have access to some large used PVC pipes that he says he'll bring from town down to me so I can use them as rollers, the stern is currently right at the edge of the little hill before it drops about 16" down to the marsh area, so if the rollers are laid there then the boat should drop down right on top them (if it doesn't bust them) I'm going to try using some auger style mobile home anchors screwed into the ground so I have something to pull against with comalong. A friend has 4 - 200ft sections of very heavy cable he had salvaged from a shrimpboat which he says I can use, which is probably better than using rope.
Also might have a group of about a dozen kayakers volunteering to use brute pull force to pull with ropes..
I've been unable so far to get someone else with a boat big enough to try another pull.
Nothings definite yet.
Fortunately there has been no more looting going on.
There's only standing water over there for a few days each month, and then it's usually around a foot deep, so there will be no floating, the best chance was during that supermoon a when it had waste high water, but I already told you how that went.
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I've been following this & man, this sounds like a nightmare. I'm sorry for the hand you've been dealt. Bag the PVC pipe idea, it will not support the weight of your boat.
A previous poster mentioned grease. I wouldn't recommend that but dishwashing detergent/liquid soap is something to consider. Get some plywood under your boat & squirt a very generous amount of detergent under the boat & plywood. I saw 6 guys in Chicago move a fully loaded 53' box on a tractor trailer that couldn't make corner by putting liquid soap under the tires/on the road & pushed it by hand. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, wouldn't have believed it.
I can't make this kind of stuff of up.
Bob
A previous poster mentioned grease. I wouldn't recommend that but dishwashing detergent/liquid soap is something to consider. Get some plywood under your boat & squirt a very generous amount of detergent under the boat & plywood. I saw 6 guys in Chicago move a fully loaded 53' box on a tractor trailer that couldn't make corner by putting liquid soap under the tires/on the road & pushed it by hand. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, wouldn't have believed it.
I can't make this kind of stuff of up.
Bob
Your saying to lay down plywood saturated with soap and slide the boat on the wood?.. Keep in mind it's at least 300 Ft of land to cross, maybe more.. I guess it's a thought but it would sure take a ton of soap!! Enough to probably suds up the whole marsh if water crest it.
You know, I keep thinking if there was a way I could get one of those flat bed utility trailers over there I could winch the boat onto it and then kind of roll it across back to the river.. but I don't know if it would withstand the weight of the boat.. and I doubt anyone would loge me their trailer for such a task even if I had a method of getting it over there.. If I already owned one I would figure a method to float it over ... I just wish I could get wheels under the boat somehow.
If another hurricane was on it's way, I swear I'd stay on the boat and wait for the waters to rise. This is just a crazy situation.
You know, I keep thinking if there was a way I could get one of those flat bed utility trailers over there I could winch the boat onto it and then kind of roll it across back to the river.. but I don't know if it would withstand the weight of the boat.. and I doubt anyone would loge me their trailer for such a task even if I had a method of getting it over there.. If I already owned one I would figure a method to float it over ... I just wish I could get wheels under the boat somehow.
If another hurricane was on it's way, I swear I'd stay on the boat and wait for the waters to rise. This is just a crazy situation.
It would not take as much soap as you would think. Assuming you laid the plywood down so you were crossing the short 4 foot distance you would probably only need 6 or 8 sheets. As the boat slides forward and off the rear sheet move it to the front, then repeat over and over again till you get it where you want it.
As far as the horepower needed to actually pull it along here is a thought. Look up cross fit gyms in the area. Those people pay money to go flip large tractor tires over so pulling a boat across dry land for free might be like a dream come true for some of them. Maybe the gym owner could even use it as a promotional tool taking pics of his members standing in mud pulling a boat across a marsh. Just a thought.
Good luck.
Sam
As far as the horepower needed to actually pull it along here is a thought. Look up cross fit gyms in the area. Those people pay money to go flip large tractor tires over so pulling a boat across dry land for free might be like a dream come true for some of them. Maybe the gym owner could even use it as a promotional tool taking pics of his members standing in mud pulling a boat across a marsh. Just a thought.
Good luck.
Sam
Or a local high school football team. Small local paper (or large metro for that matter) might be interested in covering it as a human interest story. The problem: liability issues, and the logistics of getting 25 folks out to the site.
I mean find some surplus woven strapping and lash the hull six-ways-to-Sunday, with a couple of pulling loops tied in. Any good cargo tech, or even a steel trucker should have experience. The USAF trains up Riggers to know how to position attachments and secure loads bigger than yours. After that you just have an extreme kedging challenge. And yeah, don't be soaping up the salt marsh. That will get you fined.
I agree.. note that pull loops should be as low as possible so as to not increase vert load on hull.. loop around keel/hull joint with an anchor and come-along on each end of strap..the low angle will help the anchors stay put.. Mast needs to be pointed in the direction you are going
I have been following this thread. I'm sorry you are having so much trouble recovering your boat.
I have a question about that time your boat was moved four feet until the rope broke. Had that rope been strong enough, did it appear to you the boat doing the pulling had enough force to continue to move your boat the total distance required? If so, that is the method that may actually work. Did that fellow give up after that failed attempt? If so, did he give up due to lack of money for another attempt?
You might need to research creating a gofund me approach to raising money for this effort. You may never get the boat moved far enough without a powerful enough tug boat with enough pulling force.
Exactly how far does the boat need to be moved before it can turn upright and float? Based on the photos it appears to be a long way. I hope you are successful in getting it moved.
I have a question about that time your boat was moved four feet until the rope broke. Had that rope been strong enough, did it appear to you the boat doing the pulling had enough force to continue to move your boat the total distance required? If so, that is the method that may actually work. Did that fellow give up after that failed attempt? If so, did he give up due to lack of money for another attempt?
You might need to research creating a gofund me approach to raising money for this effort. You may never get the boat moved far enough without a powerful enough tug boat with enough pulling force.
Exactly how far does the boat need to be moved before it can turn upright and float? Based on the photos it appears to be a long way. I hope you are successful in getting it moved.
At the time of the pull was during the supermoon tide, and had we been able to pull it another 10 feet or so it would have come completely off the little hill its is on and would have dropped into about 2 foot of water, then after moving maybe another 20 foot it would have been in waste high water for the last 250 or so feet till it made it back to the back river where it belonged..
However, according to the news that was our highest tide in like 69 years, so I don't expect to be getting any tides like that again. Last spring tide only came up to my knees up there. Most of the time the ground up there is dry, except for the spring tides.
If your asking if the boat could be pulled across the whole distance when the water is only knee high.. I don't know, it's beyond any experience I have. It seems to me it's certainly not enough to float the boat, but may provide a little bit of buoyancy to assist in less drag during a pull.
There was actually someone here who pm'd me asking if I was accepting donations, but that seemed unreasonable to me when I called SeaTow who examined my video and quoted me $5400, which was a lot lot more than I expected to hear!
I feel the cost is much to high to consider a go funds idea. Even if I had the money I would just buy another boat before I invested that much on this one at one whack. I love my boat, but it's not worth that much.
I have every intention of getting it off, I just think it's going to continue to be a long tedious project.
Presently I'm going to see how the pipe roller thing goes, I talked to him again today, and he said he'll bring them down nsometime this week. He says they are about 8" x 8 foot each,.
I do appreciate your advice and concerns
However, according to the news that was our highest tide in like 69 years, so I don't expect to be getting any tides like that again. Last spring tide only came up to my knees up there. Most of the time the ground up there is dry, except for the spring tides.
If your asking if the boat could be pulled across the whole distance when the water is only knee high.. I don't know, it's beyond any experience I have. It seems to me it's certainly not enough to float the boat, but may provide a little bit of buoyancy to assist in less drag during a pull.
There was actually someone here who pm'd me asking if I was accepting donations, but that seemed unreasonable to me when I called SeaTow who examined my video and quoted me $5400, which was a lot lot more than I expected to hear!
I feel the cost is much to high to consider a go funds idea. Even if I had the money I would just buy another boat before I invested that much on this one at one whack. I love my boat, but it's not worth that much.
I have every intention of getting it off, I just think it's going to continue to be a long tedious project.
Presently I'm going to see how the pipe roller thing goes, I talked to him again today, and he said he'll bring them down nsometime this week. He says they are about 8" x 8 foot each,.
I do appreciate your advice and concerns
Oh.. I get the impression he gave up and did not want to do another pull because it unnerved him, he seemed uncomfortable to try it again, he said it was dangerous. His boat is his whole life. He lives on it for at least the last 20 years, does private charters for income. Pulling other boats off land is not the kind of thing he usually does. I am however thankful he gave it an attempt, it's a lot more than I've been able to get out of anyone else in assistance, although Jay was very nhelpful to.
I don't think you would "soap up the salt marsh" if you only put it on the plywood and keep them out of the water. I would use dawn detergent as it is the same thing the use to wash animals and beaches down with after oil spills. It breaks down quickly if any does get in the water.
I have doubts the pipes will work unless the surface is very dry and stable. The surface area of the pipes in contact with the ground will be minimal unless they sink. If they sink they won't roll. The plywood/soap idea is what I pursue if it was mine.
I would slide 4x6's under the boat and use either a jack or a fulcrum and lever to get enough airgap under it to slide the soaped up plywood under the boat to get it started. I really think a large anchor and a come a long would pull the boat if you had it on the slicked up surface.
I wish I was closer to your location. I would love to come help you out. This could be a fun challenge. Once you find a way to remove/reduce the surface friction you will be able to move your boat.
Sam
I have doubts the pipes will work unless the surface is very dry and stable. The surface area of the pipes in contact with the ground will be minimal unless they sink. If they sink they won't roll. The plywood/soap idea is what I pursue if it was mine.
I would slide 4x6's under the boat and use either a jack or a fulcrum and lever to get enough airgap under it to slide the soaped up plywood under the boat to get it started. I really think a large anchor and a come a long would pull the boat if you had it on the slicked up surface.
I wish I was closer to your location. I would love to come help you out. This could be a fun challenge. Once you find a way to remove/reduce the surface friction you will be able to move your boat.
Sam
Not to be a discouragement, but having a hobby of going off roading, I will tell you that mud is very sticky. A 4000lbs truck will buy a 12,000 lbs winch. Why, because if you get buried in mud, that is what it takes to get out, and that is something on wheels.
I would suggest trying to unbolt the keel and tow it separately. Once the keel is off the boat, the boat will lay flat and be much less prone to digging in. Also it will float much sooner, possibly float free in high tide. You can do this now at low tide, while you wait for better conditions to tow the boat. You probably hang weight from the mast to unload the keel bolts so they can be pulled out. I would also wrap a strap around the keel before you unbolt it. That way you have something to drag the keel with.
I would suggest trying to unbolt the keel and tow it separately. Once the keel is off the boat, the boat will lay flat and be much less prone to digging in. Also it will float much sooner, possibly float free in high tide. You can do this now at low tide, while you wait for better conditions to tow the boat. You probably hang weight from the mast to unload the keel bolts so they can be pulled out. I would also wrap a strap around the keel before you unbolt it. That way you have something to drag the keel with.
I really don't think mud will be a problem. As mentioned previously, this ground is pretty solid even when covered by water. I've walked out across it several times in wet and dry conditions and have never hit an area where my foot would start to sink or any soft spot.
I did considered removal of the keel early on, but it really seems that would not be such a good idea.. or at least not yet, maybe as a very last resort. We weren't able to get the keel to raise off the ground, not even an inch, with a large trash can full of water and two of us hanging and bouncing from the rope coming down from them top of the mast (as shown in some of the previous pictures).. I really don't think the mast (which seems to be in fine shape) could withstand the weight required to actually raise that keel off the ground, and even if it could, loosening the keel bolts with the boat in such angle and position would very likely end up just tearing the entire sole area of the bottom completely out.. there'd be there's no way to properly back the keel out.
I already removed the rudder to prevent damage and put it in the cabin
I did considered removal of the keel early on, but it really seems that would not be such a good idea.. or at least not yet, maybe as a very last resort. We weren't able to get the keel to raise off the ground, not even an inch, with a large trash can full of water and two of us hanging and bouncing from the rope coming down from them top of the mast (as shown in some of the previous pictures).. I really don't think the mast (which seems to be in fine shape) could withstand the weight required to actually raise that keel off the ground, and even if it could, loosening the keel bolts with the boat in such angle and position would very likely end up just tearing the entire sole area of the bottom completely out.. there'd be there's no way to properly back the keel out.
I already removed the rudder to prevent damage and put it in the cabin