Hurricane Mathew put my boat on the hard.. What do I do?

May 12, 2004
1,502
Hunter Cherubini 30 New Port Richey
It hasn't been mentioned but, if you haven't already done so, I would close all seacocks and any other thru-hulls and anyplace water can enter. It would only add insult to injury to pull her off only to have her start sinking. Good luck with that endeavor. We know it won't be easy. Also, if you have a tow company pull her off, read the fine print about salvage rights.
 
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CarlN

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Jan 4, 2009
603
Ketch 55 Bristol, RI
I would get it out by healing it over using a weight attached to the main or genoa halyard. Since your boat is pretty small, a dinghy with concrete blocks might be enough wieght. Attach the halyard to a strong bridle in the dinghy and winch the boat over. If the dinghy starts to lift out of the water, add more weight. This should reduce the draft to less than 2ft. On the moon tide, get about six big friends - and push it out. They will be stronger than a small outboard. Beer will help. If you need to cross a few deeper spots, have the friends stand somewhere shallower and pull a rope attached to the bow.

Do get your boat out of there - and quietly - the authorities are busy right now but ripping up marshes is not something they like. There have been cases where owners were required to hire a heavy lift helicopter to lift their boat over the marsh.
 
Jan 11, 2014
11,323
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
Grampians have a reputation for being built like the proverbial outhouse. So long as it is not drug over sharp pointy objects damage should be minimal to the hull. At least nothing that some gel pat can't fix.
 
Sep 25, 2008
1,096
CS 30 Toronto
Many marinas and yacht clubs want to see your liability insurance before they allow you to stay even for a few hours. It's not the cost of your boat, it is the cost of anything else. You don't have to buy insurance for your boat, just liability insurance if you so desire.
 
Mar 1, 2012
2,182
1961 Rhodes Meridian 25 Texas coast
If it should happen I have to salvage the boat, it's not going to cost anyone anything, except for me my boat.. If it should happen, then I simply cut it up and haul it away piece by piece.. I don't seen how this is unfair or at the expense of others - It's not.
I wasn't required to get insurance, and I didn't.. but if I had tried, I probably would have had a very difficult time finding an agent willing to insure a 45 year old boat.
Or so I highly suspect.
Progressive didn't bat an eye giving me liability insurance on my 55 year old boat. $100 a year for $300,000
 
Jan 1, 2006
7,039
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
Progressive insured by 40 year old runabout when others companies wouldn't. My umbrella company dropped me because of the old boat. I had to get umbrella coverage somewhere else - and at more cost.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Great ideas shared. Insurance needed for future. It is a slimy milk situation so cleanup makes sense. Air bags if you can, seems like an opimal option.high float option above water level. If boat is not holed on bottom side (side in the mud) you may be ok. Would tie four lift bags to boat. Keel fore and aft, and two placed on deck side more to bow and stern than in the keel. Remove what you can easily from boat to reduce hull weight. Then get brute force to pull, push, or kledge the boat to the nearest deep water.
Best of luck. Take video. Share with us. Who knows you may become a youtube star.
 
Dec 28, 2010
462
Catalina 380 san pedro
I agree...quiet quick and use a small business guy like a dive service etc. These guys struggle to makes ends meet. Good Luck.
 
Dec 29, 2008
805
Treworgy 65' LOA Custom Steel Pilothouse Staysail Ketch St. Croix, Virgin Islands
So, what was the outcome with the high tide? Did you get it refloated? Inquiring minds want to know!
 
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Jul 13, 2010
1,097
Precision 23 Perry Hall,Baltimore County
If possible,consider looping around the hull with straps (horizontally), just below the rubrail. Pull on it at forward end, not on the bow eye,spread the strain.
 
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End80

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Oct 30, 2015
78
Grampian 26 Tybee Island GA
Things didn't go well last spring tide.. the whole episode was a clusterfck that day, but another spring tide in a couple weeks.. I ordered a a couple hundred foot of 3/4 rope and two 22lb plow anchors, a friend has some straps and a chain hoist.. the plan is to keep the keel lifted with two boat dock floats secured to the keel, and planting the two anchors out in the marsh, then using the chain hoist as a come along to pull the boat across the marsh with the boat heeled over.. everything will b in place an ready to go for he spring tide. I think the biggest problem might be pulling it that 3 or 4 foot off the hard. Going to try incorporating PVC pipes as rollers.. Most people around here are saying it's not going to work, and only a couple people are willing to help and think can be done.. Myself, am confident it can be done, I have no intention of losing my boat to this.I actually intend to live on it this winter! My camera got broke so Current can't take any more video, but here's some from the days after the storm. The boat comes in at about the 3:30 minute mark of this video, which will better illustrate the situation. I went ahead and scrape the exposed part of the hull last week, first time I scraped a hull, wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be, came right off.. hope moving te boat will be as easy!
 

End80

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Oct 30, 2015
78
Grampian 26 Tybee Island GA
By the way, a few people told me it would be best to pull the boat sideways by attaching to both the bow and stern with the keel behind it.. Do you guys agree?
 
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End80

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Oct 30, 2015
78
Grampian 26 Tybee Island GA
It hasn't been mentioned but, if you haven't already done so, I would close all seacocks and any other thru-hulls and anyplace water can enter. It would only add insult to injury to pull her off only to have her start sinking. Good luck with that endeavor. We know it won't be easy. Also, if you have a tow company pull her off, read the fine print about salvage rights.
There's only one seacocks to the galley sink, the other in the head is capped. I keep forgetting to check if it's open, but I already know it's froze up and I can't turn it (it's the old kind that looks like a hose spigot like you have I your yard...
gotta remember to pour some water down t and see if it comes out.... I got so much to learn, and really dislike these hard lessons
 

End80

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Oct 30, 2015
78
Grampian 26 Tybee Island GA
If possible,consider looping around the hull with straps (horizontally), just below the rubrail. Pull on it at forward end, not on the bow eye,spread the strain.
Horizontal? I thought the straps should go vertical (not that I would know). Seems like the strap could just slip off if horizontal.
 
Jul 13, 2010
1,097
Precision 23 Perry Hall,Baltimore County
Well,until i saw the video 10 minutes ago, i thought you are trying to pull out bow first,didn't think pulling on ghe bow eye was a good move.If pulling sideways,agree with Vertical wraps for and aft.
 
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Feb 20, 2011
7,990
Island Packet 35 Tucson, AZ/San Carlos, MX
By the way, a few people told me it would be best to pull the boat sideways by attaching to both the bow and stern with the keel behind it.. Do you guys agree?
I'm trying to get a grasp of how the boat might respond to a sideways pulling force, but I think your idea of PVC pipes as rollers wouldn't be nearly as effective laterally as they would be lengthwise.
In the sideways haul config, I also mulled over placing your hauling ropes under the hull and over the keel, which may distribute the forces a bit better.
 
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End80

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Oct 30, 2015
78
Grampian 26 Tybee Island GA
I'm trying to get a grasp of how the boat might respond to a sideways pulling force, but I think your idea of PVC pipes as rollers wouldn't be nearly as effective laterally as they would be lengthwise.
In the sideways haul config, I also mulled over placing your hauling ropes under the hull and over the keel, which may distribute the forces a bit better.
I suspect the PVC rollers will only be of use for getting it off the hard, once in the marsh it seems to me the rollers would be ineffective
 
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Feb 20, 2011
7,990
Island Packet 35 Tucson, AZ/San Carlos, MX
I suspect the PVC rollers will only be of use for getting it off the hard, once in the marsh it seems to me the rollers would be ineffective
At the very worst, less effective. How's the local authorities' response, if any?