There are two kinds of sailors. Those that have gone aground and those that will. We joined the “have” group this weekend. Fortunately, the only damage was our egos. Here are my personal lessons learned: 1. Pay attention to water levels. Even though we are lake sailors and do not have to worry about tides like our coastal brothers, the fact is the Corp of Engineers can slip a little lake lowering in on you. I checked after the fact and it is down 2.2 feet from the last time we sailed. I should have known ‘cause I had to walk downhill to the dock. 2. Don’t go into the water without a PFD. Yes, I could stand up (where we were aground). Enough said…. 3. Once you do get off and someone is in the water, it immediately becomes a Man Overboard situation. Be prepared for that. (the admiral handled it well, after all, I am here writing this post) Now for the ego damage… . To put it simply, we were pulled off by a passing Jet Ski within sight of our marina …. In retrospect, after trying to heel the boat over and getting rid of weight (me) we came to the conclusion that with a 7,000 pound displacement we were not going to get off that way. Kedging would have worked.
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Bill
Sounds like you did great
We came close this weekend due to a nav error on my part...misidentified a mark and found myself heading into a shallow fishing area..."bottom coming up fast" as they used to say on "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" when I was a kid ;-). Got lucky and made a quick cut back to deeper water, but it was sobering... Thanks for posting! Bill
We came close this weekend due to a nav error on my part...misidentified a mark and found myself heading into a shallow fishing area..."bottom coming up fast" as they used to say on "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" when I was a kid ;-). Got lucky and made a quick cut back to deeper water, but it was sobering... Thanks for posting! Bill
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Mark
Must be the moons
I have taken much pride in the fact that I have never never run aground. But yes you guessed it on Saterday afternoon we sailed across a sand bar. Actually we didn't sail across the sand bar. We were stuck half way across. One hour later having tried just about everything we were towed off by a fishing boat. No damage though, not even a scratch but my pride went out the window.
I have taken much pride in the fact that I have never never run aground. But yes you guessed it on Saterday afternoon we sailed across a sand bar. Actually we didn't sail across the sand bar. We were stuck half way across. One hour later having tried just about everything we were towed off by a fishing boat. No damage though, not even a scratch but my pride went out the window.
Damn this water's cold! Yeah, deep too!!
I ran aground once and tried for almost an hour to get free with no success. Then I remembered that my H23 only draws 2-1/2 feet, so I "dropped trou", hooked my swim ladder over the transom and climbed overboard. The water was cold but only came to mid-thigh, so the jewels were safe. With my weight off, the boat floated free and I walked her back to deeper water. Less than ten minutes later I was back in the cockpit, dry, and sailing again. Peter H23 "Raven"
I ran aground once and tried for almost an hour to get free with no success. Then I remembered that my H23 only draws 2-1/2 feet, so I "dropped trou", hooked my swim ladder over the transom and climbed overboard. The water was cold but only came to mid-thigh, so the jewels were safe. With my weight off, the boat floated free and I walked her back to deeper water. Less than ten minutes later I was back in the cockpit, dry, and sailing again. Peter H23 "Raven"
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tom
the beauty of a swing keel
My old Helsen had a swing keel that we didn't lock down. So we could gunkhole and take short cuts knowing that if TVA had lowered the water we could raise the keel. The downside of the swing keel became apparent when a large tree branch(the whole tree??) got caught on the cable. We have ran aground twice in the last month with our pearson 323. Once I was at the Helm once my wife. Both times were soft groundings and we started the motor and powered off. When I ran aground the depth sounder had stopped working. I had my head down the hatch trying to figure out what was wrong when we came to a stop. Rule #1 steer the boat!!!!
My old Helsen had a swing keel that we didn't lock down. So we could gunkhole and take short cuts knowing that if TVA had lowered the water we could raise the keel. The downside of the swing keel became apparent when a large tree branch(the whole tree??) got caught on the cable. We have ran aground twice in the last month with our pearson 323. Once I was at the Helm once my wife. Both times were soft groundings and we started the motor and powered off. When I ran aground the depth sounder had stopped working. I had my head down the hatch trying to figure out what was wrong when we came to a stop. Rule #1 steer the boat!!!!
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Ben
New sailor, wasn't so good with navigation
I'm hoping that I got my groundings out of the way quickly. The first three times we took our boat out I hit sand. Luckily I was motoring very slowly each time, so I just put the motor in reverse and gave it some throttle and backed off easily. But that was last year, as a new sailor, hopefully it will be a long time til I do it again. What is "kedging"? I may already know what it is, but I'm not familiar with that term.
I'm hoping that I got my groundings out of the way quickly. The first three times we took our boat out I hit sand. Luckily I was motoring very slowly each time, so I just put the motor in reverse and gave it some throttle and backed off easily. But that was last year, as a new sailor, hopefully it will be a long time til I do it again. What is "kedging"? I may already know what it is, but I'm not familiar with that term.
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Chuck Petty
kedging
1. Get in the water. 2. Haul your anchor out about as far as you can without drownding (unless you have a dingy.) 3. Set the anchor. 4a. Use your winch to either pull yourself off. or 4b Connect it to one of the halyards to increase the heel enough so you float off. The Jet Ski was easier.....
1. Get in the water. 2. Haul your anchor out about as far as you can without drownding (unless you have a dingy.) 3. Set the anchor. 4a. Use your winch to either pull yourself off. or 4b Connect it to one of the halyards to increase the heel enough so you float off. The Jet Ski was easier.....
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dan
do it all the time
sailing the ICW where it can be 20 one minute and 2 the next we run aground all the time. aint no shame to it. get another beer and wait on the tide to rise! kedging is taking your anchor out to deep water and winching yourself off the grounding. as stated above, my preferred method is to get another beer and wait on the tide!
sailing the ICW where it can be 20 one minute and 2 the next we run aground all the time. aint no shame to it. get another beer and wait on the tide to rise! kedging is taking your anchor out to deep water and winching yourself off the grounding. as stated above, my preferred method is to get another beer and wait on the tide!
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Jim LeBlanc
Know the area and keep an eye on the depth
Yes, grounding is a sobering experience, but it is good for the soul. Makes you pay more attention, know the local conditions and swear never to let it happen again. Occasionally the grounding will be so severe that another boat will be needed to pull you off (has anyone else had to call the Coast Guard for a 41 foot cutter to pull you off of a spoil bank?). Usually, by lowering the sails, starting the engine and turning the boat 180 degrees, you can work your way back to deep water. Worse case is to go aground when you are heeled way over and going full speed. Then when the boat stops, you have gone far into the shallow area and you need more draft to float the boat than when it was under sail. Sometime, with the sails down and a crew member hanging out on the boom as far as it will go and the other crew going forward (most boats float slightly tail down, especially with everyone in the cockpit telling the captain what a dummy he is) the boat can be refloated without much trouble. Need to keep in mind the time of year, as well as the tides (in Texas the winter water level is about 2 feet lower than in summer, even though the tidal effect is minimal at any time of year). When you go aground (not if, when), stop, think of the best way to get out of the situation, don't be too proud to accept a tow and promise to do better next time. Happy sailing.
Yes, grounding is a sobering experience, but it is good for the soul. Makes you pay more attention, know the local conditions and swear never to let it happen again. Occasionally the grounding will be so severe that another boat will be needed to pull you off (has anyone else had to call the Coast Guard for a 41 foot cutter to pull you off of a spoil bank?). Usually, by lowering the sails, starting the engine and turning the boat 180 degrees, you can work your way back to deep water. Worse case is to go aground when you are heeled way over and going full speed. Then when the boat stops, you have gone far into the shallow area and you need more draft to float the boat than when it was under sail. Sometime, with the sails down and a crew member hanging out on the boom as far as it will go and the other crew going forward (most boats float slightly tail down, especially with everyone in the cockpit telling the captain what a dummy he is) the boat can be refloated without much trouble. Need to keep in mind the time of year, as well as the tides (in Texas the winter water level is about 2 feet lower than in summer, even though the tidal effect is minimal at any time of year). When you go aground (not if, when), stop, think of the best way to get out of the situation, don't be too proud to accept a tow and promise to do better next time. Happy sailing.
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Ben
thanks
So it turns out I did know what kedging is. I've done it once already w/out knowing what to call it. I backed my boat out of the slip and up to the shore until the keel touched bottom, so that I could go overboard and have a look at the hull. But first I motored into deeper water and dropped anchor, so that if I backed up too fast or the tide dropped more than I planned on, I could pull myself out. Thanks again for the info. One of these days, I'll get all this terminology straight. . .
So it turns out I did know what kedging is. I've done it once already w/out knowing what to call it. I backed my boat out of the slip and up to the shore until the keel touched bottom, so that I could go overboard and have a look at the hull. But first I motored into deeper water and dropped anchor, so that if I backed up too fast or the tide dropped more than I planned on, I could pull myself out. Thanks again for the info. One of these days, I'll get all this terminology straight. . .
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Tom S.
Be carefull Kedging with a wing keel
typically you are not going to be able to create less draft by inducing heel, but rather you's be digging in a wing deeper. All depends on what your wing keel looks like You can use the anchor to kedge from the bow or stern though
typically you are not going to be able to create less draft by inducing heel, but rather you's be digging in a wing deeper. All depends on what your wing keel looks like You can use the anchor to kedge from the bow or stern though
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Tom S.
Be carefull Kedging with a wing keel
typically you are not going to be able to create less draft by inducing heel, but rather you's be digging in a wing deeper. All depends on what your You can use the anchor to kedge from the bow or stern though
typically you are not going to be able to create less draft by inducing heel, but rather you's be digging in a wing deeper. All depends on what your You can use the anchor to kedge from the bow or stern though
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