aground in my slip

Mar 6, 2012
357
Hunter H33 (limited edition cabin top) Bayou Chico
anyone else ever dealt with this for any length of time, our winter low tides are here and my recently purchased h33c is aground at dead low tide for an unknown amount of time (just started getting tides low enough to cause this, i dont think its long periods and definitely isnt very drastic.) any advice is appreciated, the marina staff has been notified and some kind of plan to restore depth to the slip or find me a new one will be handled soon.
 
Nov 7, 2012
678
1978 Catalina 30 Wilbur-by-the-Sea
When we bought our first boat we thought revers gear was not functioning on the transmission. The keel was stuck in the silted up slip. There was no current and no tide as the slip was behind a lock but the boat had sat for a year. The neighbor would go out 2 or 3 times a week and his prop wash has buried our keel.

Took about 45 minutes in reverse to wash out enough crud to get her out. We pulled her and found clams on the keel.
 

Paul F

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Jun 3, 2004
827
Hunter 1980 - 33 Bradenton
Been there, winter brings low tides. I once had a slip at a very good price that would sit all boats on the bottom for hours. It was a problem when getting out or in the slip. The boat's masts would "duel" with one tipping to port and the next slip's boat tipping to starboard. Not a good situation. Also lost one of the lifeline top post eyes when it hit a piling. The only solution was to move. Other boats are still there tipping over in the winter. Aren't boats fun?
 
Mar 6, 2012
357
Hunter H33 (limited edition cabin top) Bayou Chico
i dont know how big of an issue this will really be, especially if we can blow out my slip, im a full time liveaboard and as much as i dont like it i could tolerate being trapped at low tide in the winter as long as the boat floats in its slip, dont like the way it feels when the keel is making it pivot....like i said full time liveaboard, freaks me out when the boat isnt moving properly, and i swear i will be getting a lawyer if a boat wake damages my baby in our no wake zone...too damn many ppl just dont understand what the implications are.
 

Paul F

.
Jun 3, 2004
827
Hunter 1980 - 33 Bradenton
Check the future tides. It was worse here in February. Best of luck in trying to blow it out. One of the problems with blowing out is that it also blows to the side where the next slip may fill in.
 
Jun 9, 2004
52
Hunter 29.5 Orange Beach, AL
I've had a similar experience, and like some of the others, I used the prop-wash to make my way out. Luckily, my neighbors don't draw much so it's not a problem. You and I are fortunate here because we normally have such a narrow tidal range and we usually are only dealing with sand/mud to move around.
 
Mar 6, 2012
357
Hunter H33 (limited edition cabin top) Bayou Chico
very true, waiting for word on what the marina wants to do, might relocate to a deeper slip for a night and have the service boat hurricane test my pilings at low tide, might just move me to a different slip, hell for all i know the surveyed depth might be a large enough discrepancy that they could get approval for dredging the whole dock area, if the land lease is for a specified depth then the state could possibly be compelled to foot the bill to maintain the agreed upon dimensions, i know the marina has been silting in since it was built, its made a few inches since i moved in almost two years ago. idk, more info when i get it.
 
Mar 6, 2012
357
Hunter H33 (limited edition cabin top) Bayou Chico
well, i talked to the marina after work, i could move to a different facility (not too happy about that location) and save some money, stay where i am and cope, or move to a different slip in my current facility and pay for 40ft of boat. after discussing with the neighbor leroy macmillian it was decided to just cope with it, he said we can avoid damaging the boat and things wont get that bad.
 
Nov 6, 2006
10,098
Hunter 34 Mandeville Louisiana
rufus, the good thing is that usually the groundings are only a coupla-three days long.. as soon as the wind goes back south, you'll probably be OK.. Our marina was dredged this summer, but before that, every strong cold front that came through left the boat rocking on the keel.. Now, I am pretty sure I can get out of the slip anytime, but the outlet to the lake at the seawall may be a bit shallow when the fronts come by. Hope ya get it worked out.
 
Mar 6, 2012
357
Hunter H33 (limited edition cabin top) Bayou Chico
a couple or three days 0.0 holy crap. we only get a few hours a day for a few days in a row at a time, nvm, ill stop worrying about it. i just get wrapped up pretty fast cuz im still thin on a budget and have to prevent rather than enact repairs and insurance is kind of a wash with this particular boat because it cant exactly be replaced. sure you can find me a new hull but it wont be a limited cabin top 33 hunter. still cant believe my 27 never went aground in the winter. hell mabey it did and i just didnt notice it.
 
Nov 6, 2006
10,098
Hunter 34 Mandeville Louisiana
Yep.. I think we've had more strong cold fronts come by this year so far than we had all last year.. Water is MUCH colder than it usually is.. Did the 27 draw about 4 feet? so Ms. Ballerina draws a smidge over 5 feet.
 
Mar 6, 2012
357
Hunter H33 (limited edition cabin top) Bayou Chico
the 27 is 4.5, ballerina is 5.25, so 9 inches. really not much, the bottom is very very soft in my marina tho....hell idk, i guess boat parent anxiety qualifies as a first world problem, even tho its a choice i made cuz i was poor and had been robbed? eh, living on the water is the best thing ever and im cool with however it happened, good thing i have this site and a very knowledgeable neighbor looking out for me.