Dredging in your slip

[shemandr]

Does anyone know the name for the practice of running a propeller driven boat in one's slip to dredge the slip. I understand this is illegal and I'm not considering doing this, but as a matter of vocabulary, I would like to know the word.
Thanks

 

[MrUnix]

prop dredging

I've always heard it just called prop dredging or propeller dredging. I have also heard it referred to as propeller wash agitation dredging. Don't know if there is a more specific term for it.

Cheers,
Brad

 

[Ray T]

Re: prop dredging

We allways called it blowing out the slip.

 

[MrUnix]

Oh my!

We allways called it blowing out the slip.

That had an entirely different meaning when I was growing up in the Florida Keys!

Cheers,
Brad

 

[Steve Dion]

Who said it is illegal? We do this periodically! Am I going to the slammer?

 

[Benny17441]

I don't think a sailboat auxiliary engine prop can dredge anything, I would call call wasting fuel.

 

[fokker416]

Who said it is illegal? We do this periodically! Am I going to the slammer?

The laws are State specific. I know of people who made a channel or dredged a slip up to their dock and got busted for it. I haven't heard of anyone getting in trouble for maintaining an existing channel or slip. I'd check the books though.

 

[JohnS]

If you DO "blow out your slip" keep in mind a lot of the mud/sand/etc is gonna get sucked into the engine cooling intake. Might want to at least motor out of the slip for a while afterwards w/ some high revs to flush some of it out.

 

[fstbttms]

Seems unlikely that a keelboat could generate enough prop wash close enough to the bottom to have any real effect. Even if it did, you certainly aren't going to be clearing any sediment out of the slip forward of the prop.

 

[Steve Dion]

Even if it did, you certainly aren't going to be clearing any sediment out of the slip forward of the prop.

It will if you put it in reverse when you are dredging!

 

[fstbttms]

It will if you put it in reverse when you are dredging!

Oh yeah! D'oh!

 

[Steve Dion]

Ya!

 

[TFrere]

In Louisiana it is called wheel washing. It is allowed but you must first call 811 or the state call before you dig agency. It is just like digging on land, you cannot disturb the bottom of submerged areas without calling the one call number.