grounding

[David]

I had my first grounding experience this weekend, when I let someone else take the helm. I told them to head into the wind and unfortunately he thought this directive trumped staying in the channel. We went aground softly in the mud and luckily had an offshore wind and a rising tide and sailed off in about half an hour. There seems to be no damage done , but we were leaning on the keel and rudder in about 3.5 feet of water for 15 minutes. Other than hauling the boat what can be done to check to make sure there is no damage?

 

[Matt Blender]

Check for damage

Don't take the grounding too hard (figuratively speaking!). It's bound to happen again. As for damage, check for leaks around the keel bolts and for any unusual amount of water in the bilge. Also, you can have a diver take a close look at the hull and keel. If the grounding was truly a soft one, I don't think you much to worry about. Matt

 

[Bob Camarena]

We do it all the time

Well, maybe not all the time, but often enough to be embarrassing. Here in the Sacramento Delta it's always mud unless you run into the levee and hit the rocks. I wouldn't worry about hauling the boat, I've never seen mud do any damage, except to the skipper's pride.There's a spot down the river from our club that we've named "Tortilla Flats" in honor of a former club Commodore who ran aground while reaching for the tortilla chips during a race! He's only one of many who've hit the same bar, including your's truly. A hint for the future is, when you feel that little bump, immediately do a 180 onto a reciprocal course. Most of the time, if you're quick enough, you can spin the boat on it's keel even if you're stuck. This way you'll be headed the right way -- into deeper water.

 

[LaDonna Bubak - CatalinaOwners.com]

Only three types of sailors

1. Those who've run aground.2. Those who haven't YET.3. Those who lie about it.Keels are designed to take the occasional grounding. Granted, you don't want to put that much pressure on the rudder but I'm guessing the keel took the brunt of it. Do as Matt suggested & just check for unusual amounts of water and differences in performance. If the rudder starts acting weird, then's the time to call a pro.LaDonna