What if I ground in soft mud? (bilge keel)

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Malcolmscott

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Feb 17, 2013
3
Hunter 33 South Coast UK
Hi everyone,

I'm new here. I bought a Hunter 33 with bilge keels. I read somewhere that it's okay to ground on firm sand but if grounding in soft mud then more support is needed.

Now I'm wondering what I should do if I inadvertently ground in soft mud with the tide going out. How do I provide the necessary support? Will I damage the rudder? Will the boat tip up:eek:?

Does anyone have any experience of this please?

Thanks
Malcolm
"Erimar"
South coast UK
 
Bill Roosa

Bill Roosa

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Jun 6, 2006
6,990
currently boatless wishing Harrington Harbor North, MD
Soft mud only presents a problem due to the suction it creates. You get stuck! I sail the Chesapeake Bay (all mud except Rock and Stony creek) and I've never had a structural problem. We gunkhole so we run aground every time we go out. Actually sand is harder on the boat than mud.
As far as the tide going out from under you, you want to avoid that to the extent possible as it slow down getting off. Know your tides and plan your gunkholing so you are doing it either at low tide or as the tide is coming in. If you are going into thin water with the tide going out you should know that. That is part of being a salty sailor!!!
 
anchorclanker

anchorclanker

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May 27, 2012
1,152
Oday 222 Beaver Lake, Arkansas
Are you saying the keel could stick in the mud to the point the rising tide couldnt lift the boat out of it?
 
Stretch

Stretch

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Feb 1, 2011
281
sail boat dock
anchorclanker said:
Are you saying the keel could stick in the mud to the point the rising tide couldnt lift the boat out of it?
Click to expand
The shoal keel with the wings and bulb would make a great mud anchor, if the weight of the entire boat set it in on a low tide.
If you didn't tip over after losing 2 ft of tide under you before that.

I had to wiggle off a rock, when I was stern tied to shore. Used the main halyard from shore, worked on 3rd large pull.
 
M

Malcolmscott

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Feb 17, 2013
3
Hunter 33 South Coast UK
Life's a beach?

Hi guys,

Thanks for the replies. I've now found the quote from the Hunter 33 owner manual:

"1.3.5 Drying Out/Beaching
......The bilge keel models are designed to settle on a near even keel on sandy ground. If the ground is muddy and soft the rudder might immerse deeper and the aft part of the craft might require additional bracing."

So it sounds as if the rudder would sink into the mud. I could imagine that this would stress the rudder and/or the aft part of the hull. Maybe I should keep some bits of wood on board so I can leap off the stern and build some scaffolding if I accidentally ground in mud:D

I'll be sailing in the Bristol Channel this year and they have some big tides.

Thanks
Malcolm
 
Claude L.-Auger

Claude L.-Auger

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Dec 14, 2003
1,423
Hunter 34 Lake of Two Mountains, QC, Can
I frequently sail my 34 down the lower St.Lawrence river where the tides can be as much as 16 feet ! Several marinas dry up at low tide and of course you have to time your arrival in and out. I draw 4'3" and the first picture (#2379) shows the track made by the keel as I backed into the slip with barely enough water left in the marina. The second picture (#0001) shows the prop and rudder and the last one (#0010) shows the boat with dock lines slack as boat rides higher in mud than water ! Soft mud so it's no problem as time to float back the boat stretches over all the hourly tidal range and breaks the vacuum created by the mud. Need to close all through-hulls to be on safe side. Hate to think of what a wing-keel would do !
 

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twalker H260

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Dec 2, 2003
764
Hunter 260 winnipeg, Manitoba
Malcolm.

One thing to keep in mind is that the hunter in the uk is not the same boat as hunter in the US and Canada (and most other areas). If memory serves the North American hunter is known as a legend in the UK. As far as I know there are no bilge keel North American hunters. The hunter site here is devoted to the boats designed/built in Florida. Other than that welcome to sailboat owners! You'll find a lot of great info here even if it is not specific to "your" version of hunter.
 
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Malcolmscott

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Feb 17, 2013
3
Hunter 33 South Coast UK
Legend 33

Thanks again for the replies - and the pictures! Your North American mud looks as welcoming as British mud!!

Yes my boat is called a "Legend" to avoid confusion with the UK Hunter brand.

I'll see what the Legend Owners Association have to say.

Thanks again
 
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