You and your spouse have planned a weekend cruise with five other boats from your sailing club to a shallow bay you've not been to before. You're able to get away early on Friday afternoon and plan to meet up with the rest when they get there. Your chart shows the bay shoals up as you get closer to shore, but there are no markers to indicate where exactly. As you sail in, the depth drops suddenly from 10 feet to 3.5 feet, and you run firmly aground in what appears to be sticky mud. You drop sails and try to back out with the motor, but nothing doing. Your tide tables indicate the tide will drop another two feet over the next three hours, and then come back up five feet over night. Your 30 foot production sailboat has a spare anchor and a dinghy but no windlass. The rest of the fleet is due in about an hour from now and your boat is beginning to list to port. What would you do? (Created by Gary Wyngarden)
- Status
In Something Similar...
...aground on sand on a falling tide, I took my Fortress stern anchor out and a dink pushed the stern at the same time my wife winched. We goosed the throttle a couple of times and the boat slowly came off. Saved a tow and an uncomfortable night. Luck helps too. RD PS: this was 4th of July and I was awarded the club's annual 'Pig' trophy as a result.
...aground on sand on a falling tide, I took my Fortress stern anchor out and a dink pushed the stern at the same time my wife winched. We goosed the throttle a couple of times and the boat slowly came off. Saved a tow and an uncomfortable night. Luck helps too. RD PS: this was 4th of July and I was awarded the club's annual 'Pig' trophy as a result.
Get in my dingy
and row out to deeper waters and set the anchors and start winching, all the while using the motor. If at all possible, ask for assistance from a power boater. Don't forget to call my friends and fill them in on my situation. Keep it up, Ctskip
and row out to deeper waters and set the anchors and start winching, all the while using the motor. If at all possible, ask for assistance from a power boater. Don't forget to call my friends and fill them in on my situation. Keep it up, Ctskip
Going argound
Well I assume the weather and tidal current are not a factor and the only thing I need to concern myself about are the safety of the family and the security of the boat. Since the water astern is 30' deep I'd need a lot of anchor rode to put out a kedge anchor. I have to work fast however or risk having the boat go over on its' side. Not a problem right away but when the tide comes back in it may swamp the boat. Get on the radio and call for help from nearby power/sail boats but don't wait and hope that will be the solution. If they show up great but I have to consider that they may not. It is Friday afternoon/early evening and most are still at the slip. Let out all the line on the main halyard but leave enough to get it on the winch. Get the dingy overboard with the anchor and rode in it and attach the main halyard to the rear lifting handles. You are going to attempt to anchor the dingy by it's bow ring as far off the beam as possible and then after filling the dingy with a lot of water have the other adult winch in the halyard. This will heel the boat and lift the keel out of the mud. Once the keel is unstuck or partally unstuck use the engine to back into deeper water. And ware your PFD as you will be working fast and in an allmost sunk dingy With the halyard attached to the dingy row out till you can't go any farther. Disconnect the halyard and let the crew on the boat recover it. Row out in the 3-4 ft water 50 feet or so and drop the anchor. Pay out the anchor road while rowing back to the boat to get the halyard. Attach the halyard to the stern lifting handle and shorten up on the anchor rode till the halyard is tight. Fill the dingy with a lot of water. Pray it is positively boyant like the manual says. Have the crew start winching in the halyard. A miracle happens here and the boat heels over nicely and the keel comes free on the first try. The crew backs the boat to deeper water with the engine and you recover the gear. If a powerboat shows up have him make passes near the boat to get some wave action going or get a tug as situation dictates. This will help unstick the keel. I actually did this once and let me tell you, you need to be REAL careful in the sunk dingy. Water is pretty heavy stuff and you need about a 1/2 dingy full to equal 400-500 lb. My hard shell 8' pram did fine but it was certainly unstable and I had to balance it with my weight. I thank God we where up a river where the water was calm. In choppy water I would think twice about it and go with a kedge off the stern or use the boom and the heaviest person on board to heel the boat. Roosa Family TRITIUM
Well I assume the weather and tidal current are not a factor and the only thing I need to concern myself about are the safety of the family and the security of the boat. Since the water astern is 30' deep I'd need a lot of anchor rode to put out a kedge anchor. I have to work fast however or risk having the boat go over on its' side. Not a problem right away but when the tide comes back in it may swamp the boat. Get on the radio and call for help from nearby power/sail boats but don't wait and hope that will be the solution. If they show up great but I have to consider that they may not. It is Friday afternoon/early evening and most are still at the slip. Let out all the line on the main halyard but leave enough to get it on the winch. Get the dingy overboard with the anchor and rode in it and attach the main halyard to the rear lifting handles. You are going to attempt to anchor the dingy by it's bow ring as far off the beam as possible and then after filling the dingy with a lot of water have the other adult winch in the halyard. This will heel the boat and lift the keel out of the mud. Once the keel is unstuck or partally unstuck use the engine to back into deeper water. And ware your PFD as you will be working fast and in an allmost sunk dingy With the halyard attached to the dingy row out till you can't go any farther. Disconnect the halyard and let the crew on the boat recover it. Row out in the 3-4 ft water 50 feet or so and drop the anchor. Pay out the anchor road while rowing back to the boat to get the halyard. Attach the halyard to the stern lifting handle and shorten up on the anchor rode till the halyard is tight. Fill the dingy with a lot of water. Pray it is positively boyant like the manual says. Have the crew start winching in the halyard. A miracle happens here and the boat heels over nicely and the keel comes free on the first try. The crew backs the boat to deeper water with the engine and you recover the gear. If a powerboat shows up have him make passes near the boat to get some wave action going or get a tug as situation dictates. This will help unstick the keel. I actually did this once and let me tell you, you need to be REAL careful in the sunk dingy. Water is pretty heavy stuff and you need about a 1/2 dingy full to equal 400-500 lb. My hard shell 8' pram did fine but it was certainly unstable and I had to balance it with my weight. I thank God we where up a river where the water was calm. In choppy water I would think twice about it and go with a kedge off the stern or use the boom and the heaviest person on board to heel the boat. Roosa Family TRITIUM
Drop sails, Dink the anchor to deeper water...
with plenty of scope! Return to the boat and attach the anchor line to then main halyard. Winch the main halyard until the boat lists and then motor back ward( anchor must be set at an advantageous angle) Repeat as needed. (anchor placement is very important) r.w.landau Edit: Bill, I was typing as you were posting. I have pulled three boats off of shore with this method. One was my own after my mooring line was cut by another boat and the marina let me know that there were 10 boats on shore. This was 5 years ago.
with plenty of scope! Return to the boat and attach the anchor line to then main halyard. Winch the main halyard until the boat lists and then motor back ward( anchor must be set at an advantageous angle) Repeat as needed. (anchor placement is very important) r.w.landau Edit: Bill, I was typing as you were posting. I have pulled three boats off of shore with this method. One was my own after my mooring line was cut by another boat and the marina let me know that there were 10 boats on shore. This was 5 years ago.
OR
Since I'm in 3.5' of water and (I assume) my draft is symilar, I let the boat go over and use this opportunity to clean the starboard side and check the zinks and such. I tell the folks in the club that I planned the whole thing to save face. A shoal draft boat like this is not going to go over very far so I'm not concerned with swamping the boat on the returning tide.
Since I'm in 3.5' of water and (I assume) my draft is symilar, I let the boat go over and use this opportunity to clean the starboard side and check the zinks and such. I tell the folks in the club that I planned the whole thing to save face. A shoal draft boat like this is not going to go over very far so I'm not concerned with swamping the boat on the returning tide.
What's two feet
lean over for awhile, and wait for the next cycle. Ya were so kind to explain that the tide will come back to over five feet then. Of course, there are the assumptions: only 1: mud not rock or coral or hard sand. But cudda do in either case Oh, and while we're there, we'll have another for ya!
lean over for awhile, and wait for the next cycle. Ya were so kind to explain that the tide will come back to over five feet then. Of course, there are the assumptions: only 1: mud not rock or coral or hard sand. But cudda do in either case Oh, and while we're there, we'll have another for ya!
Wiggle
I would drop the anchor off the stern with the dingy slightly off center (to comensate for) the prop walk, then use the motor in reverse, cranking in the anchor and the most important, rock the boat side to side which many times will liquefy the muddy bottom at the keel.
I would drop the anchor off the stern with the dingy slightly off center (to comensate for) the prop walk, then use the motor in reverse, cranking in the anchor and the most important, rock the boat side to side which many times will liquefy the muddy bottom at the keel.
Fin Keels vs Wing Keels
On several occasions I have hooked my dink with 8 hp engine to someones halyard and pulled them over enough to slip off a grounding. Quick and easy. On the other hand, my wing keel digs deeper when you heel the boat. Being in an area of shallow water, we have on many occasions touched bottom. Normally this happens when motoring into an anchorage, so the motor is already on. With the engine at full rpm fish tail the rudder and spin the boat 180 degrees and fishtail the boat back into deep water. This has worked all but one time. This time we were stuck at the edge of a channel and any attempt to spin the boat resulted in hitting the edge of the channel with the rudder. Since we were at low tide we waited a couple of hours and motor sailed off the sand bar. Bill
On several occasions I have hooked my dink with 8 hp engine to someones halyard and pulled them over enough to slip off a grounding. Quick and easy. On the other hand, my wing keel digs deeper when you heel the boat. Being in an area of shallow water, we have on many occasions touched bottom. Normally this happens when motoring into an anchorage, so the motor is already on. With the engine at full rpm fish tail the rudder and spin the boat 180 degrees and fishtail the boat back into deep water. This has worked all but one time. This time we were stuck at the edge of a channel and any attempt to spin the boat resulted in hitting the edge of the channel with the rudder. Since we were at low tide we waited a couple of hours and motor sailed off the sand bar. Bill
Make Sure Boat Properly Aligned for Returning Tide
First, thanks for the many good ideas. Second, my draft is 4.5 ft and I am firmly stuck in 3.5 feet of water in sticky mud. Third, the tide will drop "another two feet" in three hours, then returning to five feet overnight. If "none of the above" worked, I would be very concerned about getting swamped with the returning tide. Once I recognized I was going nowhere and in for the duration, I would make sure my boat settled with her deck facing land. In a mere three hours, the boat will be completely on her side in sticky mud. The returning tide could easily swamp her, particularly if accompanied by any wave action. Remember, too, at 3.5 feet, I can easily get out and walk around in the sticky mud. If my motor failed to pull me off, I'd probably jump in with other crew and see if we couldn't lift and push enough to get off.
First, thanks for the many good ideas. Second, my draft is 4.5 ft and I am firmly stuck in 3.5 feet of water in sticky mud. Third, the tide will drop "another two feet" in three hours, then returning to five feet overnight. If "none of the above" worked, I would be very concerned about getting swamped with the returning tide. Once I recognized I was going nowhere and in for the duration, I would make sure my boat settled with her deck facing land. In a mere three hours, the boat will be completely on her side in sticky mud. The returning tide could easily swamp her, particularly if accompanied by any wave action. Remember, too, at 3.5 feet, I can easily get out and walk around in the sticky mud. If my motor failed to pull me off, I'd probably jump in with other crew and see if we couldn't lift and push enough to get off.
Getting more scope
I don't know how suddently the depth got shallow, but if its soft mud it can't be too sudden. When I ran aground a couple of years ago without my dinghy, I was thinking how useful it would be to kedge an anchor behind to help work us free. I knew that throwing an anchor was pretty useless and that without scope I would never set. Then it occurred to me. I dropped the anchor about five feet behind the boat and ran the line from the bow chock instead of the stern. Voila! In 3.5 feet of water with a 30 foot boat, you have a 10:1 scope! Well, I know its not really 10:1 because the chock is not at the water line, but it was close enough that the anchor set and I was able to kedge off. Worth thinking about if you are in that situation.
I don't know how suddently the depth got shallow, but if its soft mud it can't be too sudden. When I ran aground a couple of years ago without my dinghy, I was thinking how useful it would be to kedge an anchor behind to help work us free. I knew that throwing an anchor was pretty useless and that without scope I would never set. Then it occurred to me. I dropped the anchor about five feet behind the boat and ran the line from the bow chock instead of the stern. Voila! In 3.5 feet of water with a 30 foot boat, you have a 10:1 scope! Well, I know its not really 10:1 because the chock is not at the water line, but it was close enough that the anchor set and I was able to kedge off. Worth thinking about if you are in that situation.
it's a dingy dang thang
It's easy, I'd crack open a Corona, & lean back on the high side! Just kidding. Put the spare anchor in the dingy, paddle out drop it in a good position, go back to the boat and pull us out. Then crack open the Corona !
It's easy, I'd crack open a Corona, & lean back on the high side! Just kidding. Put the spare anchor in the dingy, paddle out drop it in a good position, go back to the boat and pull us out. Then crack open the Corona !
a mudder of a problem
Being an expert at using my keel as a depth sounder I have touched several times over the years. I have used a couple of methods that worked. Last year while going up a river just down the coast we ran up on to soft mud with a falling tide. I had read about diferent methods of heeling the boat over to decrease the draft. The one I used on ths occasion was to swing my boom out over the side towrds the shallows. I had my wife on the end of the boom to add a small amount of weight. I should add at this time that this was the first time I used this method and according to my wife the last! As the boat heeled over I hammered the throttle and eased off. The other method I used was just a couple of weeks ago. We were under full sail and went on to a mud bar. We started the engine and put the helm hard over. With the engine at about 1/2 throttle I started the boat coming about. Once the bow went through the wind I back winded the jib which turned us beam on the wind and then brought the jib around and used the jib and main to heel us over while the engine moved us off the mud. I have also seen the main halyard sent out to an other boat and pulled the boat over and off the mud. I guess the bottom line is use whatever works and if one method doesn't work then try something else. If all else fails then the Corona or rum method will have to do.
Being an expert at using my keel as a depth sounder I have touched several times over the years. I have used a couple of methods that worked. Last year while going up a river just down the coast we ran up on to soft mud with a falling tide. I had read about diferent methods of heeling the boat over to decrease the draft. The one I used on ths occasion was to swing my boom out over the side towrds the shallows. I had my wife on the end of the boom to add a small amount of weight. I should add at this time that this was the first time I used this method and according to my wife the last! As the boat heeled over I hammered the throttle and eased off. The other method I used was just a couple of weeks ago. We were under full sail and went on to a mud bar. We started the engine and put the helm hard over. With the engine at about 1/2 throttle I started the boat coming about. Once the bow went through the wind I back winded the jib which turned us beam on the wind and then brought the jib around and used the jib and main to heel us over while the engine moved us off the mud. I have also seen the main halyard sent out to an other boat and pulled the boat over and off the mud. I guess the bottom line is use whatever works and if one method doesn't work then try something else. If all else fails then the Corona or rum method will have to do.
Touch and go
The expression "Touch and Go" comes from England, where a century ago sailing barges plied the inland waterways, often spending days at a time tacking into a headwind. The lack of crew determined that using a plumb line was not feasable, and sometimes the mud rose like a wall. Consequently, the helsman would sail by "Touch and Go", immediately throwing the helm over when he felt the bottom. This system worked well when there was plenty of wind, but it was common for a vessel to get stuck in lighter air because there wasn't enough wind to bring the head around. Then it was a matter of waiting for the tide, or putting out the dory to kedge off. I draw 6'4", which, on the Chesapeake means you are likely to find the bottom on occasion. I have only had to kedge off once. However, an awareness of the tide state at your current location is essential - when you are on an ebbing tide, don't take risks. There was one occasion in the intercoastal in Florida where I took a mark too wide, and, within an hour, found myself on a small island. I spent the four hours until the tide returned cleaning one side of the bottom!
The expression "Touch and Go" comes from England, where a century ago sailing barges plied the inland waterways, often spending days at a time tacking into a headwind. The lack of crew determined that using a plumb line was not feasable, and sometimes the mud rose like a wall. Consequently, the helsman would sail by "Touch and Go", immediately throwing the helm over when he felt the bottom. This system worked well when there was plenty of wind, but it was common for a vessel to get stuck in lighter air because there wasn't enough wind to bring the head around. Then it was a matter of waiting for the tide, or putting out the dory to kedge off. I draw 6'4", which, on the Chesapeake means you are likely to find the bottom on occasion. I have only had to kedge off once. However, an awareness of the tide state at your current location is essential - when you are on an ebbing tide, don't take risks. There was one occasion in the intercoastal in Florida where I took a mark too wide, and, within an hour, found myself on a small island. I spent the four hours until the tide returned cleaning one side of the bottom!
Mud doesn't shelve steeply???
Someone posted that mud does not shelve steeply. Sorry, but I beg to differ - there is a depth change of 4-6 metres (15-20 feet) in about 2m (6 feet) distance at the entrance to our river where the boats are kept. This has changed and shifted quite some distance since last fall. Last year that same bank shelved much more gently and in a different place. It is not for nothing that the paper charts state that this area should not be entered without local knowledge. (Don't think the electronic charts have this warning). Most of you probably don't worry about tides as much as we do here - for us Sep 9th (Saturday coming) is the highest tide for 20 years - about 13.1m (yes, over 40 feet) and just up at Avonmouth it will be 15.1m (near 50 feet). This is about 2m above a normal spring tide, and the flood gates will be closed on the bank (built after the winter storms in 1977 overtopped the sea walls). I expect that there will be a few boats with their moorings too tight; it wouldn't be the first time it has happened.
Someone posted that mud does not shelve steeply. Sorry, but I beg to differ - there is a depth change of 4-6 metres (15-20 feet) in about 2m (6 feet) distance at the entrance to our river where the boats are kept. This has changed and shifted quite some distance since last fall. Last year that same bank shelved much more gently and in a different place. It is not for nothing that the paper charts state that this area should not be entered without local knowledge. (Don't think the electronic charts have this warning). Most of you probably don't worry about tides as much as we do here - for us Sep 9th (Saturday coming) is the highest tide for 20 years - about 13.1m (yes, over 40 feet) and just up at Avonmouth it will be 15.1m (near 50 feet). This is about 2m above a normal spring tide, and the flood gates will be closed on the bank (built after the winter storms in 1977 overtopped the sea walls). I expect that there will be a few boats with their moorings too tight; it wouldn't be the first time it has happened.
Don't Even Think About It
This is the world of the Texas bays.....lots of silt. And the ICW, shifts for 10 to 3 fit its entire length. So we get to practice a lot. Drop sail, put your rudder at 0 degrees. Get the engine warmed up, and make sure the boarding ladder is readied. Now, one stout lad with sneakers tied well on can ease over the side and work his way to the bow. Now get that shoulder low on the bow and start to push....nothing dramatic, just a good steady push. Get your crew to put the engine in reverse. I would want to get off quickly before it got worse. Kedging would be next if required, but a soft grounding in sloped mud isn't very serious. And don't twist the boat left and right. It can damage a keel. Now, get all that mud off before you track it all over the boat. Cheers.
This is the world of the Texas bays.....lots of silt. And the ICW, shifts for 10 to 3 fit its entire length. So we get to practice a lot. Drop sail, put your rudder at 0 degrees. Get the engine warmed up, and make sure the boarding ladder is readied. Now, one stout lad with sneakers tied well on can ease over the side and work his way to the bow. Now get that shoulder low on the bow and start to push....nothing dramatic, just a good steady push. Get your crew to put the engine in reverse. I would want to get off quickly before it got worse. Kedging would be next if required, but a soft grounding in sloped mud isn't very serious. And don't twist the boat left and right. It can damage a keel. Now, get all that mud off before you track it all over the boat. Cheers.
Call Sea Tow
The experience and practice of trying to kedge off is great, but in home waters, if really stuck, getting a big power boat to create a wake to help bounce off is no problem and if that fails, getting them to help pull off, or Sea Tow is usually no more than 1/2 hour away. Recent hurricanes have moved the sand bars around here and I've bumped and scraped a few times lately. Generally I move the throttle forward to full and zig zag through. Maybe that winged keel helps prevent it from digging in.
The experience and practice of trying to kedge off is great, but in home waters, if really stuck, getting a big power boat to create a wake to help bounce off is no problem and if that fails, getting them to help pull off, or Sea Tow is usually no more than 1/2 hour away. Recent hurricanes have moved the sand bars around here and I've bumped and scraped a few times lately. Generally I move the throttle forward to full and zig zag through. Maybe that winged keel helps prevent it from digging in.
If all else fails ......
..... attach a deployed kedge anchor and rode to the mainsail halyard (to pull the boat over on her side) and winch/slide her on her side back to the deeper water. The anchor rode attaches to the main halyard so that the "pull" goes to the top of the mast. With a fin keel its usually easy to pivot in the muck by 180 degrees and then 'power out' of the problem in 'forward gear'; much more thrust than in reverse and you dont suck as much bottom crud into the engines cooling loop. With a full keel .... you usually call TowBoatUS, etc.
..... attach a deployed kedge anchor and rode to the mainsail halyard (to pull the boat over on her side) and winch/slide her on her side back to the deeper water. The anchor rode attaches to the main halyard so that the "pull" goes to the top of the mast. With a fin keel its usually easy to pivot in the muck by 180 degrees and then 'power out' of the problem in 'forward gear'; much more thrust than in reverse and you dont suck as much bottom crud into the engines cooling loop. With a full keel .... you usually call TowBoatUS, etc.
An Engineer's point of view
You will need to pay a fee before using any of these suggestions... in case there are any lawyers in the group! 1) Back up... turn the rudder toward the side faceing down... this will help with some lift when the water starts to move 2) Hang off the boom... a bosun's seat is good here or that cute hanging jib seat the other half uses to relax in 3) Take the spare anchor as far aft as possible and set it with the line as tight as possible to the stuck boat... then use the dinghy in the middle of the (as tight as you can get it) anchor line at a right angle to the line... you can get a lot of force from the middle of 200 feet of line when it is pulled away from the midpoint! 4) Use a halyard line out to the dink and again pull to the side to heel it over enough to refloat... You may actually be able to drag it off this way depending on how deep your dug in... and don't worry about the tension... this is how the shrouds were set before modern tension meters If you decide to wait it out... remember to use your blender while you can still operate it in a vertical position! Cheers!
You will need to pay a fee before using any of these suggestions... in case there are any lawyers in the group! 1) Back up... turn the rudder toward the side faceing down... this will help with some lift when the water starts to move 2) Hang off the boom... a bosun's seat is good here or that cute hanging jib seat the other half uses to relax in 3) Take the spare anchor as far aft as possible and set it with the line as tight as possible to the stuck boat... then use the dinghy in the middle of the (as tight as you can get it) anchor line at a right angle to the line... you can get a lot of force from the middle of 200 feet of line when it is pulled away from the midpoint! 4) Use a halyard line out to the dink and again pull to the side to heel it over enough to refloat... You may actually be able to drag it off this way depending on how deep your dug in... and don't worry about the tension... this is how the shrouds were set before modern tension meters If you decide to wait it out... remember to use your blender while you can still operate it in a vertical position! Cheers!
- Status