Wing Keel Soft Mud In Slip

[Kermit]

I may have missed something in this whole discussion, but assuming you are paying good money to the marina, why don't you request a slip that is suitable for your Catalina`s draft? rather than being stuck in a unsuitable slip.

And avoid a cool thread like this? That's a waaaay too easy and obvious solution. What in the world are you thinking????

 

[Monterey385]

Ian: I'm part of a member owned/run club and I have the deepest slip in the club. Its mostly motor yachts. We'd be the first sailboat in years but a number of my colleagues are excited to go sailing as they too are former sailors. We're trying to balance out having to leave our community with being responsible to our new vessel.

This discussion has been amazing ... especially the post regarding using a powerwasher to clear the mud ... I had heard about propwash ... but the powerwasher was unique.

 

[NC-C320]

I have a similar situation with my Catalina 320 wing keel. Due to wind, the boat moves about in its slip and rocks a bit from wind generated waves or passing boats. This movement will cause a hole to be washed out over time in soft mud, so when the boat actually bottoms out, if it settles into the mud, it is not likely to be as deep into the mud as you expect. Your sailing performance might be affected since some mud can rest/stay on top of the wing. I think the rudder, being flat, will just push down in the mud a bit. Gradually, as the hole gets washed out, the times, even in low water conditions, that you are actually aground will be greatly reduced. A down side, is even if the boat is floating in low water, you cannot go sailing since you can't leave the slip. My boat has been in the same slip since 1999 and I have seen no problems. In my marina, there are numerous other sailboats experiencing the same thing and I have not heard of any problems created by this situation.