https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/ Discuss the art and skill of managing a boat or ship - from Basic Boat Handling and sailing to the complexity of Offshore Passagemaking. en Thu, 18 Jun 2026 06:02:18 GMT vBulletin 60 https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/images/misc/rss.jpg https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/ https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f90/pacific-atlantic-crossing-with-bolt-on-keel-300543.html Thu, 04 Jun 2026 22:37:38 GMT hi all
i'm looking for first hand experience from people who have crossed an ocean in any older boat with a bolt on keel.
how often do bolt on keel boats make the passage ? i've seen guys on youtube say its very risky, how true is this ? what are the actual dangers of crossing an ocean in a boat with a bolt on keel ?


gaz ]]> walk-the-plank https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f90/pacific-atlantic-crossing-with-bolt-on-keel-300543.html https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f90/running-aground-lower-chesapeake-bay-300350.html Fri, 22 May 2026 16:34:42 GMT I've been quite lucky for the past 15 years sailing in some very shallow creeks on the Chesapeake Bay.

I've run aground before but could always back off.

Not this time.

I got pushed up on a shoal, and the boat was heeled over showing a couple feet of the bottom.

A waterman tried to pull me off with his 200 HP outboard, but he couldn't get the boat to come off.

I was then in and out of the water for the next 2 hours plus doing various things including using the mast halyard to swing the keel up. This after placing the anchor out a ways so I could winch the boat off.

These two together finally got me off, but I was freezing by the time I was done.

All my muscle are sore since it was an extreme workout, and I'm 70 years old.

Next day hit bottom again but was prepared since I knew I was going into a very shallow creek to get a slip for a week,

I was able to jump in and pull the boat off this time.

I've sailed back further into both of these creeks before years ago no problem.

The permanent slip that I'm headed to has a main channel that is 2' deep at low tide so I can only come and go near high tide. My boat draws 4'.

Lots of shallow creeks on the Eastern Shore. ]]> thomm225 https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f90/running-aground-lower-chesapeake-bay-300350.html https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f90/deep-water-with-the-admiral-300309.html Tue, 19 May 2026 17:22:46 GMT First time ever.... I was thrown from the helm, even when braced. That's quite something in a 43' old heavy sailboat, when taking them at the right angle. Was completely caught off guard by the conditions, not forecast (shocker) 😕

Question: in my scenario: 80m/250ft depth, 2 miles offshore, worst waves 4-5m/13-16ft at 5 seconds. I have three options.

1. Turn and surf, try to get into port, but the sea bed shallows all the way.
2. Hold course, and repeatedly apologise to the Admiral, promise her literally ANYTHING to make it up.
3. Keep going deeper (and a reasonable angle) and hope it improves deeper.

Note: the wind/wave forecast was for 1/5th the conditions we had.

Thoughts appreciated. I'm also starting crowd-funding for the Admiral's payback

Papawads ]]> Papawads https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f90/deep-water-with-the-admiral-300309.html