Low Tide sitting on keel ?

[RobD527]

Hello

I have a Hunter 33 that is sitting on the keel at low tide and it seems like the floor in the cabin is slightly bowed up.

All of the research so far tells me its not a problem but cant really get a definite.
Its only on the keel not the rudder

Does anyone know if this could be a major problem ?
Last thing I want to see is the keel come through the bottom of the boat

I have a call in to Hunter with no call back yet

[darylat8750]

ANY noticeable flexing on the inside of the boat would be unacceptable to me. Any boat wakes would be very bad.

[hellosailor]

Rob-
A boat is generally meant to be floating in the water, in which case the keel pulls down from the hull.
Your keel is now pushing UP into the hull. Not what it was intended to do. Whether that will cause any harm would be a guess, but generally "flexing" breaks FRP fibers in the laminate if it gets excessive, so the only question is "how much?"

[Bill O]

When you put a keeled sailboat up on land, the majority of the boat's weight is on the keel and the stands are supports. Would agree that it shouldn't flex much.

If I recall the Hunter 33 is a Cherubini design and typically a well made boat

Is it appears to be flexing or did you actually try to measure it? When it's floating normal, is there any bow in the cabin sole??

Bill O.

[RobD527]

Seemed like one of the floor hatches was tight is how I noticed it
Maybe 1/8" flex up

[Orion Jim]

Change slip or mooring to one where you don't bottom out...

[JPA Cate]

A sad but true fact, the boat should not flex when sitting on the keel. At all. Even a little.

There are other aspects of the interior of a boat that will not tolerate 1/4" movement.

The boat can be fixed, possibly--we had a boat that Jim adequately repaired from keel flex damage--whether or not yours is worth it, I truly don't know. Sorry to say, only, "maybe." Also maybe not cost effective. Do realize, it is settling into the mud too, unless it has settled onto stone or some other, hard surfface, there would be greater flex on the hard.

Ann

[knot smart]

Lot of good comments.. Someone correctly stated that when you pull the boat ( like here in the north east) for the winter , all the weight is on the keel. The stands only keep it from falling over. My old beneteau 35 flexed the exact same way. I wouldn't worry about a thing. However, I also agree that if a boat passing by creating wake makes it bounce, that's bad.. Bouncing is bad. Any pressure on the rudder is worse. I wouldn't like that, especially if I'm not sitting in mud. And I absolutely agree with the comment that you should get another slip or mooring..

[Don C L]

Yep, and once a boat is on the hard, it too is resting on its keel. And I have seen fin keel boats with some noticeable flex behind the keel, but it was quite a while back so I don't recall the make.

[Flyingriki]

Hunter......

[RobD527]

The boat is at my own dock and I only need about a foot of mud dredged then I will be fine.
I can actually just move it to the outside of my dock and have enough water but im not able to move it right now because of the recent extremely low water level.

[robert sailor]

We see some of the newer lightly built boats flex in the keel area and in the hull. The yard guys have to be very careful where they place the stands because of this. Thin hulls with interior liners are very flexible in situations like this.

[Jim Cate]

A couple of points:

A boat in the water which settles on the keel at LW is likely not putting anything like her whole weight on the keel... if any part of the hull is still in the water, that displacement is subtracted from the gross weight. To me this means that significant flexing in such conditions indicates a damn weak hull, and I'd be concerned.

2. Setting the boat on the hard does put the weight of the hull pushing down on the keel/hull interface, and often will cause minor flening... but is done but once and that time gently. Settling twice a day and then being subject to wind and wave action is a bit more stressful IMO. Many British designs are meant to live in drying harbours and do well in such environments, but that common experience means that designers fold the practice and its stresses into their calculation of scantlings and add structure to accept the added stresses. Doubt if Hunter is so inclined!

I'm not knowledgeable enough to evaluate the risks you face, but some concern is appropriate.

Jim

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

A couple of points:

A boat in the water which settles on the keel at LW is likely not putting anything like her whole weight on the keel... if any part of the hull is still in the water, that displacement is subtracted from the gross weight. To me this means that significant flexing in such conditions indicates a damn weak hull, and I'd be concerned.

2. Setting the boat on the hard does put the weight of the hull pushing down on the keel/hull interface, and often will cause minor flening... but is done but once and that time gently. Settling twice a day and then being subject to wind and wave action is a bit more stressful IMO. Many British designs are meant to live in drying harbours and do well in such environments, but that common experience means that designers fold the practice and its stresses into their calculation of scantlings and add structure to accept the added stresses. Doubt if Hunter is so inclined!

I'm not knowledgeable enough to evaluate the risks you face, but some concern is appropriate.

Jim

I agree. Not to be alarmist - it might be nothing - but it sounds very bad to me. I would get a good surveyor to check for structural damage.

To give a couple of data points, neither my present boat nor my previous one flex/flexed even slightly even when the full mass of the boat was resting on the keel. I would be alarmed if it did.

[Bill O]

I'll agree with Jim's comments, but believe many boats flex when they are on the hard (more than one would like to let on).

Growing up in more Northern climates, boats were pulled for the winter. The rigs were slightly loosened while on the hard and the general recommendation was to let the boat "settle" a couple of days after it was splashed again before attempting to tune the rig. I'm not just talking about new light weight race boats these were the late 60s/70s heavy f/g hulls.

So in this respect, if the OP mentioned 1/8" flex it probably nothing, but could check the keel hull joint on the next haul out.

Also would recommend your rudder be in deeper water so not to be sitting on the bottom if possible.

Cheers,
Bill O.