Hitting Bottom at Dock

[Snore]

Question... It seems that there has been bulkhead shoaling where I dock my boat... When the tide is -0.6 (not super low) the boat is on the bottom and the water looks a few inches below the floating water line (see photos).

I don't think this will harm the scheel keel, but was looking for a second opinion.

Thanks

Bill

[Kettlewell]

It's not a problem unless you start bouncing in bad weather. Most boats when blocked up in a boatyard have most of the weight supported on the keel, with the stands just there to keep it upright.

[roverhi]

Depends on the bottom. If it's mud, shouldn't be a problem. It it's rock or some other semi hard surf will probably scrape off your bottom paint. If you slip is subject to wave or wake action, the bouncing off the hard surface could possibly cause damage to the hull. The keel will probably do just fine. It's not uncommon for some marinas to partially or totally dryout with tidal changes. Check with your neighbors and the Marina management to see if they have issues.

[djmarchand]

If the bottom is soft, ie mud or silt, your keel will wallow out a hole for itself at low tides and you won't see any heeling or other problems. If it is hard sand, you will see it heeling over as it sits on the sand, but as the previous poster indicated, that shouldn't be a problem.

David

[Sailmonkey]

We spend half of the winter with the boat firmly stuck in the slip!!

[Kettlewell]

I once tied up at a dock in a canal behind someone's house in Florida for a month and left my boat. When I came back the boat felt suspiciously solid as I stepped aboard. No tide in the canal, but a neighbor had stripped off all the vegetation on his property in preparation to build a house, and then heavy rains had silted in the canal to the point we were solidly aground with dirt all around our keel. I eventually got out of there with violent repeated backing and filling under power.

[JPA Cate]

The degree of aggravation you'll have may have something to do with the kind of bottom paint you use. We used a berth where the bottom 18 inches of the keel (a fin) were in the putty. With our ablative paint, we soon noticed more growth accumulation where it was submerged. FWIW

[atoll]

all 3 of my boats dry out twice a day on my dock with 15 ft tides!

[Snore]

Wow! You guys rock!


Less than an hour after posting, there are some great answers and I have confidence in keeping the boat where I have her.

The bottom is loose sand and silt that has seeped out and covered soft sand and classic FLA muck. The canal I am on is a dead end and docked two houses off a slow speed non commercialized canal. As such wakes will not be an issue. Since the canal faces north-south, even in a hurricane I am relatively safe from big waves.

So all logic indicates I should be fine.


Thanks again

Bill

[psk125]

You could also quietly throw a metal bucket overboard once a day and see if you couldn't use what you pull up to fill in a sinkhole somewhere... You don't want to end up like Kettlewell!

[sabray]

The north winds have taken the water out of the bay. I am barely floating but there is a bar behind me that wont let me out. Yep we tried.
Damn.
maybe the next high we can get out of here.
No real harm

[bobconnie]

If ya know someone with a power boat, have them come wash your silp out for ya !! we do that all the time down the bayou! I don't have enough room to do it with my boat, but my buddy comes and deepens my dock every couple of mo's ! works for us. He do our slip and I take him and his sailing !! good trade

[Deepdraft]

Originally Posted by Sailmonkey

We spend half of the winter with the boat firmly stuck in the slip!!

Like this? ;-)

[nimblemotors]

Ok, good, I thought this was about someone with a drinking problem...

My boat would sit on the bottom at low tide at the marina.

[sabray]

Originally Posted by bobconnie

If ya know someone with a power boat, have them come wash your silp out for ya !! we do that all the time down the bayou! I don't have enough room to do it with my boat, but my buddy comes and deepens my dock every couple of mo's ! works for us. He do our slip and I take him and his sailing !! good trade

The power guys around here are scared to do anything that makes a wake less we sue them for spilling our hot tea. Your welcome to come by and throw some wake. Thanks