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toby24b · 11-02-2010, 11:32

At the risk of sounding seriously stupid, I am aware that some multihulls can be safely beached for straightforward maintenance and cleaning, and some can't. In remote locations it's often difficult and/or expensive to find a yard to haul your boat, so for essential maintenance the idea of beaching appeals.
Anyone got any comments? Even if only to agree with me on how stupid I am?
Otherwise, on practical advice on how best to go about beaching a boat safely without leaving huge gouges in your hulls?

toby24b · 11-02-2010, 12:00

Many thanks DaveC. I'm thinking most especially with regard to catamarans. With the huge tidal ranges in the UK (where I live) it can be done as you rightly say. I was thinking about remote locations with much smaller tidal ranges, where this might not be case. I've sailed around the Med and the N Atlantic a lot but never, for example, done the trade winds across the Pacific, and I'm thinking down there. The Med also has little tidal range and the Caribbean too.

thinwater · 11-02-2010, 12:12

Often the best hydrodynmic possition is further aft, behind the mast, but the CG can be forward of that.

If this was going to happen often, the bottom also needs to have a substancial wear surface. Sand is one thing, rocks are another. Alternativly, for ocational use you can place a wooden shoe undernieth. I did this once, to prevent sinking.

fastcat435 · 11-02-2010, 12:42

In principle every cat that is build to take the load, there are many that can handle it just inquire with the manufacturer

Laidback · 11-02-2010, 16:43

Most cats with what are termed "Mini Keels", the bottom of which has a sacrificial length of hard wood are OK. Cats with spade rudders need special care when beaching. Tris also can be beached without much problem - have used props to support one of the amas to keep the tri fairly level.
On my 52ft Cat, I found out very quickly that the idea to beach it and give the hulls a good wipe down takes a lot longer than a single tide change :- 1 side = 52 ft while 4 sides = 208 ft !

toby24b · 13-02-2010, 15:34

question answered. Thanks all.

44'cruisingcat · 13-02-2010, 17:28

Mine has no mini keels, but it can be beached. Not having minikeels allows very shallow draught.

Floating...

Beached.

maxingout · 13-02-2010, 19:02

We have beached our Privilege 39 to work on it on multiple occasions. As long as there aren't any rocks in the area, I am comfortable beaching Exit Only. The problem comes from the shoreside locals. Some of them object to the beaching of the yacht. As long as the local people aren't a problem, I am quite comfortable doing it.

Our Privilege 39 catamaran has a kevlar shoe on the bottom of the keel just for the purposes of beaching.

**FrankZ** · 13-02-2010, 20:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

Mine has no mini keels, but it can be beached. Not having minikeels allows very shallow draught.

Floating...

But since you are like 19 feet tall that is really 4 feet of water which isn't all that impressive.

Tropic Cat · 15-02-2010, 04:17

You don't need visible keels as a requirement for beaching a cat. Look at the hull design on any Catalac, no keels yet they are on every coastal tidal area in England and no hull failures after 25+ years.

This is a function of build quality.

Captain Bill · 18-02-2010, 15:09

Though I have not actually tried it, Endeavourcat says I can safely dry out my 44 on the keels as long as there is not any significant wave action. They said it is even ok if the boat rocks back on the spade rudders, again as long as there is no wave action. They also suggest a low slope sand bottom.