Lost my Grounding Virginity :(

[hummingway]

Originally Posted by rolandgilbert99

Getting aground is not so bad when it happens at unknown places and not too often, but where I store by boat for the winter, the chanel to the entrance of the marina is shallow and one has to stay at the center and every year in the fall there is a boat that gets aground, year after year and people are getting so fedup having to go and help him with halyards on the shore, every time! This is bad!

The PO of my boat on returning from a journey of a thousand miles went aground in site of their slip, at the entrance to a marina that slips about 800 boats. Fortunately they had cold beer so they made it look good while waiting the tide!

[John A]

If you run aground only two more times you can change your boatname without any threat of bad karma ocurring.

[Exile]

Originally Posted by hummingway

Have you tried pushing off straight from midships as you step on the boat with a spring tied to your stern? My boat is smaller then yours at 42 feet but it does have some weight but I have usually found I can get enough clearance to swing the bow that way. Spring from the bow if you're planning on reversing out.

Usually the wind and/or current is pushing me onto the dock when I need to resort to springing off. At 20T's or so loaded, there's not too much I can do as far as pushing off the dock in these conditions, even with sufficient crew. If there are any pilings attached to the dock, then the bow stanchions/lifelines become vulnerable if springing off the stern, and the outbd motor, etc. if springing off the bow. Boy do I love my SS capped rub rail! I've been able to manage it to some extent by straightening out real quick & moving away from the dock at an angle once either the bow or stern has pivoted away. Fenders deployed at the boat ends are key.