Beaching Legs

[mangomuffins]

Anyone know where I can find plans for DIY beaching legs?

mm

[boatman61]

Don't need plans.... is your boat set up for beaching legs...eg fixing points..?

[Anomaly]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Don't need plans.... is your boat set up for beaching legs...eg fixing points..?

In my case, no. But interested in beaching legs for it. Please tell more.....

[boatman61]

Ok... are you long keel or long fin for a start... then you've got to find your boats centre of balance.... drill holes either side in the hull just a tad forward and 8 to 12 inches below deck level and insert a steel tube to take the size of the bolt you'll be using.. steel plate to the exterior of the hull and a backing plate internally...
After this for your legs you have a choice of scaffold tube or timber for your legs... personally I'd go for the scaffold poles as they can be made in two or three sections and assembled when needed with connectors.. and broken down for easy storage... else you've got to lash them on deck somewhere...
For the base get a couple of 12 - 18inch sq 1/8 plate and weld a short section of tubing to the centre thats a snug fit in the pole... drill a hole through both to take a bolt to keep it attatched when/if the tide lifts you... next drill a hole where the pole is level with the fixing point in your hull... allow another 18 - 24 inches past the fixing point to the total length...
Then all you need is a hole each side of the plate to take a shackle for your steadying ines fore and aft...
The critical factor is your balance point... maybe consult your boats manufacturer if they're still going

[Efraim]

Originally Posted by mangomuffins

Anyone know where I can find plans for DIY beaching legs?

mm

Paul Gartside has plans for beaching legs. However you need the right type of boat.

Here are a few samples.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by Efraim

Paul Gartside has plans for beaching legs. However you need the right type of boat.

Here are a few samples.

Awesome . I was thinking of buying that actual boat a few years back. small world.

One thing Boatman didn't make clear, the legs need to be shorter than the keel. legs prop the boat up, but don't want the boat hanging between the legs

And if drying out against a harbour wall, always remove the inboard leg (has a wall to lean against, if not the other leg) - otherwise a good chance that the inboard leg will ether hook on the wall or the slope on the wall / seabed point will force too much weight on that leg. or onto the outboard one.

[Anomaly]

Originally Posted by boatman61

.. drill holes either side in the hull just a tad forward and 8 to 12 inches below deck level and insert a steel tube to take the size of the bolt you'll be using..

Thanks! The bit above puzzled me at first but you are describing a bushing/sleeve for the main leg-to-hull attachment bolt no? Then there is that matter of the balance point. Hmmm, my manufacturer went out of business some 30 years ago.....

One thing not addressed so far is the utility of being able to adjust the length of the legs (independently). From the photos shown, it looks like the assumption is the bottom (sea bed) will be nice and level. Maybe when its a planned annual "haul out" but what about if you're using the legs in an unplanned "emergency"? Seems to me that the ability to adjust the leg length would increase their utility.

(but even fixed length offers great utility in one's home port).

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Anomaly

Thanks! The bit above puzzled me at first but you are describing a bushing/sleeve for the main leg-to-hull attachment bolt no? Then there is that matter of the balance point. Hmmm, my manufacturer went out of business some 30 years ago.....

One thing not addressed so far is the utility of being able to adjust the length of the legs (independently). From the photos shown, it looks like the assumption is the bottom (sea bed) will be nice and level. Maybe when its a planned annual "haul out" but what about if you're using the legs in and unplanned "emergency"? Seems to me that the ability to adjust the leg length would increase their utility.

(but even fixed length offers great utility in one's home port).

A facility I do not recall seeing... but I suppose you could experiment by having longer tubes and varying holes in the base plate tube... but don't blame me if its a screw up...lol

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by Anomaly

One thing not addressed so far is the utility of being able to adjust the length of the legs (independently). From the photos shown, it looks like the assumption is the bottom (sea bed) will be nice and level. Maybe when its a planned annual "haul out" but what about if you're using the legs in and unplanned "emergency"? Seems to me that the ability to adjust the leg length would increase their utility.

(but even fixed length offers great utility in one's home port).

When you have legs on a boat you don't make assumptions

In an emergency, if the bottom wasn't flat (and odds are would be somewhere exposed to weather / tidal action) then I would probably go for the same approach as no legs. As would be desperate to avoid her breaking a leg (or punching one through the hull - seen that a couple of times).......and then falling over with a splat. Got to remember that these are not additional keels - won't cope with the full boat weight, especially not if being pounded into the seabed - if boat comes down with full weight on one leg as tide arrives or leaves then won't go well.

In practice I don't see adjustable legs being of any value - you would only know how long to adjust them after she had grounded (a few inches before you could take a guess - but no guarantee. You really want to avoid one leg being too short as won't support the boat as a dead weight too many degrees beyond upright).

BTW I've got bilge keels on mine (in addition to the main keel) - but even with these being far more securely fixed than a leg can ever be I won't want her pounding her the bilge keels into the seabed.

Some of her sisterships were single keel, some retrofitted with legs - pic below shows a collapsible leg. Link will show you the height of the boat ashore - unfortunately no pics with legs ftted. As you can see, legs a PITA to stow! and don't discount the weight!



Deep Seadog centre-cockpit ketch - archive details - Yachtsnet Ltd. online UK yacht brokers - yacht brokerage and boat sales


Around here the sea dissapears regularly (twice a day ). We take the same approach as those with less tidal range, by being careful not to accidently run aground or when pushing things knowing what it is underneath and being able to live with the consequences of misjudgment.

[Anomaly]

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

In practice I don't see adjustable legs being of any value

Hmmm, "horses for courses" perhaps? I probably should have used another word besides "emergency"--- I was not intending to conjure up images of trying to beach while during a storm/pounding surf but rather of having to make an unplanned beaching (for some unplanned repairs) under controlled conditions and just not being able to find smooth bottom to do so. I believe one of the UK manufacturers of production beaching legs ("YachtLegs") offers an adjustable model but I think it might be possible to come up with a simpler design for DIY'ers. And the thought is to be able to adjust the length both as the tide recedes and the situation becomes more visible (literally) and as subsequent settling occurs--- precisely to keep the weight on the keel and not on the legs (certainly not unevenly on the legs).

[ggray]

Look for a copy of L F Herreshoff's "Compleat Cruiser". Full description there.

I've never used/seen legs (certainly not with my cat !) so won't dispute those who have. Herreshoff's legs were not fixed to hull, but utilised tackles to allow for uneven bottoms. Ball and socket footpad as well, and spike on bottom IIRC. Might have been 2 legs per side, but I'm not certain.

Now that I think about it, the boat that had the legs was a leeboard boat, so the shorter legs would be easier to rig, but you might still get some ideas.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by Anomaly

Hmmm, "horses for courses" perhaps? I probably should have used another word besides "emergency"--- I was not intending to conjure up images of trying to beach while during a storm/pounding surf but rather of having to make an unplanned beaching (for some unplanned repairs) under controlled conditions and just not being able to find smooth bottom to do so. I believe one of the UK manufacturers of production beaching legs ("YachtLegs") offers an adjustable model but I think it might be possible to come up with a simpler design for DIY'ers. And the thought is to be able to adjust the length both as the tide recedes and the situation becomes more visible (literally) and as subsequent settling occurs--- precisely to keep the weight on the keel and not on the legs (certainly not unevenly on the legs).

But I find it interesting that all the photos of adjustable legs have the boats on flat ground. Seems to me that it is a solution looking for a problem that can't be more easily solved simply by a different approach. If the seabed slopes enough that the legs need adjusting then point the boat up (or down) the slope. or dry out against a seawall or a post.

But appreciate that every cruising ground different (with different drying out opportuities), so easy for me to discount the idea.

FWIW, I would consider legs a useful addition on a fin keeler, just not sure if I would go for the expense (and agrro of stowing - and for that alone collapsible / adjustable would be a bonus) of retro fitting them for the few times they are very useful. once a boat gets above 25 / 30 feet then legs become a PITA onboard for everyday use.

[goboatingnow]

Based on my one experience nobody uses legs unless they have a good knowledge of the sea bottom. Thinking you can use legs in an unknown harbour would be diasterous

Dave

[SabreKai]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

Based on my one experience nobody uses legs unless they have a good knowledge of the sea bottom. Thinking you can use legs in an unknown harbour would be diasterous

Dave

Most certainly. The best case would be to anchor off a bit and then survey your ground after the tide falls, take bearings or even setting up a anchor and float. Then come in on the next tide.


Sabre

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by SabreKai

Most certainly. The best case would be to anchor off a bit and then survey your ground after the tide falls, take bearings or even setting up a anchor and float. Then come in on the next tide.
Sabre

This may come as a surprise... but for us 'Wrinklies' who were sailing before travel lifts etc.... that is standard procedure...
We called it 'reconnoitering'...
Then you mark it on your chart... triangulated... for future use