Low Tide sitting on keel ?

[nautitrix]

Originally Posted by 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.

I am currently living aboard a hunter 37c that softly goes aground in the mud every now and then on an extremely low tide. The boat does not fall off to one side or the other and the water line tells me I am a few inches into the mud. I have a keel that is 7 inches deeper than my rudder and have not had any flexing or damage. I am sure that your's is a Cherubini Hunter so I would take some measurements before during and after "grounding" before I got too concerned. If it would of course be a great idea to dredge deeper at the earliest possible time but to my knowledge no-one who has grounded a Cherubini Hunter has suffered any keel damage. Rudders yes, because some were shallow drafts. If you wish to persue this, check out sailboat owners.com, Hunters, Cherubini Hunters and ask your questions there. Some people give wise advice on this forum and others just bash hunters. Caution is always a good thing on a boat, but panic and catastrophic thinking are not what you need right now.
Bill Blaise who has been racing and winning with his Hunter for almost 40 years figures he could drop it off a trailer and haul it down the highway on its hull without too much damage. An exaggerated event for sure, but it shows how well the Cherubini Hunters were built.
BobV

[B_Hunter45]

Hi I have a Hunter 33 (2007), these boats are built like tanks. If it flexes then there is something very wrong. However, I had one of the floor boards lifted about 1/4", got very alarmed, after checking around it was the holding tank, the release valve was clogged and it just got inflated with gas, cleaned the valve and everything is fine.

[High Pointer]

Originally Posted by 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.

Try filling a large drum with water,hang it on the end of your boom and swing it out to stb or port,whatever works for you,this should lift you off the bottom.
This worked for me and allowed me to get out to open water.
Hopefully you can move to a deeper location

[Dave22q]

Next high tide run a line from the halyard through a dock cleat to a winch.cleat to dock. Winch the boat over to clear the mud at low tide + average rise. (determine with lead line)). Not real convenient for a live aboard but not complicated. When going out ease the halyard and release the dock connection after you have loades all supplies.

[nautitrix]

While reviewing this, the tilting of the keel to raise it is a classic for getting off a bank so it is a very good suggestion. I would also ask you to verify that all your tankage is empty. Several hundred pounds of weight can make a lot of difference
on the load at the bottom of the keel.
Good luck and please tell us the age your Hunter 33.
BobV.

[RobD527]

Its a 2006

[mocha]

I am surprised that the mention of dock, bow, etc. lines has not been discussed.
My Islander 32 has been in the mud behind my home on FL's west coast the past few mornings, and does so a few times a year. No wave action, and generally the wind is not an issue.
I have pylons on my port side, starboard has lines from two pylons, and two large sea wall cleats.
When the boat sits in the soft mud, she is perfectly straight, and the lines are tight!, but not at the point of removing any deck hardware.
My assumption is, that this arrangement is taking additional pressure off the keel,
can you accomplish the same configuration?
installing additional pylons is NOT an expensive improvement.

fwiw
MOCHA!

[Johnkonheim]

My 32 ft Freedom is also sitting on the bottom. I’m encouraged to see the comments also as I was worried - I am sitting on a slight tilt. When I get a chance, I think I’ll jump in the water and dig out some of the mud in the middle where the keel goes.

[georgeg305]

Someone at our YC put their Hunter on a trailer. However, the keel was not properly blocked and the majority of the boat weight was being carried on the pads designed to keep the boat upright. Very quickly the hull "dimpled" in significantly around the pads. Draw your own conclusion as to the thickness o the hull.

[nautitrix]

Originally Posted by georgeg305

Someone at our YC put their Hunter on a trailer. However, the keel was not properly blocked and the majority of the boat weight was being carried on the pads designed to keep the boat upright. Very quickly the hull "dimpled" in significantly around the pads. Draw your own conclusion as to the thickness o the hull.

What model, size, and year of Hunter was it. Did the dimples appear before the boat was moved? What is your frame of reference for "significant"? Were any internal bulkheads displaced? Were the pads place under the turn of the bilge?
I am sure I could present dozens of cases where boats dimple on their stands and the dimples release when the hull is floating.
As for the thickness of the hull I am guessing you have never seen this flex in other boats even while sailing.
I will draw my own conclusion that this event is quite different from a boat that is sitting on its keel with the hull being supported by the water around it.
If you want to diss hunters please go to sailing anarchy where the rest of the breed hang out.
BobV

[Hasbeen]

A mate of mine has a property with a small creek off a large waterway. After a narrow entrance a short distance up stream it opens out to an area similar to a football field.


The area has 16 Ft tides, & dries on large springs. He has driven piles, & keeps his timber 45 footer there permanently, sitting on it's keel on every tide. It's been doing this for over 6 years, without a problem.


I have used his visitors piles with my 40 Ft Morgan Giles 1936 built timber yacht for some weeks, also without problems.

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by georgeg305

Someone at our YC put their Hunter on a trailer. However, the keel was not properly blocked and the majority of the boat weight was being carried on the pads designed to keep the boat upright. Very quickly the hull "dimpled" in significantly around the pads. Draw your own conclusion as to the thickness o the hull.

To be fair there are precious few hulls of any brand or vintage that could withstand a large portion of their displacement placed on 1'x1' (or less) squares. I saw one once where the pad punched a hole in the hull, and it wasn't a Hunter.