Marina Called, I Have 4" Of Water Under My Keel

[GaryMayo]

Had hoped to sail several more weeks yet. Looks like I will be pulling early.

Some of you will recall I am just getting back into sailing. Purchased the largest sailboat my marina would allow on the docks in a slip, that I could still easily trailer.

Good thing I did buy a Trailerable sailboat as my slip is running out of water. My sailboat has less than a 4' keel, but I only have 4" of water below that.

What is there to do?

[Nicholson58]

We pulled out early mostly due to skinny water behind the slip. We lost just short of 4 feet this season. Some boats have drifted below their finger dock and broken stanchions.

[skipmac]

Where did the water go? Are you in a lake and in the drought zone?

[DeepFrz]

I know that I posted this URL on another thread but it is probably worth posting here. The Aral sea has lost most of its water in just 20 years.

Aral Sea - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Click on the satelite images to enlarge them.

[GaryMayo]

Originally Posted by skipmac

Where did the water go? Are you in a lake and in the drought zone?

Lincoln Nebraska. We have had very little rain for 120 days. Had one 1" or 2" rain in the middle of the dry spell somewhere, but the 1" cracks in the ground gobbled it all up. Did not raise the lake at all.

[GaryMayo]

Originally Posted by DeepFrz

I know that I posted this URL on another thread but it is probably worth posting here. The Aral sea has lost most of its water in just 20 years.

Aral Sea - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Click on the satelite images to enlarge them.

Think of the impact of people living there.

[Bobalu]

My boat has been either barely floating or stuck in the silt for the past month. I backed the boat as far out on the finger pier as possible without obstructing traffic. I almost have to jump on the pier onto my boat. Good thing it is the end of the season.

[perchance]

Water loss in the Great Lakes is an ongoing problem and seems to be getting worse. There is a lot of "hand wringing" going on but no solution in sight. The club I belong to spent a ton of money two years ago dredging but it may have been in vain as some of our larger boats are starting to touch bottom again.

[Delay]

The Aral sea is a different case as it is largely due to the rivers being diverted for cotton growing in... Uzbekistan, right? If these rivers we no longer diverted the water would come back and the poisons used as pesticides would no longer be a problem to the fish.

[ohdrinkboy]

I'd be happy to lend you some of mine. I have about 55' feet under my keel. Got to love being in an old rock quarry off a big lake. However, if you drop something it is gone.

[CCBullseye]

I have seen some people blow out their slips and channel. They will tie the boat in the slip and then put engine in reverse gear and rev the engine blowing the silt from under the boat, digging a hole under the boat. To blow out a channel, towing a bottom drag behind the boat coming in and out of the channel many times. I am not recommending this as there is a question of legality of action.

Why is the water level dropping? Is this a long term trend or just a seasonal thing? Which Lake?

[Rubikoop]

I've done this but not in reverse. I don't wish to suck all that silt into the water pump. Forward pushes it away from the intake.

[MikeinLA]

My understanding is that they have had to move the marinas in Lake Mead several times due to the water level dropping. Hope this isn't a trend all over.

Mike

[GaryMayo]

Originally Posted by CCBullseye

I have seen some people blow out their slips and channel. They will tie the boat in the slip and then put engine in reverse gear and rev the engine blowing the silt from under the boat, digging a hole under the boat. To blow out a channel, towing a bottom drag behind the boat coming in and out of the channel many times. I am not recommending this as there is a question of legality of action.

Why is the water level dropping? Is this a long term trend or just a seasonal thing? Which Lake?

Small lake in Nebraska. Branched Oak Lake. 1800 acres of water. Maybe 1600 now.

[GaryMayo]

Moved to another slip which puts off the inevitable fact I have to trailer for winter. Going sailing today which will be one of the last nice days of the fall. 72 degrees today.