Kelly in France

[Kelly]

I'm wondering if my Cheoy Lee Bermuda Ketch and I are the farthest abroad of the Moyer Marine discussion group members. "Jude" is currently about a five-minute walk from the French Atlantic coast in Brittany, resting comfortably in my garden and awaiting an overhaul of the Atomic 4 planned for this spring.
I learned to sail in Santa Barbara in the early 90's (I'm a mountain boy from the Sierra Nevadas) and have been in and out of harbors ever since. I should have checked the tide tables before moving out here, though, as sailing with 20+ foot tidal ranges changes the rules of the old ballgame.
So, other than working on the Atomic 4, I would like to install "crutches" on the boat in order to dry her out safely (standing up) when the tide moves out of the anchorages.
Kudos to Mr. Moyer for this forum and the goldmine of information available to those of us far from the sources of parts and experience.[IMG]

[daveinrenton]

Kelly:

When I first got interested in sailboats seriously, I was in San Francisco. I remember studying the odd designs of boats in your part of the world, the most striking feature being double keels that allowed boats to simply stand on the bottom when those severe low-tides swooped in. This is an impossible modification on your boat, unfortunately. Since a removable device that is strong enough would be impractical, consider this: The idea would only work if you had a fixed place to moor your boat. Build a scaffolding on the exposed or nearly exposed sea-floor that you could slip into at mean-tide corresponding to the normal moored attitude of your boat. In high water, she simply floats as normal. As the water drops, the boat would simply nestle onto the scaffold. There is an issue relating to the fouling of the support rails with barnacles and to decide whether the keel will assist in carrying the weight of the high and dry craft by adjusting the scaffold height.

It's nice to hear about you in your far-off environs.

Dave (in Seattle, WA)

[Kelly]

Hello Dave,

Thanks for the reply. I've sailed a bit out of Port Townsend and love the areas around Seattle and the Puget Sound in general. Good friends of mine live in Anacortes and Port Townsend and I've always dreamed of circumnavigating Vancouver Island.

Your scaffolding idea is intriguing but I could never get the authorization to do it. I’ve seen many of the craft you describe with the double keel system. It looks like they work very well for the drying-out at high tide but I’ve never sailed on one to know how they handle at sea. The crutches system is popular here as they can be made to be strong without adding much weight to the boat (made of wood or aluminium). Of course, you have to have a keel made to support the weight of the boat as the crutches only serve to prevent tipping. And you have to be sure not to dry out in a rocky area. Ouch!

The weather is just now starting to turn nice so I’m turning my attention to my neglected A4 (and boat in general). I’ll let you know if I get to my crutches any time soon.

Bon vent,
Kelly

[daveinrenton]

Kelly:

I just read an article about the double-keeled boats and the main issue was sailing performance. They just cannot go as fast or point as high with all that wetted surface. I'll bet they are sea-kindly, though! I like to sail as fast as my boat can go but it would take about one grounding with her lying on her side waiting for the tide for me to toss away a knot or two.

If you do that crutch project, be sure to take a pic and post it with your note so I can see. I'm dying of curiosity to see how a portable solution can work safely.

If you want to go for a sail on Lake Washington when you visit the northwest, jot me a line and I can host you and your friends from the peninsula for an afternoon.

Thanks for writing back.

Bonsoir,

Dave

[Kelly]

Hello again Dave,

Thanks for the note and the wonderful, tempting invitation. The same goes for you if you "drop by" Brittany.

Crutches: I'm not sure when I'll get to my project so here is an example of what they look like (often) and how they work.

The first image is of crutches I saw for sale on Ebay while the second is an artist's rendering of a similar pair put into use for a fairly large sailboat. They are typically attached to the hull of the boat high up with a through-bolt while the forward/aft allignment is adjusted and made fast by the lines you see leading from the base of the crutches to the bow and stern of the boat.

In this example, the boat is further stabilized by resting on the rudder- so you can see how important it is to choose your landing space very well.

I have to get back to work so I'll stop here. Hope you enjoy the images.

Kelly

[daveinrenton]

Great pics, Kelly.

I was trying to imagine a system that left the hull completely unbreached which is why I was having trouble visualizing. With basic attachment through the side of the hull, presumably with some massive wingnuts and fore/aft stabilization with cinching lines, I can see how they would work. I see lots of challenges in making a pair that would be compact enough to store onboard while retaining the need strength if, for example, the boat were on a slope putting more strain on one side than another.

I am very interested in seeing the results of your project whenever you get the time to tackle it. Mainly because I like to see a great challenge well met. I am no expert, but if you have design ideas and you want some thoughtful feedback, feel free to drop me a line. Sometimes a couple sets of eyes can catch a potential flaw.

Dave