Challenge: Getting a Boat with a 5.5' Draft Through a 5' Channel

[b-rad]

If one wanted to move a boat with 5.5 draft through 5 feet of water how would you do it. I have heard of hanging weight on the boom and swinging it 90 degrees from the boat . Also heard of straping a air filled salvage bag to the keel. Any body done this? How would you do it.

[Dick Pluta]

I haven't done 5.5 feet through 5 feet of water but I have taken a 51 foot mast under a 49 foot bridge on the Okeechobee Waterway by doing the Okeechobee Limbo with Captain Billy. The Good Captain helps vesels with a height disability by placing a number of plastic 55 gallon drums on the side decks and filling them with water. In our case, we heeled about 30 degrees and passed under the bridge without incident.

Dick PLuta
AEGEA

[mholubec]

a silly question how many barrells did it take to do the job

[MarkJ]

How long is the channel and what is the bottom?

• If its short and mud I would get a work boat with a line amidships to drag me over sideways.
• Short and mud: Gently probe the channel for deeper spots.
• Long and rocky: Hmmm truck it?
• Wait for spring high tide
• Get Nic to put her fat bum on one side?

There must be other ways too I do like the drums ... its only 6 inches.

[Martinini]

With a 30 footer with empty everything probably could do it with 3 barrels. Maybe 4. get the barrels and experiment.

[b-rad]

The channel is about 1/4 mile long, Im told that there are 2 spots that are 5 feet but the rest is 6-7. the channel floor would be sand/mud the edges have some rocky patches. I havent physalcy scoped it out yet, but would like to run through it in the ingy with a pole and check the actual depth.

[Pelagic]

I have done something like this once before when we were dry docked in Cairns Australia and the paint contractors missed the design tide to get our lower stern clear of the gate. So we had to wait for the last one of the year that was not as high.

A combination of tons of weight put on the bow and then 4 x 25 ton lift bags strapped under the stern put us on an even keel with less than an inch of clearance.

Anyone who knows Trinity channel in Cairns knows how quickly the current builds up after high tide and I had to back out of the graving dock, wait for the divers to empty and clear away the bags, then maneuver into the channel and dock

All at 1:30am….Never Again!....

By the way that was Sept 11, 2001….. What a day!

[s/v Beth]

I always use the tides to get by on the bottom of Florida. That said, I have been grounded there a few times. I just never go fast and have a lookout for those little sub channels that are just a bit deeper. Seem to have gotten home every time.

[Dick Pluta]

I just looked to find the pictures, but I'm afraid they went with the lost computer. As I recall there were 5 or 6 barrels on the port side deck and 1 or 2 on the coachroof. Our boat is a 41 foot Islander Freeport with 5 feet of draft and weighs about 22000 pounds empty.

Dick

[Dick Pluta]

Another thought, similar tp Newts. The charts show the lowest of the low, that is neap tides at the low water time of year. If you're getting the info off a chart you probably have room to spare. 6 inches isn't much.

Dick

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by b-rad

The channel is about 1/4 mile long, Im told that there are 2 spots that are 5 feet but the rest is 6-7. the channel floor would be sand/mud the edges have some rocky patches. I havent physalcy scoped it out yet, but would like to run through it in the ingy with a pole and check the actual depth.

Yes! Run through with the ingy. Polish people are good in Ingys

The: "Its 6-7 feet but, maaaaate, theres spots there only 5 feet. Ya gunna run agroooouunnnnnddd" Sounds like Cruisers Bull to me!

Use your lead line or pole. I'm sure you will find a way through. Take your hand held GPS with you and mark the points. Good to have a scribe there too to help.

Then when you take the boat just take it SLOWLY as in drift along. Then if you hit something you just back up a bit and 'feel' your way around.

But I'll bet you $5 you can just go straight through the middle.


Mark

[hellosailor]

With clearance that close, first I'd offload everything heavier than a feather pillow and drain all the tanks, including taking the fuel tank down to 1/4 or less. Just pile it all up on the dock, and then check your actual draft. You might be surprised--in either direction.

Are you escaping someplace? Or will you need to move it through the channel again?

[b-rad]

The boat is about 10 miles from the marina that is on this channel. Its closest marina that can pull a sail boat with more then a 4ft draft. I would like to have the boat hauled and a few things fixed before I do the 70 mile trip home.

[Weyalan]

My boat draws 7'8". We have taken it through a channel at around 7'2" deep by heeling the boat using crew weight, including 2 people on the boom, with the boom swung out...

[hellosailor]

So you will need to make the trip twice.

I guess if you need that haul...empty the boat, measure the draft, measure it again with the boom swung all the way out and some weight hung over it.