Beach Broaching Tips

JeffD · 24 April 2013, 08:33

Advise Please.

What a lovely day yesterday out on a 8m with the dogs in Cornwall so I thought I old pull up onto a beach and buy a sandwich and ice cream at Cawsand. It was a rising tide so i anchored the boat on the beach. The only problem is on my return the boat was broached. We got off (with some people watching ) but scratched the skeg in the process. I am pretty new to Ribs and I don't fancy repeating an embarrassing experience. Any tips?

Nos4r2 · 24 April 2013, 08:42

Anchor off and use a tender or anchor bow and stern and get wet as you return.

I could go into various complicated ways of dropping kedges, but you've got such a big tidal range there that realistically on a rising tide it won't help much (unless you put the stern anchor up the beach and can pull on the line hard enough to break out the bow anchor, which is a bit of a feat)

Hightower · 24 April 2013, 09:12

Or anchor off the beach a little and have the anchor rope on a loop. Disembark then pull the rib away from the shore anchoring the other end of the loop on the beach. Reverse technique to bring the rib closer not forgetting to pull the rib clear of the beach before you lower the outboard and start up.

Obviously many of the techniques will only be any good with the right sea conditions.

Siochair · 24 April 2013, 14:12

Has anyone used anything like this "Anchor Buddy"? Tuggy Products - Quality Marine Products

Hightower · 24 April 2013, 15:01

Not too sure what it'll be like with tide and waves acting on a tonne or two of RIB?

macattack101 · 24 April 2013, 15:47

I quite fancy that for when anchoring in sheltered bays or inland especially with the safer method of using it alongside your normal anchor line. I wouldn't leave it for any length of time on an exposed open beach unless Im sitting on the beach. I wonder how much they are.

Nos4r2 · 24 April 2013, 18:30

Nice idea, but round where the OP keeps his boat there's a 5m tidal range so anything like that isn't going to work on a beach unless it stretches a very very long way.

Siochair · 24 April 2013, 19:05

Short of tying a few of them together... I think Hightowers idea is probably the most sensible given the tidal range.

JeffD · 24 April 2013, 19:53

Thanks everyone for the tips. Having people watch me make a tit of myself means that i will give them a go and practice. I have even thought of a pulley on the anchor. I throw the anchor over the bow as I approach attached to a large loop I attach the bow rope. I disembark and pull the loop taking the boat out to the anchor and fix the rope to a rock. On my return I do the opposite and pull it in. Has anyone tried this?

m chappelow · 24 April 2013, 21:05

What ever you do or how you rig it make sure that the rope can run free under load without getting fouled up
It's one thing trying it all out on dry land but in reality when everything's getting pulled at different angles & under load .

A pulley block or a large stainless ring or a large shackle eye is better than trying to pull the rope through something small such as just a link on a small anchor chain ,

I wouldent rely on tying the shore line around a rock on shore just incase you can't find a suitable one , a small grapple anchor may be more usefull at least it can be buried in sand or shoved into a rock crevice or between 2 boulders ,

It's a similar set up to rigging a Breeches bouy rescue .
In some areas it's quite a common way of mooring up all sorts of boats .
Though don't forget a lot depends on the local area ( I know a few shallow beaches that may go up to 100 metres out to sea and still only have a depth of a foot or so .

One advantage is that if waves build on a shallow beach up you can get afloat & pull your self out into deeper water before dropping the outboard .

Bigmuz7 · 24 April 2013, 21:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hightower

Or anchor off the beach a little and have the anchor rope on a loop. Disembark then pull the rib away from the shore anchoring the other end of the loop on the beach. Reverse technique to bring the rib closer not forgetting to pull the rib clear of the beach before you lower the outboard and start up.

Obviously many of the techniques will only be any good with the right sea conditions.

+1 Its one I use all the time

... one of the best Christmas presents I got last year, was a reel of loop my dad had made up for me specially with built in pully's .. it works fine in hefty winds too but beach length is the problem and up where we go they're all different, so you sometimes have to shift your set a couple of times in an afternoon say, but that aint a hardship.

If peeps want to make one up, just make sure your pulley or basic shackle at the deep water end has a swivel on it

otherwise you gunna get wet

.. mind you it makes you feel you've earned your next beer

Hightower · 25 April 2013, 01:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigmuz7

+1 Its one I use all the time

... one of the best Christmas presents I got last year, was a reel of loop my dad had made up for me specially with built in pully's .. it works fine in hefty winds too but beach length is the problem and up where we go they're all different, so you sometimes have to shift your set a couple of times in an afternoon say, but that aint a hardship.

If peeps want to make one up, just make sure your pulley or basic shackle at the deep water end has a swivel on it

otherwise you gunna get wet

.. mind you it makes you feel you've earned your next beer

What sort of pulley do you use?

JeffD · 25 April 2013, 05:58

Do you have any pictures of the setup?

whackywoody · 25 April 2013, 06:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by JeffD

Do you have any pictures of the setup?

+1 please

Budgie1 · 25 April 2013, 07:38

Bigmuz7/Hightower .... Really interested in the concept but cant picture in my mind how it works! any chance of a 'fag packet' sketch?

m chappelow · 25 April 2013, 08:17

Basic sketch of set up .

NOTE ! If you just use a shackle to run the rope through instead of a pulley
remember to secure (mouse ) wire or cable tie the pin otherwise if the shackle turns around on itself the pin could unscrew itself when the rope is pulled through it .

Budgie1 · 25 April 2013, 08:23

Excellent ... thanks for the info very useful

Al Baker · 25 April 2013, 10:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by m chappelow

I wouldent rely on tying the shore line around a rock on shore just incase you can't find a suitable one , a small grapple anchor may be more usefull at least it can be buried in sand or shoved into a rock crevice or between 2 boulders ,
.

For a shore anchor in your above description I've used a paddle many a time. You need to tie a line to the middle of it and bury it in the sand or shingle at 90 degrees to the line. A knotted rope slotted into a crack between boulders also works very well.

Hightower · 25 April 2013, 10:06

One of those folding grapnel anchors is ideal as a beach anchor.

Budgie1 · 25 April 2013, 11:31

I was thinking of using one of those dog lead ground spikes if I can find decent stainless one.

In danger of hijacking thread here but similiar subject, I usually anchor in sand hence use Danforth style but pain to store on small boat, have been told folding grapnel would hold just as well providing it has chain at least length of boat which would also give me good all round solution for all situations but still a bit anxious it will drag in windy conditions

Any thoughts?