Boat handling Drying out


Anyone sailing in tidal waters will sooner or later have to consider the option of floating the boat into a berth at High Water then letting her dry out as the water recedes. This process is simple for a boat without vulnerable projections and that’s able to stand upright. However it demands careful planning and bold execution if the vessel is not a natural bottom-sitter. Certain issues are common to all craft taking the ground.


Nature of the bottom


Being forewarned about this is critical to any drying-out operation. Soft mud If mud is soft enough and clear of submerged debris, almost any boat will sit down in it reasonably comfortably. Even a deep-keeled yacht will work herself into the bottom over a few tides so that she digs herself a snug berth. If you are anchoring and expect to be marginally placed for depth at Low Water, consider the bottom. Is it charted as mud? If so, you will probably sink in and lift off again with the rising tide, never knowing it’s happened. If it is rock or gravel, go somewhere else! Medium soft Many harbour bottoms have a layer of mud over sterner stuff, in which case ask locally or study a good pilot book to ascertain the real state of affairs.


Hard standing This means you can have confidence that the boat will not sink in beyond an inch or two, so full drying-out practices must be deployed. Hard standing is great for scrubbing the boat, inspecting stern gear, etc.


The dockside


For a boat that must lean against something, the nature of the dockside must be understood. Walls A clean, unobstructed wall is the ideal, but this is not often found. Walls are commonly reinforced with piling, and the position and size of these must be taken into account when selecting a berth. Free-standing piles In many places, stand-alone piles are driven into the half-tide foreshore specifically for boats to dry out against. In such berths, the tide may set across the boat as she is drying out, so care is needed to make sure she stays in place and does not slew round.


Shelter


Never dry out in a berth that might become an open lee shore. Serious damage can be done by pounding as the time approaches where you are irreversibly committed or, worse still, just before you finally float off. The same caveat applies to berths where motorboat wash may be excessive.


Half-dried out in soft mud at low water.


56 | MANUAL OF SEAMANSHIP


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