Beaching/going ashore in a rib advice

Blakeys7 · 24 June 2018, 07:04

Hello. A while back a saw a couple of ribs near to where I launch in Ipswich having picnics etc on the beach at stone point. The small boats were dragged out of the water and a larger one secured with the anchor on the beach.

Now it all looks straight forward but any advice please or do's and don'ts ?

I don't want to enjoy my picnic and then have a boat stuck on the sand [emoji23]

Btw my rib is 5.2m

Any advice appreciated

Colin

beamishken · 24 June 2018, 07:42

Prety easy on a rising tide we just park on the beach and usual run a rope and anchor up the beach.
Not so easy on a falling tide you need to drop an anchor in deep enough water to allow for fall of tide and either wade or swim or dinghy back in
Easy enough if your in wetsuits not so easy if you want to stay reasonsbly dry. No hard and fast rules on how you do it just watch for any swell building that will make getting off difficult

ShinyShoe · 24 June 2018, 07:49

First up you need to know the tide and wind.
Second you need to know if you can move your boat over the sand. For a 5.2m with 75horses on the back - I'd not be trying to move it by hand.

The easiest option is tide going out (ebb) and wind blowing off shore (windward). Come in to shore, deposit crew, BBQ and beer ashore. Unless it is surffy this is doable with people knee deep in water. Put the anchor on the bow tube (ensuring it is attached to the boat). Attach a tripping line to the anchor and take it ashore. Push boat and let wind and tide take it to where you want anchor. Pull the tripping line to make anchor fall off the tube. Secure tripping line ashore. As tide drops you may need to trip anchor and allow it to drift further off. When time comes to go home you pull the tripping line and pull boat back in. Load the empties and the full crew and head home. While this is the simplest... it is the situation done wrong most likely to mean you loose the boat! (Some people might just bring the anchor on the shore and bury it my hand.

On a flood tide you have some extra headaches. The boat will usually sit with the engine towards the shore (bow to the tide). You need to put out enough anchor rode to allow for the tide rising. Most people aim for 5x water depth but 3x may be enough depending on holding and conditions. If you anchor in say 2m and the tidal range while you are at anchor is another 2m (check your tide tables) you need to plan for anchoring in 4m and putting out 20m of anchor rode. You will therefore need to be probably something like 25m off the beach. But 4 hours later the shore line has risen and you might be 400m off the beach... depending on the angle of the beach etc. A tripping line won't lift the anchor from the beach as the tripping line would pull in the same direction as the rode. If you have a mate who is beaching a small SIB - you have a good solution. Anchor off and get them to play taxi... Otherwise I suspect most people would say its not worth the hassle normally in those conditions but there are ways if you have free reign of the beach and plenty of line and a pulled block or two.

If the wind is stronger than the tide and in a different direction - this complicates it even more! If you have a bay to come into then you can usually work with wind direction a bit more by picking which side of the bay to anchor.

Watch the bottom - mis judged on sand -- unlikely to do much harm... mis judge on sharp rocks... Ouch.

ShinyShoe · 24 June 2018, 07:51

Forum Rule #1 - no two posts shall agree... ;-)

Striker · 24 June 2018, 08:57

We do it, but I anchor off and drift/power in astern as I like to keep the bow to the waves.

We also find it easier to climb aboard across the stern / swim platform.

Everyone except me gets off at knee depth and takes a second anchor with a long line. I then shorten the bow line and get off at a little deeper. But I’m almost constantly having to adjust to keep her either off the beach or shallow enough to keep my plums dry (Joys of British sea temperature).

I have seen it done with two anchors with pulley blocks and a single very long line. You effectively drop one in deep, one on the beach and when ready pull the boat out towards the deeper anchor. And pull the other way to bring her back. I would be concerned about ropes twisting and fouling but in principle it sounds interesting.

Grant Garwood · 25 June 2018, 08:31

We tend to plan our beach picnics on days when low water is around midday, beach the boat at say 10:00, drop an anchor for peace of mind, have our picnic, and by mid/late afternoon the boats afloat again and off you go. To be fair it's easier to do this where we have our RIB in Portugal, steeper beaches and not much rise and fall so the boat is never far away, couldn't imagine doing this at Camber Sands!

willfinch36 · 25 June 2018, 10:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grant Garwood

We tend to plan our beach picnics on days when low water is around midday, beach the boat at say 10:00, drop an anchor for peace of mind, have our picnic, and by mid/late afternoon the boats afloat again and off you go. To be fair it's easier to do this where we have our RIB in Portugal, steeper beaches and not much rise and fall so the boat is never far away, couldn't imagine doing this at Camber Sands!

Small world, got a RIB Down in Lagos! Quite often pop over to Alvor for lunch.

OP, Depending where you moor at Stone Point, the bank can be very steep, which actually makes it quite easy to anchor there, you don't have to worry too much about it getting stuck on the sand etc. We were there a couple of weeks ago, on a rising tide, didn't have to adjust the boat for the whole 3 hours we were there for.

Grant Garwood · 25 June 2018, 12:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by willfinch36

Small world, got a RIB Down in Lagos! Quite often pop over to Alvor for lunch.

OP, Depending where you moor at Stone Point, the bank can be very steep, which actually makes it quite easy to anchor there, you don't have to worry too much about it getting stuck on the sand etc. We were there a couple of weeks ago, on a rising tide, didn't have to adjust the boat for the whole 3 hours we were there for.

Small world indeed, funnily enough we quite often pop over to Lagos for lunch, I'll look out for you next time we're crossing Meia Praia bay

Ribochet · 25 June 2018, 13:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blakeys7

Any advice appreciated

Just do it - happy days

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Bigo · 25 June 2018, 17:13

It’s only water! Drop everyone and the bags off in a foot of water. Drive the rib out 50m drop anchor reverse so the anchor is firmly dug in. jump of swim in and get dry [emoji6] the water isn’t that cold this time of year. I would of loved to get in the sea today!

Blakeys7 · 26 June 2018, 19:56

Thanks for all your advice. I'll take some pics when I take the plunge [emoji23]

spartacus · 26 June 2018, 20:04

Used to put my Zodiac on a mooring then go for a dip with a wetsuit. Getting too old for that now, so an Avon hypalon tender (no transom) is as good a way to get back and forth these days.

breezeblock · 26 June 2018, 22:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by spartacus

Used to put my Zodiac on a mooring then go for a dip with a wetsuit. Getting too old for that now, so an Avon hypalon tender (no transom) is as good a way to get back and forth these days.

last tango got one of these tender things as well but I think he's afraid to bring it out of its bag in case it doesn't go back in

mikew4 · 29 June 2018, 20:38

Use a stand up paddle board to get to / from your boat. The inflatable ones pack down really quite small and can be inflated quickly with suitable pump or 12v compressor with paddle board vale to car valve adapter.

Xk59D · 29 June 2018, 21:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by breezeblock

last tango got one of these tender things as well but I think he's afraid to bring it out of its bag in case it doesn't go back in

Ain't no way they go back in the bag, my dinghy is still outside on my patio. I just treat the bag as a freebie to put other boat crap in.

spartacus · 29 June 2018, 21:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by breezeblock

last tango got one of these tender things as well but I think he's afraid to bring it out of its bag in case it doesn't go back in

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xk59D

Ain't no way they go back in the bag, my dinghy is still outside on my patio. I just treat the bag as a freebie to put other boat crap in.

Once we haul it back on board, we just use the quick release valves to deflate. Agreed, it ain't going back in the bag until you're on dry land!

A1an · 30 June 2018, 19:34

Anyone tried one of the 'Anchor Buddies'?

jambo · 30 June 2018, 20:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by A1an

Anyone tried one of the 'Anchor Buddies'?

Hi Alan I have one works well very handy especially on tidal beaches.

A1an · 30 June 2018, 21:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by jambo

Hi Alan I have one works well very handy especially on tidal beaches.

Ive seen the vids on youtube and they look like a useful bit of kit, the fact I'd not really heard of them on here I presumed they were shite.

jambo · 30 June 2018, 21:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by A1an

Ive seen the vids on youtube and they look like a useful bit of kit, the fact I'd not really heard of them on here I presumed they were shite.

It’s something I don’t use all the time but it’s useful in that it gives you that extra length from the shore