Shocking Boatmanship.

[Leapy]

Originally Posted by redhed

I didn't learn how to motor onto a beach...I spent a chunk of today watching 3 different motor boats do exactly this down at the beach and each one did it differently so I learned something new each time, not always positive!

Nice post, nice timing...our boat has had a keel guard fitted today as we want to be able to beach and preferably without tantrums. So, what's the best way to approach a sandy beach, disgorge the crew and beer, anchor safely and then recover safely?

Advice, please...

[BogMonster]

Interesting points Red. I've no qualifications at all - and therefore would presumably be unable to hire a rib anywhere - but there is nowhere at home I can qualify. However I have had a rib now for 5 years. I learned what I know through trial and error after a 10 minute handover from the previous owner of my first rib - the rest of it I just made it up as I went along, and picked up from reading here and elsewhere and asking questions. I started on a nice quiet day, midweek so as not to have an audience because I'd never launched a boat in my life before.

I made a few mistakes, scared myself a few times, nearly ended up on the beach a few times, bent a couple of props and removed a bit of gelcoat. I got told off for not wearing a lifejacket. Nothing serious or irreversible or expensive - maybe I was just lucky. I've probably still got some bad habits that would make an instructor yell, but I think I'm a lot safer than Ribeye-man described at the beginning, and from what I saw in Littlehampton the other weekend, quite a few other recreational boaters as well, most of whom don't seem they would know what a lifejacket was if you threw one at them when they were drowning. I have some gaps in my knowledge - but nothing that I need regularly so it doesn't really matter, though I'd like to fill them in one day. Trial and error is a good learning tool, for example having to fork out for a new prop once or twice is a painful reminder to keep a better eye on where the bottom is in future and you tend to remember it

Getting back to the question, I suppose ribbing is a bit like driving off road (something I've been doing for a lot longer) - the official training teaches you a bit about the basics but definitely does NOT make you a good driver. It gives you a grounding in the basic skills and theory, after which the best thing is probably to find somebody like minded that knows a lot more about it than you do and spend a bit of time out with them and talking to them.

Watching other people that are nothing to do with you is also a good way to learn what to do - or what not to do, much cheaper to watch them bend their boats

As for getting into a beach, the way I do it (and I launch and recover from a beach every time) is to motor in slowly trimming out till the prop is just under the water, then when I am into a couple of feet of water, switch off and tilt the engine up in one action, and coast into the beach till it grounds, jumping out over the bow into about six inches of water and pulling the boat up a couple of feet to secure it. Reverse is to lift the bow and push out till it is just floating and I'm at the edge of what I can stand in (wearing wellies) without getting wet feet, then push off and quickly jump in over the bow with a boathook to hand and pole her out into 3ft or so of water, drop engine, start and reverse off. Got to be careful if there is an onshore wind, but it works well.

[redhed]

Originally Posted by Leapy

So, what's the best way to approach a sandy beach, disgorge the crew and beer, anchor safely and then recover safely?

Digging around down the back of the sofa, came across some tips in this thread. Geoff's "thing that looks like a big corkscrew" is almost certainly a device for restraining dogs. (As the Actress said to the Bishop... )

[spartacus]

Originally Posted by Leapy

Nice post, nice timing...our boat has had a keel guard fitted today as we want to be able to beach and preferably without tantrums. So, what's the best way to approach a sandy beach, disgorge the crew and beer, anchor safely and then recover safely?

Advice, please...

Without fail you'll have someone on board that isn't prepared to get wet. That's your first problem.

If it's calm with no tide running, then approach the beach slowly, bow first, ready to kill the engine. Prior to landing, drop an anchor 20' offshore attached to a floating ring. Run a rope through the ring and tie it off on a stern cleat.

Once you've landed and everyone is off, raise the engine, and haul the stern rope. This should pull your boat back out to sea. Tie of the painter and stern rope. Job done.

[BogMonster]

Originally Posted by redhed

Digging around down the back of the sofa, came across some tips in this thread. Geoff's "thing that looks like a big corkscrew" is almost certainly a device for restraining dogs. (As the Actress said to the Bishop... )

Coincidence! I was in a pet shop yesterday and saw one of those and thought "hmm that would make a useful shore anchor for tying off a boat"! It was only about a foot long so would not be suitable for anything other than temporary anchoring but should hold fairly well in firmish ground - would not work in sand though.

[Bigmuz7]

Originally Posted by spartacus

Without fail you'll have someone on board that isn't prepared to get wet. That's your first problem.

If it's calm with no tide running, then approach the beach slowly, bow first, ready to kill the engine. Prior to landing, drop an anchor 20' offshore attached to a floating ring. Run a rope through the ring and tie it off on a stern cleat.

Once you've landed and everyone is off, raise the engine, and haul the stern rope. This should pull your boat back out to sea. Tie of the painter and stern rope. Job done.

I think thats similar to me ..

I Just use 2 anchors .. one out in the bay and one up the beach a bit, and I tie on an extra rope to the boats long painter and back onto the D ring in the bow to make a big long loop. The anchor at sea already has the boats painter threaded through a nice big stainless shackle through which the rope will run .. so as you return to shore with the beach anchor .. you can pull on one rope to take the boat out into the bay, and on the other to pull it back in. The lengths of rope can be critical though because where you have tied them together, that bit wont run through the shackle

I used this a couple of weeks ago whilst watching someone next to me mess with a dry suit and then go for a swim

[HUMBER P4VWL]

Is it any different to people who bump your car while parking and drive off, or open their car door on yours and not even seem bothered? It's just the mindset of many today.

[redhed]

Originally Posted by BogMonster

Coincidence! I was in a pet shop yesterday and saw one of those and thought "hmm that would make a useful shore anchor for tying off a boat"! It was only about a foot long so would not be suitable for anything other than temporary anchoring but should hold fairly well in firmish ground - would not work in sand though.

It does not work terribly well in sand on dogs, anyhow. My dog is very strong for his size but only a foot tall. The corkscrew thing is a Big Fail, as we discovered one day when he tried to eat a passing yoof for flying a kite on His beach. What works with the dog is digging a big hole, sticking one of those trug buckets in it, backfilling with sand, topping up with water and attaching the dog to the handles. He-red says it would be easier to dig a big hole and stick the dog in it.

[boristhebold]

Originally Posted by redhed

But I've just done (as in 9 days ago) my PB2 and it's no help in that situation at all. I learned how to come alongside other boats, to pick up a mooring, (single) anchor at a good distance from the shore, get a boat on and off a beach trailer on a nice steep slip with a dozen people helping you, manoeuvre around a harbour and tie up on a pontoon, and tow astern and aside.

I didn't learn how to motor onto a beach, let off half a dozen non-boaty passengers and their luggage and barbecue all nice and dry, park the boat somewhere sensible and safe where it wouldn't be in anyone's way but I'd still be able to get it a couple of hours later taking into account wind and tide, get my passengers back on board - still safe and dry - and motor off again. But if I were chartering a boat tomorrow, that's exactly what I would want to do with it and though Charter Muppet may have been acting like a bit of a surly dick I'm sure half of it was because he hadn't been told how to do this and was pissed off about making a fool of himself in front of his passengers.

Where are you supposed to learn this? It's not innate (or at least not in me, I spent a chunk of today watching 3 different motor boats do exactly this down at the beach and each one did it differently so I learned something new each time, not always positive!). So why isn't it in the PB2 if that's the default qualification to hire a RIB?

Youve made some good points, ive done a number of courses and I would say they certainly enabled me to think about things the right way in various situations there is still no substitute for experience which you gain when using your own boat over a period of time. And of course when things do go wrong to learn from those mistakes. I think the key thing is to approach every new situation with calmness and a slow speed to give yourself time to think about what your doing and what could go wrong, plan ahead and if it starts going wrong rethink and try again, over time it will all fall into place. I think PB2 is a good start but should also be combined with perhaps a weeks full on hands on practicle experience of doing things you personally would most likely do. You can always get personal tuition but of course at a cost.

At the air show in bournemouth the other day a chap turned up in a very expensive scorpion with twin large HP engines and attempted to anchor in the flotilla of other vessels watching the show in about 12M of water. He tried about 5 times and each time the anchor would not hold, I asked him how much chain he had and he replied 6feet which was probably the problem, I suggested 6Metres would be more like it due to the routh conditions, I expect he will go and buy 6Metres to put on. He certainly wasn't an idiot just inexperienced I believe, but im sure he has learnt from his experience.

[Channel Ribs]

Originally Posted by redhed

What works with the dog is digging a big hole, sticking one of those trug buckets in it, backfilling with sand, topping up with water and attaching the dog to the handles. He-red says it would be easier to dig a big hole and stick the dog in it.

You should post a thread entitled how best to anchor my small dog

That should make for an interesting discussion.

[martini]

Originally Posted by spartacus

If it's calm with no tide running, then approach the beach slowly, bow first, ready to kill the engine. Prior to landing, drop an anchor 20' offshore attached to a floating ring. Run a rope through the ring and tie it off on a stern cleat.

Once you've landed and everyone is off, raise the engine, and haul the stern rope. This should pull your boat back out to sea. Tie of the painter and stern rope. Job done.

You boys have so easy

Don't think this method works down here when there's a 12m tidal range which can disappear down the beach 2 or 3 miles

[Mollers]

I always back onto a beach. I've been doing it for years with various sizes of boats, it works perfectly.

I whack on a shorty wetsuit only worn to the waist as neoprene shorts, line the stern up with the departure area, give it a blap to get the boat going astern, switch off and fully trim, the boat should serenely drift towards the beach. The waves/slop then hit the pointy end where they have least effect, I, in my shorty shorts hop in and hold on to either the lifelines or the frame to keep her off of the sand and pointing out to sea, the gang depart over the end of the boat which is nearest to the water.

When all out, give it a shove, hop in and anchor off. Repeat for reloading.

I've seen the pointy end first approach go wrong often. Usually, the action of the sea throws the stern around and the boat ends up broadsided on the beach being violently rocked from side to side which can lead to a full swamping.

[jokaboat]

Nothing to do with abilities but a handy bit of kit is one ofthese

Anchor buddy

Works a treat. Also available from other suppliers

[willk]

Originally Posted by redhed

He-red says it would be easier to dig a big hole and stick the dog in it.

[Channel Ribs]

Originally Posted by martini

12m tidal range which can disappear down the beach 2 or 3 miles

You would need a fair bit of rope.

[Oscarguitar]

Originally Posted by boristhebold

At the air show in bournemouth the other day a chap turned up in a very expensive scorpion with twin large HP engines and attempted to anchor in the flotilla of other vessels watching the show in about 12M of water. He tried about 5 times and each time the anchor would not hold, I asked him how much chain he had and he replied 6feet which was probably the problem, I suggested 6Metres would be more like it due to the routh conditions, I expect he will go and buy 6Metres to put on. He certainly wasn't an idiot just inexperienced I believe, but im sure he has learnt from his experience.

At the Air Show as well I saw a 29 ft cabin cruiser drop about 10 meters of chain and anchor (in the 8 meters of water I was moored in) and drift spectacularly into a a sailing boat first and another motor boat shortly after. He then drove away in embarrasment, with most of the chain and anchor still hanging off the bow! It's not training, it's mostly common sense that is lacking.

Motor powered boats are worst because new owners think that they are like a car, and they're just not! At least sailors travel fairly slowly and mostly tend to recognise the difference.

Undestanding the weather, allowing for wind and tide and taking your time will get you through most situations. Mind you 40 odd years of sailing and using motor boats helps as well!

Keep safe

[redhed]

Originally Posted by Mollers

I whack on a shorty wetsuit only worn to the waist as neoprene shorts

This is key, isn't it? When He-red first said "shall we get a boat?" we were on the beach watching a tractor recovering a safety boat. There was a chap in fishing waders at the pointy end. I looked at He-red and looked meaningfully at the chap in waders. He-red said "OK, OK, I'm doing that bit."

[alystra]

Doesn't anyone but me anchor off the beach and row ashore in an inflatable dinghy?

[Mollers]

Originally Posted by alystra

Doesn't anyone but me anchor off the beach and row ashore in an inflatable dinghy?

Yes, bit it's a bit of a faff getting a boat full of people and kit ashore using 2m rubber dubber.

[m chappelow]

Originally Posted by Channel Ribs

You should post a thread entitled how best to anchor my small dog

That should make for an interesting discussion.

Best to keep it on a short scope ,,