Mad idea but hey.

[W+T]

Some of you may know i like to make things and faff about, i also like to come up with ways of doing things and designing them, either they work or they dont, i just enjoy using my head for all sorts of nonsence.

Also some have seen i have a cruiser and i wanted to make it into a bilge keel for beaching if i get to sea that is, not many beach`s on the canals. .

The brain wave, could work in two ways, to hold upright when beached and to keep a boat boyant for that bit longer if hull breached.

 

Consists of two inflatable tubes connected by adjustable straps to set the bags where they are needed. ( black lines in t he great diagram i have done . red circles are the tubes, just to make clear.

 

Procedure to use the bags. straps will be set to the position before hand dependant on hull style/width. hold both end of straps, thrown uninflated bags over transom and pull under boat to mid point, clip off to fender eyes ( or similar ) then take the air lines, which i previously didnt mention, and inflate, easy, when tide goes out the boat rest on the keel and also the bags, bags of a certain size still need to be decided but i would say on my 18 inch from keel to first chine a bag of a few inch greater will be used to give for the squashing of the bags.

 

 

I am also looking into what bags will take the weight of my boat at around 1250kg.

 

Come on then another mad idea or worth looking into and patenting

[Paul C]

Check out the effect they have on the stability of the boat........then check out the effect on stability, when the boat is inverted.

[W+T]

Check out the effect they have on the stability of the boat........then check out the effect on stability, when the boat is inverted.

 

 

All that would be done once on the water, the tech stuff like the buoyancy is also being looked into, if to much buoyancy with a certain size then it will be reduced to not make the boat unstable.

[ditchcrawler]

 

 

All that would be done once on the water, the tech stuff like the buoyancy is also being looked into, if to much buoyancy with a certain size then it will be reduced to not make the boat unstable.

Pump them full of water

[W+T]

Pump them full of water

 

Now i like that idea a lot better than inflatables and take less pressure needed i would think.

[Giant]

Definitely better for stability to have them filled with water.

 

Some friends and I make an annual entry in a raft race. One of our first efforts was six inflatable balls bodged onto the bottom of a long pallet. We quickly found out that this was far more stable upside down than it was upright.

[Sea Dog]

Check out the effect they have on the stability of the boat........then check out the effect on stability, when the boat is inverted.

 

 

 

 

All that would be done once on the water,

 

Too late by then. You can't add bouyancy below the metacentric height without ill effects on stability, So I'm afraid it's a daft idea on this occasion, but don't despair - park it and think of another! In the meantime, if you really must have a boat to beach and your current one is unsuitable, you're gonna need another boat.

[W+T]

 

 

 

Too late by then. You can't add bouyancy below the metacentric height without ill effects on stability, So I'm afraid it's a daft idea on this occasion, but don't despair - park it and think of another! In the meantime, if you really must have a boat to beach and your current one is unsuitable, you're gonna need another boat.

 

 

even with water filled.

[Sea Dog]

 

 

even with water filled.

 

Now you're adding a load of drag, undesireable in itself, plus adding too much ballast which is likely to make her 'stiff' and an uncomfortable place to be in any seaway. Hullform is of paramount importance in boat design and small errors can make the vessel a dog. Big errors produce dangerous dogs!

 

Back to the drawing board I'm afraid. Fun to mess about with boats though, isn't it.

[W+T]

 

Now you're adding a load of drag, undesireable in itself, plus adding too much ballast which is likely to make her 'stiff' and an uncomfortable place to be in any seaway. Hullform is of paramount importance in boat design and small errors can make the vessel a dog. Big errors produce dangerous dogs!

 

Back to the drawing board I'm afraid. Fun to mess about with boats though, isn't it.

 

 

the boat will not be underway though with the bags fitted and sat in the harbour waiting for the tide to recede. just sat in a foot of water while the tide goes out then sat dry..

Edited August 31, 2015 by W+T

[Alan de Enfield]

Far easier to add 'legs' that fold down and can be adjusted to the necessary height ( due to the legs sinking). can be mounted permanently either side of the transom using a scaffold pole inside a sleeve, lower and tighten with a wing-nut.

Alternatively have then pivoted so they drop down either side.

 

Do a google search for "Beaching legs" (very very common on boats in drying harbours)

 

[Sea Dog]

 

 

the boat will not be underway though with the bags fitted and sat in the harbour waiting for the tide to recede. just sat in a foot of water while the tide goes out then sat dry..

 

Well that's different. Still a lot of faff, but at least you're not likely to come to any grief. I don't know about you though, but I've always found space on boats to be limited without carting 'experimental' stuff like this around. I take it you've tried it and found the resting angle unacceptable? (Remember to account for your steering gear and prop before grounding). Otherwise, what he said above is more conventional though less the DIY route than you're having fun with.

 

Edited to account for previous post arriving during the drafting.

Edited August 31, 2015 by Sea Dog

[W+T]

Far easier to add 'legs' that fold down and can be adjusted to the necessary height ( due to the legs sinking). can be mounted permanently either side of the transom using a scaffold pole inside a sleeve, lower and tighten with a wing-nut.

Alternatively have then pivoted so they drop down either side.

 

Do a google search for "Beaching legs" (very very common on boats in drying harbours)

 

 

 

already looked into but on the canals and in locks it made me think of maybe problems in locks with the fitting catching even with pole removed.

 

 

 

Well that's different. Still a lot of faff, but at least you're not likely to come to any grief. I don't know about you though, but I've always found space on boats to be limited without carting 'experimental' stuff like this around. I take it you've tried it and found the resting angle unacceptable? (Remember to account for your steering gear and prop before grounding). Otherwise, what he said above is more conventional though less the DIY route than you're having fun with.

 

Edited to account for previous post arriving during the drafting.

 

I like to experiment, keeps me going lol. on displacement hull once dry they are likely to fall over and find awkward to sleep on.

[RLWP]

 

 

already looked into but on the canals and in locks it made me think of maybe problems in locks with the fitting catching even with pole removed.

 

C'mon - you'll find a simple way to sort that. A skin fitting for a pipe would be a good start - it would make a socket to fit a leg into

 

Richard

[Guest]

Could you perhaps fit the legs either side of the outboard on the transom, at the extremes? Shouldn't hang you up in a lock then?

[Alan de Enfield]

 

 

already looked into but on the canals and in locks it made me think of maybe problems in locks with the fitting catching even with pole removed.

 

 

 

 

 

Just 'Inboard' of the corner of the transom. Will not affect the beam

[system 4-50]

The family drop-keel sailing boat has a wooden leg for the purpose, just one, as some tilt is accepted. I don't know how it is attached but when removed there is no evidence of its existence to get in the way. It has been used to wait for the next tide when accidentally going aground.

Edited August 31, 2015 by system 4-50

[Guest]

 

Just 'Inboard' of the corner of the transom. Will not affect the beam

Great minds...

[W+T]

When i was looking the legs i see them all at the side amidship not on the transom, i would guess for better stability. An idea i had for making one of them was to use as said above scaff pole, or the likes with a short stub to slide in the hull side/gunwale and peg in place through the top of the gunwale.,

Would be less messing about than bags also.

 

Ok bag idea is out the port hole, next thought legs

 

lot easier to sort out. infact i bet a good timber leg would do he trick with a coller and and peg over it to connect to the boat, lot lighter to carry/move about and store on the boat. .I have ally tube lying around, bet theres not enough though. if not a rumage around the scrap yards if i can get in will find something.

I will give a diagram later on that idea, much the same as Richard mentions.

 

oh and good morning, back to work ) nice chilled out week for a rest rest after a long weekend busy again..

Edited September 1, 2015 by W+T

[Giant]

Legs strike me as needing a lot of care about what goes on the end of them.

 

Imagine putting down on a bottom where one side is soft mud - leg sinks in, boat tips over, and then as the tide rises the leg is stuck in the mud trying to capsize the boat.

[Alan de Enfield]

We looked at a Pedro (steel cruiser) that had a tube / sleeve built into the transom ( on the 'corner') that had sliding legs. Leg dropped and stopped in place by tightening a wing nut on the collar / sleeve.

[W+T]

Legs strike me as needing a lot of care about what goes on the end of them.

 

Imagine putting down on a bottom where one side is soft mud - leg sinks in, boat tips over, and then as the tide rises the leg is stuck in the mud trying to capsize the boat.

 

 

Thats the concern that put me off them, they would need very large feet/pads to stop the sinking of the legs, fine if you have the same mooring you use all the time then you know what your resting on.