Jump to content

Welcome to TheMalibuCrew!

As a guest, you are welcome to poke around and view the majority of the content that we have to offer, but in order to post, search, contact members, and get full use out of the website you will need to Register for an Account. It's free and it's easy, so don't hesitate to join the TheMalibuCrew Family today!

Mooring my 2004 Wakesetter on sand


cazzasurfchick

Recommended Posts

Hi everyone, new to the forum and to ownership of my first Malibu Wakesetter in the UK! I want to moor my boat on a sandy beach near my home. It's a tidal estuary so the boat will need to 'rest' on soft sand twice a day. I'm worred about how to protect the propeller shaft. The rudder is the same depth as the prop so it may provide some protection, but the keel is much higher. Can anyone advise? Thanks Carol

Link to comment

Hi everyone, new to the forum and to ownership of my first Malibu Wakesetter in the UK! I want to moor my boat on a sandy beach near my home. It's a tidal estuary so the boat will need to 'rest' on soft sand twice a day. I'm worred about how to protect the propeller shaft. The rudder is the same depth as the prop so it may provide some protection, but the keel is much higher. Can anyone advise? Thanks Carol

Welcome to the crew, can you use a boat lift? I wouldn't want my old Skier laying in the sand. I couldn't imagine doing that to a new Wakesetter...

Link to comment

Seriously?? Does this boat have tracking fins as well? With the running gear sitting on the bottom with the weight of the boat on them you can expect expensive and ongoing repairs to the hull and running gear in the pretty short term. You need a better idea as leaving the boat to sit on sand like that is a very poor idea, unless you don't mind hull damage and ongoing expensive repairs to keep her running. Cheaper to rent space in a marina or moor it in deeper water. FWIW.

Ed

Link to comment

...yeah not a good idea... If you are "beaching" it for load/unload or for a night or two while camping, that's one thing (The purists will call me out on this...) but as a regular occurrence, not a good idea.

Welcome!

Patrick

Link to comment

Boat maintenance goes up 300% if you leave your boat in salt water. Is there a sling hoist launch nearby ? Your best choice is a marina that stores boats out of the water and they launch it each time by hoist or forklift, or trailer..Your next best option would be devising a method of launching your boat on a boat trailer each time.

You may need to modify your boat trailer by installing extremely wide flotation tires on a tandem axle. They make a "stinger" type hitch extension that fits into a standard 2" (USA) receiver mount. This may help you with your launch in shallow tributaries. In any event you really don't want to leave your expensive boat in brackish water.

I don't know if they use the 2" trailer hitch in the UK but here is an idea.

http://shoplive.rompalicious.com/warrior-10-extension-fits-2-receivers-universal-p-4770.html?m1track=googlebase&language=en

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/NTE_VehicleSelector?storeId=6970&langId=-1&feed=hitch&cm_ven=PPC&cm_cat=Google%20-%20K70&cm_pla=generic&cm_ite=receiver%20hitches

Link to comment
  • 2 weeks later...

What we do is take a 5 gallon bucket and fill it with concrete with a eye bolt out the top of the concrete. Then we tie a rope that has a boat bumper on it so it will float. Then we drop the bucket about 8 to 10 foot deep away from the side of the river. So when we pull up we grab the rope and hook it to the front of the boat and then grab a second rope and tie the back of the boat to a tree on the land. This keeps the swim platform at about 4 feet deep and we can climb on from the back of the boat. The prop and rudder will have plenty of clearnce. And the boat is safe. We do this every time we go camping in Austin, Texas.

Link to comment

I'm kind of shocked that this question is even being asked...you want to let a 3,500+ lb boat rest on it's running gear twice a day, every day and have to ask if that will cause damage?

You're going to have to find another way to use the boat, because that idea is just not even remotely a good one. You'll end up with a bent prop shaft and rudder, and probably gel coat damage from the prop hitting the hull.

Link to comment

I'm kind of shocked that this question is even being asked...you want to let a 3,500+ lb boat rest on it's running gear twice a day, every day and have to ask if that will cause damage?

You're going to have to find another way to use the boat, because that idea is just not even remotely a good one. You'll end up with a bent prop shaft and rudder, and probably gel coat damage from the prop hitting the hull.

I agree it's a bad idea. Especially on a regular basis.

But I think it would take years to bend the rudder or prop in this case. Or some windy conditions while at the right water level. We've been at Crescent Bar a few times when the river was going down. And dozens of boats ended up on the beach, and usually stay there for a few hours, even days, before the water level comes back up & people get their boats back in the water. The running gear just nestles it's way down in the soft sand & it doesn't really do any damage.

Now if the water level was was in the process of going down, and the running gear was 1/2 in the sand, while the boat was sort of 1/2 floating, and THEN the wind kicked up..... this would put a twisting, rocking motion on the boat, and could easily torque things out of shape.

The other thing that happens, over the long term, is that sand is forced into the bushings around the prop & rudder shaft. This grit in the bushing will wear things badly. But it takes a while for this too. If ti happened to your boat once, I'd pull things apart & clean them out. But there isn't likely to be catastrophic damage right away.

There was a guy who high centered his X2 in the mud on Long Lake in Spokane a few years ago. The boat sat in the mud for almost 2 weeks before he had it hauled out with a helicopter. He trudged out there almost every day to check it out, cover it, remove various things, etc., hoping the water level was coming up. In the end he had no damage at all. It even shined all the brass up nice & shiny for him.

I don't think I'd push my luck though. Doing it every day wouldn't be a good idea because of all the unknowns. Check into some kind of floating lift that could sit on the sandy bottom with the boat on top. Or a lift where the boat is suspended from above?

Link to comment

I'd take the time and load it on the trailor. This is not a good idea!! The best thing to do is get a boat lift. You can get that fairly inexpensive....if you think the 1-3,000 is expensive, think about your future repair bills, overtime.

Link to comment

Hi everyone, new to the forum and to ownership of my first Malibu Wakesetter in the UK! I want to moor my boat on a sandy beach near my home. It's a tidal estuary so the boat will need to 'rest' on soft sand twice a day. I'm worred about how to protect the propeller shaft. The rudder is the same depth as the prop so it may provide some protection, but the keel is much higher. Can anyone advise? Thanks Carol

Carol, you need to get yourself one of these inflatable boat lifts, it will support your boat during low tide. http://www.airdock.com/frame_1.htm

WB-_inboard-_back.jpg

Link to comment

I'm kind of shocked that this question is even being asked...you want to let a 3,500+ lb boat rest on it's running gear twice a day, every day and have to ask if that will cause damage?

You're going to have to find another way to use the boat, because that idea is just not even remotely a good one. You'll end up with a bent prop shaft and rudder, and probably gel coat damage from the prop hitting the hull.

:plus1:

It's not just going to sit on the running gear. Think about the tide going out. As the water level drops, the rudder will sink vertically into the sand, then as it drops further the boat will start to shift over on its side, torquing on the rudder, which has proceeded to already stick itself vertically in the sand. I will put money on this that your rudder shaft will bend.

I say get yourself a galvinized boat lift and set it on some very wide feet (to keep if from sinking) then your boat will be nicely cradeled when the tide receeds.

Link to comment

How does that account for the tracking fins?

FYI: http://www.airdock.com/toppage4.htm

"because most inboard boats have fins on the bottom of the hull which could damage the Air-Dock, a thick rubber matt is offered to protect the material. The weight of the mat also pulls the Air-Dock down in the water so the fins do not catch on it as the boat moves on and off. This INBOARD PROTECTOR is easily attached to the Air-Dock with four straps (included)."

Link to comment

I had an airdock for my old ski nautique. I had to run 24 volts to it to get all three bags to pump up quickly and powerfully enough. It worked fine, but was really susceptible to abrasion on the dock and I would assume sitting on the sand would not be good for it. It also picked up tons of algae and crap which essentially scratched my hull. While it works, and is a novel idea, I don't think I would go that route again.

Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...