Beaching your boat?

[Hawkdriver]

Hey guys, I see alot of people beaching their boats and was curious what your thoughts are on this? I have a black bottom on my boat and figured that it would look like hell after a few times of doing this. Obviously if you hit rocks it'll cause some damage, but is the gelcoat strong enough to withstand beaching on sand?

[jmvotto]

I have never beached my boat but we don't have sand, just shale and small rocks. Sand will scratch the bottom. Some on here use an anchor buddy system to keep the boat off shore but easily accessible with a bungee line.

[lsvboombox]

Get hambys beah bumper if you plan to beach... it will help save the hull....

[evoimport6]

I am always fearful of the fins on the bottom. Will they bend or get messed up if the boat gets rocked while on shore?

[BensonWdby]

If you are in constatly calm water it may not be tto bad, but I ruined the gelcoat on my old runabout by beaching it all the time.

If you are in an area of wind chop or boat rollers the impact could be significantly worse.

[newty]

I have a black bottom boat and beach the boat at least twice every time we have it out - but I live in Florida and the lake bottoms are fine sand

except for that one time we hit something - gouged the gel coat and bent the prop.

In Florida, if the carpet on your bunks exposes the wood, that's harder on the boat than beaching it...in my opinion.

When I'm ready to beach the boat, I typically head towards the shore at about 5- 6 mph, cut the engine off when I'm in about 3 feet of water, and allow the boat to gently come to a stop from the fins digging in.

I never allow the boat to go too far up on the beach. I like to be able to spin the boat around so people can enter or exit the boat via the swim platform.

Never beach the boat with ballast filled

Agreed, I gently beach all the time. The bunks on my trailer scratch my hull far worse than sand.

[BensonWdby]

What I meant was if you have your boat beach your boat gently - pulling it in by hand - and it's just sitting there undisturbed - the risk is fair to minimal (IMHO).

But if it is sitting beached and there is a constant set of rollers or wind chop hitting the shore, then the boat rides up/down - in/out and its like running 60 grit sandpaper on your hull.

[Razzman]

Never beached any boat boat and never will, just my pref. Stern in with an anchor buddy does it for me. Besides not a lake anywhere near me has a beach with sand in Cali.

[Hawkdriver]

Some good insight guys. I think for now I'll stay clear of the dry land. My boat is still too new for me to be crying over scratches already. Beaching would be so much easier since I can rarely get the anchor to hold at the local hang-out spot due to the soft bottom.

[BensonWdby]

Use a different kind of anchor. A river anchor, one with two pointed blades that pivot may work better for you?