Drying out a 3' draught bilge keeler to antifoul.

[aquaplane]

I thought I had asked this before but can't find a thread anywhere.

I have removed all the antifoul from round the waterline and some other places scrubbing bits of weed off so I'm going to dry out Chiron and slap some antifouling on.

Local to Loch Sween there isn't enough tidal range, how far North am I going to have to go to do the job if I'm too tight to pay for a lift out? Any sugestions for sites? It'll be next week or the week after.

Am I going to be better off shelling out for a lift out?

Is it reasonable to expect to do the job in 1 tide (if dried out) or 1 day (in a yard)? I'm expecting to scrub the existing surface and paint on top of the existing antifouling.

[Bodach na mara]

With 3 foot draft, I think you need at least 6 foot range to get enough time to do a very quick job. No help to you I know but with a 4 foot draft fin keel I dried out in Cardwell Bay several times and went on about 1 hour after high (didn,t want to get neaped) and had only about 6 hours working time, in fact on one occasion the water was nearly over the wellies as I quickly finnished off the job I was doing; sorting out a badly leaking area under the mast step with a copper tingle and white lead. Antifouling between tides I have never tried.

How far north? I would think at least Puildobhrain but I am not really familliar fith these waters so one of the natives will be better placed to advise.

[Bodach na mara]

Some further thoughts on your problem.

Coming on a problem late in the evening, my first thoughts tend to the maths. Now for the practical issues.

The site needs to be considered. You will need to lie on the ground under the boat so it must not be muddy, too rocky or drain too slowly. There must be a slope; you do not want to dry out in a pool! I must be sheltered from waves, swell and washes. I estimate that you need at least 6 feet range, but 9 would be better.

When you are doing the job, how are you going to paint the underside of the bilge keels? Maybe shelling out for a lift is realy the easiest answer.

I have carried out repairs on three occasions on two different boats, always at Cardwell Bay. The range there is between 9 feet and 13 feet. At that time of my life, I had more bravery than sense, or money. On one occasion, I was drying out in the morning (HW at 8 am) and that means near neeps in that area. (Where you are, a high at that time is approaching springs.) Along with my daughter, We put the boat next to the quay at 8.30, and hauled it forward to make contact at 8.45, by which time the tide was dropping fast. We wer hard agroung by 9 and toddled off to have breakfast in Tesco. The keel was clear by 11 and I could start the job (removing caulking from tha joint between the skin and the hog on a fin-keel triple-diagonal boat that should not have leaked there). It took a while for the seam to dry out and the tide was starting to come back when I started filling the seam with flexible filler, but I got it done before the water reached the keel on that occasion. We then had to wait for lift-off and I ran a stern anchor out while waiting. This turned out to be a good move. About 6 in the evening, the boat was nearly floating when a wash from a ferry hit us and I heaved the boat off using the stern line. Without that, we would have had a bit of a pounding. Today, I would head for a marina and get an overnight lift.

[aquaplane]

Thanks for your thoughts Ken, pretty much how I was thinking re bottom, drainage & time available.

I seemed to do OK antifouling on the hard @ Kip but just remembered the boat was on sleepers so I had maybe 6" more to play with while crawling about between the keels. I was laid in a puddle too, someone up the car park was washing his boat down and I got the runoff halfway through grinding the rust off the keels.

The published prices at Ardfern and Craobh suggest that it'll be the thick end of £300 for an 8m boat for a 24 hour lift and put back. I'll put up with some discomfort to save that much, so long as I can do the job and I don't loose too much holiday time.

As I have never intentionally grounded the boat, and it is a bilge keeler, I want to have a go. It'll be a learning experience even if I learn that I picked the wrong place, or the dissadvantages of a bilge keeler don't outweigh the supposed advantages.

[Mavanier]

I've antifouled between tides umpteen times. Cruiser Uno is your friend, one coat and fast drying. Remember to give a good wash down with fresh water between the scrub and the painting.
I wouldn't worry too much about getting to the very bottom of the keels- it's a very small area in the scheme of things, and will be scraped clean when you dry out anyway.

[claymore]

You could consider going alongside the jetty at Kilmelford. there's a gridiron you can park on

[aquaplane]

Looked at Kilmelford at Easter. I think we would be rocking, the grids are fairly wide apart and we could probably just span two of them but could easy miss. More suited to a long keeler or a bigger yat I thought. It's fairly easy to see the bottom of the keels so I suppose we could aim fairly accurately as she touches, I'll give them a ring to see how much they charge.

Got the Cruiser Uno, masking tape and rollers ready to start, it's the venue/tides that are problematical.

[aquaplane]

Kilmeford seem to think it's no problem and it's only a bit dearer than a night alongside.
I'm aiming to go for a look next Monday with a view to drying out on Tuesday.

[claymore]

Tell David I recommended you go there - he'll look after you

[aquaplane]

Well, we are here Sunday and have been having a good look.

IF, and it's a big if, I can be up and at at silly o'clock I can beach at high tide with a view to doing the job tomoz. It would be better Tuesday though. And going through Cuan to head West would be more sociable timing a day later too.

it's nice here though so not much rush to cough.

[ash]

So, are you hard at work with the roller?

Weather is very wet here, and forecast looks as though you will be too.

Tides are getting more realistic as you get to Wednesday, so at least they're not running away from you though you won't want to eat into your holiday.

How far off Oban are the tides at Kilmeford?

Don't scrape the new antifoul off on Claymore's Rock going through Cuan.

Ash

[aquaplane]

The deed is done.

I woke up for a slash @ 05:30 and put her aground 20 mins later.

Started scrubbing @ 08:15 and just got done when the water touched the keels again, it was a bit of a rush at the end.

We had one short light shower but it's been kind to us really. Having a bit of proper rain now.

Shouldn't have any problems with weed in my hair, I look like I used my head to apply the AF.

Waiting to refloat now.

The anode is no more! I don't have a replacement so I'm going to have to dry out again when I have got one.

Tides : 45 mins before Oban.

[claymore]

Good Effort
My rock will be ready for another coat so keep well right going through - that ought to do it.

[DaveS]

The anode is no more! I don't have a replacement so I'm going to have to dry out again when I have got one.

Would it be worth making up a hanging anode to use as a temporary measure?

I have a length of thin ss wire with a loop that goes over a sheet winch to take the weight and with the end attached to my collection of old half eaten sail drive anodes plus the 10mm rings machined off to make them fit the rope cutter. The inboard end connects with a spade terminal to a wire attached to the engine metalwork. An enhancement will be to add a bit of string to it for looping over the engine control to remind me to lift it before departing...

[aquaplane]

Oh my, there I was thinking I would replace the anode at my leisure (within the next week) and you talk about temporary measures? Some of my temporary measures have lasted years.

I wish I had known that they had a stack of anodes in the shed when the boat was dried out, anyway I have one now. I may dangle it over the side on a bit of string. Even less of the bottom of the keels would have antifoul on if I had started spannering. David wasn't there and no one knew how much to charge me so I got the anode and the berthing on tick.

cf Oban Marina where we were sat on the ferry and informed that we needed a ticket to get to town. I had to pay for the berth to get the pass for the ferry, that's different from last year.

Nancy Blacks has an anode for <£25, cheaper than Force4.

I don't know where we go wrong through Cuan, not managed to hit owt, yet.

Nice to see the Waverley come into Oban tonight. Was raining though. I hope Ian had a good day.