Drying mooring suitability

[Biggles111]

I currently have a 17ft Shetland day boat that I keep on a drying mooring on our local estuary through the summer months. I am thinking of moving to something bigger, but don't yet want to have too much capital tied up in the boat until I know how much the family will use it - if we get enough use then funds permitting I would trade up again in 2 or 3 years.

I am quite keen on a 24ft Fairline Carrera, something like this
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&am...
(not necessarily buying this specific one). Would something like this sit ok on a drying swing mooring? I am asking as the last photo shows that the stern seems to have quite a sharp vee, but there are two fins that look like they might help steady her.

Any thoughts?

[MOTORVATOR]

You need to be a bit more specific about the drying mooring to be honest. Is it soft mud or hard shingles / silts. Is it exposed and likely to bounce around as it takes the hard?

The 2 fins you are taliking about I am guessing are the outdrives or do you mean the Trim Tabs? Either way neither of these is designed to support the weight of the boat and would have to be left in a raised position. In fact the outdrives will automatically release upwards if they have weight applied applied to them and the tabs will just blow a hydraulic hose if asked to support the boat.

The hull form is around 20/22 degree deadrise so that's the angle it will heel over to when not afloat. At that angle expect things like a full fuel tank to start overflowing out of the vents and the same with water tanks etc not that they are as important. Also expect to get on the boat and open a cupboard only to receive a face full of plates or whatever from the way she's been laying.

Obviously in soft mud this effect is reduced and there are people who get away with it but it's not a good solution.

[Biggles111]

MOTORVATOR said:

You need to be a bit more specific about the drying mooring to be honest. Is it soft mud or hard shingles / silts. Is it exposed and likely to bounce around as it takes the hard?

Thanks for the reply. The mooring is soft mud, and reasonably sheltered so should not normally be too bad. I attach a side view with the area I am talking about highlighted in yellow - is the vertical fin coming down something that would help stop it heeling too far? Obviously it would tend to sink in the mud, but may be of some help. The trim tabs on the stern I am hoping would be above the mud.



Someone else has an oldish Sealine of a similar length successfully moored nearby, so it sounds like it may work, was not sure on this specific boat though.

[MOTORVATOR]

Ah I see what you are looking at now. I don't think that's part of the boat, probably a sheet of ply or some such.

Soft mud, well you should get away with it as the keel will tend to sink in first then the hull takes up the weight each side. Wouldn't be my choice but against a floating berth I can see the cost saving if your not looking at huge boat investment in the first place.

Sealine, Fairline tend to pretty similar hull forms to be honest. Sunseeker much deeper vee.

It is possible to have removable legs fitted to the transom to keep it upright. Used to be quite a popular solution but no seen as much nowadays as they are pain in the *rse to rig and store.

[Biggles111]

Thanks for the helpful pointers; appreciated.