02/24/2012 02:41:19 PM
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GoVols
Member
Posts: 87
Joined: 08/08/2011
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I bought my boat in the Fall last year and was able to go out 3 times overnight on the lake. When we did, I threw out the anchor at a good spot and had no drama or surprises in the morning when we awoke - boat sayed put overnight.
What's the common practice for overnighting on the lake; beaching it or anchoring it? Is it simply preference?
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16x66 Sailabration on Percy Priest Lake near Nashville.
Edited: 02/24/2012 at 02:42:01 PM by GoVols
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02/24/2012 02:53:15 PM
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CaptMark
Member
Posts: 174
Joined: 07/23/2007
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I have beached, but I don't like how waves rolling in can cause your bow to grind against the shore.
What I do now is anchor off the stern and then tie off each corner of the bow to the shore. I then pull in the anchor line so my bow is several inches from beaching. I can put down my gangplank and walk onto shore. The bow never touches rocks sand or shore.
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Mark
1979 Crest
Brookville Lake, IN
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02/25/2012 04:37:43 AM
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EastTNBoater
Admiral
Posts: 226
Joined: 11/27/2002
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Beach it. IMO, you were very lucky that you encountered "no drama". Any amount of wind is going to break you loose.
I beach mine and put a minimum of two lines per side to the shore. Your boat is at least six layers thick at the front keel. Beach on something other than rock and you will be OK.
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02/25/2012 07:18:25 AM
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42gibson
Member
Posts: 144
Joined: 11/19/2010
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i have had several pontoon houseboats (playcraft,crest) i always beached them,no worries. the front of the pontoons are doubled for that reason. but dont put it into rocks !!!! just tie it off on the sides good. have fun
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1991 gibson 44 executive
454's
norwich,ohio
docked on the good ole ohio river in marietta
Edited: 03/01/2012 at 09:36:35 AM by 42gibson
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02/25/2012 08:35:38 PM
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harvrbt
Member
Posts: 179
Joined: 08/07/2009
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I don't like beaching, we almost always anchor. I will usually throw two anchors, one from the bow and one from the stern. I am on a lake not a river so no current to deal with. We have a steel pontoon boat with beach bars on the front to help protect the pontoons. I just prefer to be sitting out in the water instead of on the shore. We have had one incident where we went to bed one night and woke up the next morning in the middle of the lake! No bid deal but it could have been. We were pretty green and didn't have our rope secured to the cleat on the boat properly.
Fred
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Yesterday was the best day of my life..... I bought a Houseboat!! Check out our blog of our houseboat refurbish!! http://fredsfriendlyblogspot.blogspot.com/
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02/29/2012 08:47:51 PM
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klandersnitrox
Admiral
Posts: 291
Joined: 07/01/2003
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I am sure it really gets down to where you live.
No question for a houseboat with a good aluminum hull - you beach it.
For safety
- 2 lines from the stern
- 2 lines from the bow
If you choose to beach and choose to ignore the bow you can swing. But that is the key.
Of course this does not make sense for people who live on lakes who do not have beaches.
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Nitrox 2005 16x68 Summerset Houseboat
Lake Lanier, Ga
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03/01/2012 09:54:33 AM
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EastTNBoater
Admiral
Posts: 226
Joined: 11/27/2002
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Yep - you have to stake down the bow as well.
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03/01/2012 02:39:50 PM
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GoVols
Member
Posts: 87
Joined: 08/08/2011
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How long are your beaching ropes for the bow and the stern cleats? I need to go buy these before boating season starts. Also, what gauge rope should I buy? My boat is 66', but it's a pontoon, so it's significantly less weight to hold still. Lastly, any suggestion on where to buy the rope?
Thanks for the advice folks!
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16x66 Sailabration on Percy Priest Lake near Nashville.
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03/01/2012 03:02:07 PM
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EastTNBoater
Admiral
Posts: 226
Joined: 11/27/2002
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I have a total of 1200 feet of rope. Except for one rope that had to be cut loose, they are in 150 foot lengths. I use 5/8 three strand twisted nylon rope. I bought some from West Marine. I bought the last 600 feet from Sams Club.
I had some 3/4 that I left with my old boat - it was just too heavy to deal with.
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03/01/2012 05:38:27 PM
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klandersnitrox
Admiral
Posts: 291
Joined: 07/01/2003
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Agree that weight and length determine need
I believe the proper rope should be
Bow Lines - 2 50 Feet
Stern Lines - 2 200 Feet
Mid Lines (To use in case you get yourself in a bad storm) - 2 - 200 feet
2 stronk stakes for the front bow
I use 7/8 but it is overkill - I agree with EastTNBoater and would go with 5/8
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Nitrox 2005 16x68 Summerset Houseboat
Lake Lanier, Ga
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03/02/2012 02:07:19 PM
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BigBadBlue
Member
Posts: 36
Joined: 05/20/2006
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I have 250' off the Stern, 100' off the bow and 2 150' for giggles. All 3/4".
I broke a 5/8 2 years ago in a storm in middle TN so I went with 3/4". It is heavy but worth it.
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04/24/2012 12:46:10 PM
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tbbaker01
Member
Posts: 44
Joined: 05/26/2006
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We have never beached, but we have stayed on the lake countless nights(sometimes for two or three nights in a row). The keys to not breaking free are properly setting the anchor (I prefer a danforth) versus just throwing it overboard and only using one anchor off of the bow of the boat. Some use an anchor of the bow and one off of the stern. When doing this your boat cannot pivot with the wind. Instead it turns into a kite against the wind and will eventually break free.
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1990 36' Gibson
Lake Monroe
Bloomington, IN
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04/24/2012 04:44:13 PM
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ShoreBound
Member
Posts: 79
Joined: 02/15/2011
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If you beach your boat, the wider you can stake, anchor or tie your ropes, the better. A good angle is 45 degrees off the side of the boat, which means you need a MINIMUM of 1.5 times the length of your boat, plus a little extra for knots, etc. Longer is always better. I beach my boat, and on windy days and nights, I will put 3 ropes out on the windy side. Sometimes, I wish I had more, just for comfort. I make up for those lack of extra ropes by sitting at the helm with the engine in gear, pushing against the wind when that extra gusts comes up. I have done it for 3 or 4 hours in the middle of the night. Not a lot of fun, but I have never come untied, even in 60 mph side winds. Don't forget to tie the front corners, also.
Edited: 04/24/2012 at 04:45:10 PM by ShoreBound
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04/26/2012 05:30:57 PM
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GoVols
Member
Posts: 87
Joined: 08/08/2011
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are you propping your outboards up when you're done and beached?
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16x66 Sailabration on Percy Priest Lake near Nashville.
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04/26/2012 06:40:59 PM
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EastTNBoater
Admiral
Posts: 226
Joined: 11/27/2002
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At my lake, the back of my boat is in well over 30 ft of water when I am beached.
And I have never seen an anchor that I would trust to hold my boat when a TN thunderstorm rolls in.
Edited: 04/26/2012 at 06:42:59 PM by EastTNBoater
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04/26/2012 07:32:33 PM
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potis
Member
Posts: 83
Joined: 08/07/2007
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Shorebound hit the nail on the head. We almost always beach (we're on a sandy shored lake) and when I have been beached and high winds come up I take my ski boat (dinghy) and set an anchor out in the water about
100' up wind parallel to the shoreline and belay to the stern cleat to help keep the stern from swinging and thus the entire boat from breaking away. This is a huge savior the couple of times I had to do it.
Edited: 04/26/2012 at 07:34:57 PM by potis
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04/27/2012 11:24:35 AM
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ShoreBound
Member
Posts: 79
Joined: 02/15/2011
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If I had outboards, I might tilt them up, just to prevent damage to them if I were to break loose. I have an inboard/outdrive. Like my friends at the marina, I try to never tilt them up. We have a problem with the exhaust bellows getting brittle, and they start leaking when you exercise them. Has anyone else heard of this? Are we out of our minds? Seems to me that the more you exercise the rubber parts, the less likely they would be to crack. Lack of use usually causes about the same problems as overuse.
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04/27/2012 05:01:55 PM
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EastTNBoater
Admiral
Posts: 226
Joined: 11/27/2002
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I trim my Bravo IIs up and down to exercise the trim motors and rams. I never thought about the effect on the bellows, but my bellows are only 1.5 yrs old.
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04/27/2012 05:31:43 PM
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ShoreBound
Member
Posts: 79
Joined: 02/15/2011
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I am sure it would be better if I moved them up and down on a regular basis, but like my friends, I don't remember to, then the rubber parts get coated with Quagga mussels, and we don't want to move them any more! When I had the boat out of the water a year ago, I had the outdrive cleaned, sanded, primed and coated with anti-foulling paint. Sure made a difference on what will grow there. I sprayed around all my through-the-hull fittings on the aluminum hull with the same stuff. Last fall, nothing was growing on those areas.
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