How do you beach?

[adolleschal]

Hi Guys,

i got my 2019 AR240 four weeks ago and i really love it so far. We have the boat on a dry storage in our marina (which is 5 minutes away from my house), which makes the whole boating experience so much better .

Since my experience with the new boat is quite limited (my wife and me use every minute of spare time to use it), and i am one of the more careful guys i have a question regarding beaching in the hope someone with more experience has a few tips for me.

The question is simple: how do you handle beaching the boat? what do i have to consider?

 

[Julian]

First of all you have to know the spot where you plan to beach! Never pull into a spot you haven't checked out first....unless you have someone you really trust on the beach vouching for it. I say this from experience. There was a whole line of boats pulled up on a beach and I decided it looked fine for me to pull in on the end of the line. Turned out there was rocks at the spot I pulled into! D'OH!

Next, be sure you know what the tide is doing! You don't want to be that guy stuck on the beach waiting for the next high tide!

Lastly, be sure you know what the traffic and waves will be doing. You don't want to be beached and have huge waves rolling in on you.

Most/many people use a shore spike to hold the boat in place. I like to back in and float, but with the keel, be very careful your boat isn't in a wavy spot and might bottom out if backed in. This also is a mistake I made....cracked the rudder at the bottom in Bimini doing this.

 

[2kwik4u]

We back in. No bow ladder on the 190's, and we prefer entry/exit from the stern anyway.

We come in nose in and drop anchor about 30-40ft out. Then rotate the boat and back towards shore. Once you're "close" to where you want to be, tie off the anchor. Hop out of the back with an additional line of rope and tie off to shore. Then adjust lengths as needed. I usually put the keel about 6-10in off the bottom so most people can just slide off the swim platform and into waist deep water.

Will only do this in protected coves without wakes on inland lakes.

 

[swatski]

How do you beach?
We don't.
But if I had to, the key is to push the boat back into deep(er) water BEFORE starting the engines.
Keep in mind, w/ engines on drive shafts/impellers ALWAYS turn as there is not true neutral. The intakes will suck stuff like gravel like huge vacuum cleaners ruining the impellers.

--

 

[Julian]

Oh yeah...and if you beach....a Keel Guard or Keel Shield type product is a good idea!

 

[adolleschal]

Thanks for your input, i really appreciate it! I am very cautious because i don't want to ruin my boat by a dumb mistake. I have seen people beach their boat by driving with speed and "ram" the keel into the beach, that didn't seem right to me.

I thought already about buying a Keel Guard, but right now i tend more to do it the way like 2kwik4u describes it.

 

[2kwik4u]

Here is good shot of what we do.......

nevermind the goofball sitting on the back there. Also, this was our first boat, I had to trim all the way up to get the drive off the bottom. Yamaha doesn't require that, and I can still get closer to shore. You can see the anchor strung out the front, and the line running off the rear cleat to shore. Usually keeps us pretty much in the right spot, and allows easy on/off access to the boat as needed.

 

[Billtex2000]

We don't either. Stern-in as well. I'll anchor at a good distance from shore, then swim a line in to the bank and tie off the stern a reasonable distance from the beach/shore. Can always adjust the anchor line after tying off

 

[Julian]

This is how not to do it:

But if the sand is soft enough, you know there are no rocks and you have a keel guard - many do drive up onto the sand to wedge the boat in.

 

[DavisAR195]

I follow the same process as @2kwik4u that way my 4 year old can rinse off before getting in the boat.

 

[jcyamaharider]

We beach on the sand bar on the Mississippi. If not you will find your boat leaving you behind. We have a keel guard and only go into sand beaches that we know. Put an anchor out the front and another rope on the rear cleat up to the shore spike or anchor. Holds real well. We push the boat out into deep er water before we fire the motors up.

 

[Mainah]

Like many have already stated I don’t beach. I back in anchored off at the bow then use a shore spike for the stern. I also raft up with or near other boaters frequently and have found the need for a rear anchor as well. Box anchors work best for me where I boat so I am going to buy a baby box anchor for the stern to pair with my small box anchor for the bow. I am going to try sustituting the shore spike with the baby box anchor when backing into a beach.

 

[dzeppos]

Keel Guard is a must if you beach your boat. My wife loved beaching our old boats, when we bought our new 16 242LS - she would beach anywhere - even if small rocks. It put too many scratches and even knicks - with the Keel Guard - its no issue (but be smart). I do like the backing in approach because people can wash off and enter into the back so much easier. Just be sure to leave a foot of draft to protect the keel and rudder (with the newer +15 year model boats).

 

[PJ73]

Keel Guard would be advisable. Also, @swatski and @jcyamaharider are right... as usual (damn that hurts to say, lol), if you're gonna hang out on the beach, even if you're not moving, the water and sand is moving beneath your boat from everyone walking, boating... etc, meaning, sand is flowing up into your tunnels where your impellers are, if you don't at least try to flush some of that out by pushing the boat to "cleaner" water, you're essentially going to sandblast your impellers, liners and everything in its path once you start the engines.

 

[swatski]

Keel Guard would be advisable. Also, @swatski and @jcyamaharider are right... as usual (damn that hurts to say, lol), if you're gonna hang out on the beach, even if you're not moving, the water and sand is moving beneath your boat from everyone walking, boating... etc, meaning, sand is flowing up into your tunnels where your impellers are, if you don't at least try to flush some of that out by pushing the boat to "cleaner" water, you're essentially going to sandblast your impellers, liners and everything in its path once you start the engines.

Sand is one thing, gravel is another - bad!
I have ruined a couple of impellers that way - drifted too close to the shore, started the engines (without thinking) only to hear that (~$300) noise of gravel being sucked into the pumps! Ouch.

--

 

[PJ73]

Sand is one thing, gravel is another - bad!
I have ruined a couple of impellers that way - drifted too close to the shore, started the engines (without thinking) only to hear that (~$300) noise of gravel being sucked into the pumps! Ouch.

--

My stomach would have just dropped the minute I heard that shit just rattling around in there.

 

[seanmclean]

As others have said, I don't. Drop anchor a little ways offshore, then back up to beach into about 3' of water. Hop off the back and use a sandspike to secure. As we're in tidal waters, this also allows us to move the boat deeper/shallower as needed.

 

[seanmclean]

Our usual setup:

 

[zipper]

Just like many others, we do not beach. The closest we go in is when the stern ladder down just hits bottom, we fold it up and dont need it anyway being that shallow. And that is only when we have the dogs with us. Usually we stay out further, better swimming and paddleboarding, like in the pic. below. And of course it depends on the dropoff at the beach.

 

[Joatmon]

Best landing method to prevent boat from floating away.