[C320-list] Boat Draft and Grounding (Wing Keel)

[BAdams3491 at aol.com]

Just my opinion, but I doubt the boat draft would be  affected whether in 
fresh or salt water.  Might matter with the Queen  Mary, but I don't think it 
would with our boats.
 
If you have looked at your wing keel, you can see it is quite wide,  and 
that the keel is lower than the rudder.  Canting the hull to the side  would 
only serve to bury that side of the wing in the bottom of the lake.   I have 
been aground only once in this boat, and that was not a 'hard'  grounding.  
I got off by making an immediate turn and adding  power.
 
Bert
At Ease
#442
 
 
In a message dated 8/13/2010 2:00:37 P.M. Central Daylight Time,  
amiraults at sympatico.ca writes:

All:

My sailing ground (Ottawa River above Parliament Hill,  Ottawa Canada) is
experiencing historic low water levels due to low  rainfall and last 
winter's
low snowfall. The result of this has been deep  keel boats unable to leave
harbour due to the risk of grounding at the  harbour entrance. Yesterday
afternoon on entering harbour I gently bumped  the bottom at this entrance
but did not get hung up. For the evening's  races I took the same course in
and out as that morning's departure and had  no problem; although all of the
crew was at the bow to raise the stern a  bit in hopes that if I do hit
bottom it will not be with the rudder.  

Two questions. Bear's nominal draft with wing keel is 4'10''. I was  asked 
by
the club manager (when I reported the bump with the bottom)  whether this
measurement was for salt or fresh water. Would there be that  much of a
buoyancy difference?

My take on grounding is that trying  to cant the hull to one side to float
her off is a non-starter as this  would actually deepen the draft as the 
wing
tilts down further into the  bottom. Is there any reasonable hope of this
solution working by tilting  the hull far enough over, or is a pull off by
another boat the only  solution (bearing in mind that the area has no
tugboat-like craft available  as this stretch of the river is an inland
waterway)?

I have yet to  ground Bear, but if a grounding will leave her stranded then 
I
may have to  tie her up until we get appreciable rainfall.

Regards;

Brian  Amirault
797 Waltzing Bear,  too