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Old 08-26-2010, 12:32 PM   #6
numbskull
Oblivious // Grunt, Grunt Master
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Join Date: Nov 2005
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With outboards, you want the boat facing the open water (it rides better if the wind/waves come up) and you want the stern facing the shore to make it easier to get in and out (as well as avoid being swamped).

Set your best anchor from your stern as you go in and stop the boat and tie off as you reach minimum water depth.

Put your bow almost ashore and throw a second anchor onto the beach (or send someone over the bow with it to set it). Don't tie it off.

Now move your stern anchor to the bow and, as you do so, pull the boat out a little until your stern is just afloat. Use the beach anchor to hold you perpendicular to the beach. Unload your boat.

Pull the boat out by the bow anchor (the one you set from the stern while coming in) until you have adequate depth to account for tide change while you are ashore. (If you are landing at low tide you need very little....just enough to keep your keel from bouncing if waves or wakes develop.....at high tide you will need more). Doing this will keep you from grounding if the wind or current changes.

While still in the boat, feed out line to your beach anchor to allow the boat lay in the wind/current the way you want. Cleat it off then pull yourself back perpendicular to the shore and get out.

When you want to get back aboard, pull the boat in from the beach and wade/swim back to it. The last guy to get back aboard obviously has to bring the beach anchor. You can make this easier by slacking your outside anchor and pulling the boat closer in, then re-cleating it.

The most important issues (particularly if you plan to leave your boat with an onshore wind) are to make sure that outside anchor is set well (you can get fooled in rock/grass) and to allow for wind shifts and tide drop.

Be sure you know what the tide is doing (including its extent) before you try this, and never count on the wind to do what is forecast if you plan to leave the boat unattended.
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