Beaching with Sterndrive

[fritzdfk]

I have a small cruiser with a Volvo sterndrive. The only place to keep a boat where I live is in a tidal river so the boat sits on the sand at low tide. With the drive fully raised it still extends a little below the bottom of the hull. When the boat sits on the sand the drive's skeg and a little bit of the case is in the sand. Is this doing any damage to the drive? There is no wave action in the river so the rise and fall of the tide is very gently.

[hoytedow]

Can you build a couple of bunks for the hull to rest on at low tide which allows you to float off at high tide, protecting the sterndrive?

Maybe get some ideas here: http://www.tidetamer.com/boat-lifts-4-piling.php

[Frosty]

It depends on how much lower. Are you sure the rams are full up, check oil level.

Is it hard sand or soft.

[CDK]

If the place where you beach is well defined with poles or other markers, dig a hole under the stern drive.
Letting it rest on the lower gearcase is not a good idea. The drive is not designed to take forces in full up position; also sand may get in the water pump, ruining the impeller.

[Frosty]

Originally Posted by CDK

If the place where you beach is well defined with poles or other markers, dig a hole under the stern drive.

AS you don't normally make jokes I assume you mean this for real.

Do you honestly think the hole will be there after each tide and that the engine will settle in the hole every time?

Im shocked,-- this is the dumbest advice I ever heard.

[CDK]

This is what the OP wrote:
"There is no wave action in the river so the rise and fall of the tide is very gently."

No need to be shocked Frosty, it really might work.
When my boat still had stern drives there was a similar problem at low tide. I kept the drives down to avoid bellows sliding off, the skegs hit the bottom, lost paint and slightly damaged.
At high tide I hung two concrete blocks at the stern with tilted drives: in just one night the movement of the boat dug me a hole over the whole width of the stern, approx. 2 ft deep. Spectators thought I had lost my mind....

I was prepared to repeat the process on a regular basis, but there was no need at all. The hole stayed where it was during the boating season and even extended forward under the hull. In winter, when the boat was on land and storms were severe, it caved in and filled up with loose stones, pebbles from a nearby beach etc.

[Frosty]

As I understand it he has a swinging mooring in a river , thats not the pier mooring near the beach that you have. You will have more chance of wining the lottery that the engine hitting the hole that wont be there after a tide.

[IMP-ish]

Once the sand scrapes the paint off, the drive will start to get pitted.

[pistnbroke]

being master of stupid ideas ( now thats an opening for frosty) would it not be possible to clamp a couple of legs onto the back of the boat so that it rests on them rather than the stern drive ? A bit like stilts with a block under the bottom of the transom to take the weight ? Clearly the boat is not screwing around in the tide or it woud have damaged the leg by now....we must only be taking of something sticking out a foot below the transom at max ..maybe a u shape in angle iron .

[Frosty]

Thats not a bad Idea Piston,---- if he cant modify the leg to raise a bit higher. Normally these legs lift for this reason to clear the keel line for sitting. Either its fitted a bit low or the mechanism needs a looking at ,I suggested checking oil but he's not come back yet.

It the leg will manually lift higher but the rams are full on then some modification could be adopted.

[pistnbroke]

yes raising the upper piviot points ..adaptor plate(s) or whatever ..photo needed

[yipster]

never tried it to the limit but mercruisers have tilt adjustment on the leg, volvo probably too?
recall in florida many hang a boat suspended, having a boat in the sand isnt the best of ideas to start with
raising a drive thinking however allready started a century ago raising the shaft on sail/motor liners

http://www.patsnap.com/patents/view/US6296535.html

[CDK]

The Alpha-1 installation manual says that a certain washer can be removed to get an additional 1.5 degrees tilt, not enough to lift the drive above the bottom line.
In the owner manual they warn against keeping the drive fully up because it leads to a premature bellows failure.

[Frosty]

We seem to be more concerned about his drive than he is!!

[hoytedow]

Nah. Once he got my answer he didn't need any more.