Mud and the Tender

I was intrigued a few months ago by an article about one enterprising soul when needed to get over mudflats to his boat.

A week ago, the subject got mentioned again for a current builder who will be separated from the mooring by some significant mud flats.

I have been having some ideas about the best way to build a yacht tender ( possibly stackable ) that could also handle long traverses over mudflats.

has any one come across solutions to the problem over the years ?


http://www.boatbuilder.com.au/images/stories/mag/tender.pdf

 

How about a teensy hovercraft ?

 

I used to ski over mud flats in my old rowboat. It's easy enough as long as you have absolutely nothing digging into the mud. That means no external keel or runners, and if there is a skeg it should be clear of the mud when the boat is sitting level.

As long as the bottom is smooth and slightly rockered, and preferably not too wide so it doesn't get "glued" to the mud, it should skid along quite nicely with a hefty shove on a pole. I could ski over 100 metres of mud that was soft enough to sink up to your nuts in. By the time the mud was too dry for the boat to skid over, it was solid enough to walk on with your feet just getting a bit muddy.

 

Both great concepts.

Hovercraft would be great,

but I would imagine the SOR would be something like :
1) Small enough to manhandle onto a moored boat.
2) Small enough to store easily on say ~30 ft plus yachts
3) Easy to build
4) Good to row
5) able to carry three adults
6) Wont sink when swamped
7) A simple mechanism or design for traversing mudflats

Nice to have
a) Some sailing ability
b) Nested design for easy stowage
c) Able to use a small outboard

NED has covered quite a few of those points.

The article I quoted originally relied on hand paddles to propel him over the mud, NED used a pole. I am envisaging developing a more dedicated mechanism along the lines of cam shaped paddlewheels or similar.

 

Be like General MacArthur and have a couple of minions on hand to carry you ashore. Keeps the trousers immaculate.

 

"just give it gas & go"............... http://www.mudbuddy.com/Videos Amazing Mud.html

 

keep it simple

http://www.mudderboot.com/more-info.html

For years folks have strapped thin boards like mini skimming boards to their feet to cross mudflats. Takes practice because you have to keep the board sliding at all times and not collect weight on the board. A cross between snow shoeing and skating.

 

They also used round boards like snow shoes to spread the weight. They are described in Swallows and Amazons: The Secret Water.

 

I'm wondering how effective a "poled mini-hover craft" would be. I've used small motor shopvac hover pads to lift surprising amounts in school and university.

A rather flat bottomed boat with an inflatable skirt that drops down, just enough lift to keep you from sticking hard in the mud.

Another interesting option I have seen used by a guy in New Brunswick was a winch and a CO2 powered long line caster. Motor the small boat so its nose is on the mud flat, then fire a self deploying anchor on a cable ahead of him. Pull cable in, drag boat across the flat, repeat a few times. Just be sure to keep a spare bottle and weigh your CO2 fills properly.

 

How about an Atkins Rescue Minor?

20 knots in 6" of water.

--
CutOnce

 

I have made some splatchers for doing this. The pairs I made are shaped like seagull feet to leave funny footprints in the mud.

There are some video's of them on Youtube here.

 

Yes, Swallows and Amazons. I couldn't remember where I first heard of them, but that would have been it. I used to lock myself in my parent's station wagon for the whole day and read Arthur Ransome's books.

 

That is a pretty awesome boat!

As for splatchers, when about 12 I made some pretty crude ones, I lived in Oyster Bay Sydney, lots of mud flats, they were square, had my feet strapped to em caught the corners & went arms first into the mud, took a while to live down "Jeff & his mud walkers" at school.

 

Phils 'keep it simple' is a good ambition. I like to follow Einsteins version "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler."

The motored technique is a good one, but I am not sure how well it would cope with the odd boulder in the mud problem.

The 'splatcher' principles are good to remember, but the '3 adult' loading needs to be taken into account. 3 adults could be one rower and boat supplies of course.

I have three other aims to state as a result of these further suggestions.

8) Ability to use without the occupants getting muddy
9) Using manual power only
10) Stable on water and mud

Thanks for the extra ideas everyone.

 

Good job on the gull feet. I am going to make a pair. I will glue some half round to the bottom in the appropriate "bird bone" locations to help break the suction when lifting feet from the muck.