So striping the boat down for the year and have a question. I want to be able to do a little trailer work over the break and wondered if it was a big deal to just set the hulls down on the ground (grassy) for the winter? Nothing but hulls and beams on it.

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Dustin Finlinson • Magna, UT
Member: Utah Sailing Association
1982 Prindle 18
1986 Hobie 17
1982 Prindle 16
1980 Prindle 16(mostly)
1976 Prindle 16(mostly)
Check out "Prindle Sailors" on Facebook.
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It will not hurt your boat...

For the past five seasons my boat has rested on sand at our beach (pulled well up and away from winter storms). I have a cover for it that I had made at Murrays. (I use a balance ball on the tramp to keep water from pooling.)

This year I'm going to buy some cheap dock bumpers from west marine(current plan) to keep the hulls slightly off the sand and keep air circulating.)

If the boat is on the ground with just Hulls and beams you should be fine. I would wrap the hulls in a tarp just to keep them from oxidizing in the sun(which can be a real pain to buff out). If you have any snow load just make sure that you hulls are supported all along i.e. the hulls touch the ground on the entire length.

The problems come when the hull is supported on only a couple of points (like a couple of trailer rollers). This causes a point load on the hull bottom that can crush under load (when there is a pile of snow on it) especially in sub freezing temperatures when the fibreglass is most brittle. As long as the hull is supported equally along its length you should be fine.

D.

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Dave Bonin
1981 Nacra 5.2 "Lucile"
1986 Nacra 5.7 "Belle"
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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So Is my dock bumper idea a bad one? I was thinking 3 per hull.

What air circulation are you trying to gain? I take the trampoline off to eliminate the snow load issue. I think if you take the trampoline off the hulls on dock bumpers would be no problem. Probably not an issue either way, but you never know. I have seen boats that sit just on 4 small rollers to crush the hulls under snow load. But boats with cradles or double rollers not have a problem, so the soft dock bumpers probably will spread the load enough.

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Scott,
‘92 H18 w/SX wings
‘95 Hobie Funseeker 12 (Holder 12)
‘96/‘01/‘14 Hobie Waves
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Yeah, dock bumpers tend to squish down and distribute the load (prior to freezing solid, at least in my part of the world). What you are really worried about is knife edge type load (such as from putting the boat across a steel rod). A an old hard frozen rubber roller would likely not conform to the shape of the hull and apply pressue to a very small area on the bottom of the hull (like a couple of square inches). A bumper would likely distribute the load quite a bit more, but I would be more inclined to just leave the hulls in contact with the ground or put them on a plastic ground sheet. (sorry I'm a civil engineer and tend to get all excited about loadings).

D.

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Dave Bonin
1981 Nacra 5.2 "Lucile"
1986 Nacra 5.7 "Belle"
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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Be careful out there in in th frozen North.

Not being an engineer I like pictures to illustrate a point.


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Damon Linkous
1992 Hobie 18
Memphis, TN

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There ya go Admiral, make sure you distribute that load!! 2 old rollers won't cut it! That would be a miserable repair!

D.

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Dave Bonin
1981 Nacra 5.2 "Lucile"
1986 Nacra 5.7 "Belle"
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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Quote

What air circulation are you trying to gain? I take the trampoline off to eliminate the snow load issue. I think if you take the trampoline off the hulls on dock bumpers would be no problem. Probably not an issue either way, but you never know. I have seen boats that sit just on 4 small rollers to crush the hulls under snow load. But boats with cradles or double rollers not have a problem, so the soft dock bumpers probably will spread the load enough.

Just trying to keep moisture from accumulating under the hulls over the winter. Now I suspect I'm overthinking this. Sand breathes better than a plastic tarp. I have a Murrays cover on her already and the mast is wrapped and on a rack behind the boathouse. Removing the tramp on a Nacra is a pain in the .....!

No Tramp just bare hulls and beams. Hard to distribute across entire bottom of hulls as the Prindle hulls are very rounded from bow to stern and won't sit flat along entire hull unless I dig out the ground underneath the middle and I'm too lazy for that. I will probably put an old tire or something similar under the front of each hull where it comes up enough for it just to fit.

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Dustin Finlinson • Magna, UT
Member: Utah Sailing Association
1982 Prindle 18
1986 Hobie 17
1982 Prindle 16
1980 Prindle 16(mostly)
1976 Prindle 16(mostly)
Check out "Prindle Sailors" on Facebook.
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Damon, thanks for using my pict of the crushed hulls from my Hobie 17, located in one of the wonderful snow belt parts of NY !! The rollers came off that year and I put bunks on the trl (2x10x10' w/rugs & 2x4 guides) All of the things that was mentioned for protection of the hulls on the ground is pretty good~ (so he can do his trl work)...
but it may depend how much snow one gets where ya live!! I get alotta snow where I'am. When that happened to me, I couldn't get to my boat, and when I did there was no place to shovel the snow to... The boat was COMPLETELY covered. I could just see a little bit of the mast sticking out from the trl/mast support... So with hammer in hand and screws in my mouth I made ''A=FRAMES'' to put over my cats..
I put 2 albums in the 'tech. gallery'~~ sleepin cats & A frames.... They still get covered, but protected!!!
I have a 17 & 18 Hobies... takin the tramp of a 17 is a pain in the 'arse' kinda like a 1 pcs~~ ya have to slide one of the hulls off the bolt rope,,, the 18 is a lace up. but I want to play it safe and cover them...
So if ya get alotta snow or a little, you do what you think would work best for you where ya live,,,, good luck & keep warm

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~ Vietnam Vet 69-71~ 17 Hobie w/big jib, ~18 Hobie mag,~DN Ice sailor,
and other toys.......
~~ I live in NY state on the north shore of Oneida lake in
Bernhards Bay. ~~~~~~
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popeyez7

Damon, thanks for using my pict of the crushed hulls from my Hobie 17, located in one of the wonderful snow belt parts of NY !!

Hey, thanks for taking time to add them to the technical help album. I'm sure you have saved other beachcat owners pain and suffering with your pictures and advice.

That's what TheBeachcats.com is all about!


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Damon Linkous
1992 Hobie 18
Memphis, TN

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