I have a Hobie Fox (2003 Formula 20, very close to a Wildcat or Tiger) , Prindle 16, and Hobie 16 stored mast-up on the trailers at a marina near my house (Utah Lake) and the water level in the lake is dropping fast. The maximum depth in the shallowest part of the channel is now just under 3 feet, and that's only for a 15 foot wide strip along one side of the way out of the marina. The lake bottom is all soft mud.

I've been sailing the Fox (4 foot draft, boards down) out by tacking upwind all the way out of them marina, with the boards about half up. It is starting to become increasingly difficult to get out, and I have been experiencing frequent daggerboard stalls and running into the mud as the water level drops. Eventually, it's going to be too shallow to sail at all. What do you guys recommend to get it out of the marina when the wind is coming straight in the channel? I could hop off and wade through 1 foot of soft mud, but I would have to do that for about 500 feet to get to deep enough water to sail away. I'm considering trying to use beach wheels, as we have a set, but I don't have a good way to get through the trees from dry storage to the beach outside the marina. There is fairly regular motorboat traffic, so I could sit there and ask for a tow, but I would prefer not to unless I have to. No, I'm not getting a different boat, and I really really prefer sailing the Fox, and I don't want to have to put it up in storage and sail the Prindle and Hobie 16 just because the water level in the marina is low.

Google maps of Marina: https://www.google.com/maps/@40.2385946,-111.7400993,743m/data=!3m1!1e3

This is what the Fox looks like: http://www.northernsailworks.com/albums/Photos/gallery_18_lr.jpg

Suggestions? Comments? Help me please! Thanks!

--
Small sailboat designer, builder, and Cat Sailor. 8' Keelboat, Hobie Fox,Prindle 16.
Rear Commodore, Utah Lake Yacht Club - Mostly sail Hobie Fox (Formula-20)
--

How about a small motor.

--
Greenville SC

Offering sails and other go fast parts for A-class catamarans
--

paddle out. paddles get the job done quickly and are easily stowed. They are required equipment where I sail anyway (a second form of propulsion). Even dead into the wind it ain't that difficult or strenuous. (For the record my boat is a Supercat 20, 480 lbs and we can paddle her into a stiff breeze.)

--
'life is too short to drink cheap beer'
--

I would pole out with a push-pole like flats boats do... No need for boards or rudders in most wind, depending on where you stand on the boat. If you have a righting pole, you might be able to make a nice foot for one end..

https://www.google.com/se…ole&source=lnms&tbm=isch

I've used paddles on the cats, when the wind is dead. I've not been very impressed with their lack of movement. I've been using $10 screw-together plastic walmart paddles though, I could break out the true canoe paddles and see how they work. I like the idea about poling the cat along. I've never done that before and I wonder how hard it would be to keep the fox going straight with the boards completely up. It goes sideways almost as easily as it goes forward. I'll have to whip together a righting pole with some sort of a mud tip on the end and try it out. Thanks for the ideas!

--
Small sailboat designer, builder, and Cat Sailor. 8' Keelboat, Hobie Fox,Prindle 16.
Rear Commodore, Utah Lake Yacht Club - Mostly sail Hobie Fox (Formula-20)
--

I feel your pain. The lake we sail at went through a severe drought for about three years. We had to use cat trax over 200 yards of (dry) mud to find the waters edge for a year. One good thing about those years is we had the lake all to ourselves as there wasn't a boat ramp on the lake that was in operation. Fortunately this year the lake is full (and actually a little above full), and the wind has been great.

--
Shawn

Current: H18 (Bosun's Toy), Buccaner 272 (No Priorities)

Past: Prindle 18 (EssVee)

Previous life: 110' Island Class Patrol Boat
47' Motor Life Boat
44' Motor Life Boat
41' Utility Boat
30' Surf Rescue Boat
Various other smaller rescue boats
--

use the 'real' paddles it will make a real difference. SUP paddles work as well.

--
'life is too short to drink cheap beer'
--