Beach the Four Winns 205 Sundowner

budgie69 · **Joined:** Sun Jan 01, 2012 8:07 pm **Posts:** 11

Guys

Hope somebody can help here. New to boating and would like to know if this boat can be taken right up to the beach, so we can get off the boat ?

We are not sure if we should attempt this, or just buy a tender dinghy?

thanks for your input.

Mark T · **Posted:** Mon Jan 02, 2012 9:46 am

Depends, how's that for a non answer !

Most of the people have advised me not running the boat onto the beach unless it is a very sandy beach, and even then, you will be sandpapering your hull every time. Once in awhile would be okay, but daily on a rocky shore isn't going to do your bottom any favors.

On lake Michigan, many of the beaches are sugar sand, and there are sand bars close to the beach, where you can anchor and walk out in knee deep water. Don't forget to raise the stern drive.

LouC · **Posted:** Mon Jan 02, 2012 3:30 pm

And in addition to that, in water that shallow you are apt to suck up sand and that wears the impeller. I stay out of shallow water when at all possible.

ric · **Posted:** Mon Jan 02, 2012 4:57 pm

I beach weekly to sand. No damage after 6 months. No baywatch moves here, you need to go easy.

set boat to idle, raise engine halfway up when approaching to not drag outdrive. when about to hit sand, kill engine and drift slowly with everyone in back of boat. Barely kiss the sand, and just get everyone off and pull it up by hand the rest. Very easy to do. When leaving, get everyone in back of boat, raise engine all the way, and push off and jump in. When deep enough, lower drive start engine and go. Your boat doesn't weigh much more then mine, and it's not hard to get off. If you have leg/back problems and can't put some gusto into pushing or the beach is rocky you're going to have to anchor offshore and swim/paddle in on something..

I've also anchored off and walked to shore. Sometimes you get lucky where it's like 2-3ft deep for a while and it's not an adventure to walk to shore. Know your boat and it's draft with engine up/down. I have my usual lakes memorized on where the good beaching spots are and where I need to anchor out.

Paul I. · **Posted:** Mon Jan 02, 2012 5:29 pm

LouC wrote:

And in addition to that, in water that shallow you are apt to suck up sand and that wears the impeller. I stay out of shallow water when at all possible.

It will not only cause the impeller to wear out, but it will score the housing too. So both may need to be replaced.

Also, as in my case, I boat in salt water. So if I did beach the boat, I have to think about the tide. Is it coming in, or out? Can I push it off?

I would do one of two things: Inflatable with 3 to 5 hp motor. It's another story on how I tow mine. OR Anchor into the wind the best you can and use a stern line to keep it into the shore. Know your anchor and that area!! You don't want your anchor to pull out and hit any rocks.

Since your new to boating, I would take a USCG class.

budgie69 · **Joined:** Sun Jan 01, 2012 8:07 pm **Posts:** 11

Thanks for the advice, seems to be a good forum

:-)

ric · **Posted:** Tue Jan 03, 2012 8:11 am

Well, you can get a cheap dinghy and use an onboard pump.
http://www.amazon.com/Sevylor-Colossus- ... B0032GUR0W

Goostoff · **Posted:** Mon Jan 23, 2012 1:25 am

I have always wondered about beaching the 205 Sundowner as well. I'm afraid that if I push off into the water I won't be able to get up on the boat and the wife and kids will be floating around in the river and not have a clue how to get back to me. I think an open bow would be a little easier to enter but it has always worried me so we just don't beach. I would love to take some brats and burgers to a secluded beach and just let the kids play but I am just too chicken. Might have to get together with a couple buddies that have boats this summer and have them teach me. They both have more time on the water and then there will be safety in numbers as well.

Mark T · **Posted:** Fri Jan 27, 2012 3:23 pm

Throw your anchor off the bow towards the deeper water, that way, they won't go too far and you can climb up the rear of the boat after pushing off.

Graham R · **Posted:** Fri Jan 27, 2012 5:47 pm

Unless the tide goes out ( or in) and then you have a while to wait until the boat floats again, or a long way to swim out to it ! ( we have 5- 6 metre tides here !

Graham

LouC · **Posted:** Fri Jan 27, 2012 6:50 pm

5-6 meters, (15-18 FEET) man that's a lot! We have 7 feet (OK 2.25 m right) and I thought that was a lot. That's why we all have to use roller trailers, no way we could use a bunk here.

Goostoff · **Posted:** Fri Jan 27, 2012 9:28 pm

Forgive the stupid question. What does the tide have to do with what trailer you use?

ric · **Posted:** Fri Jan 27, 2012 9:45 pm

He's talking about if he beaches a boat at high tide, at low tide it sits on the sand and you have to wait 6.5 hours til the boat floats again.

LouC · **Posted:** Sat Jan 28, 2012 3:45 am

Goostoff wrote:

Forgive the stupid question. What does the tide have to do with what trailer you use?

Depending on the ramps you have, the more the tide changes from high to low, the more difficult it is, to have enough water to float the boat on or off. So if the ramp is a shallow one, at low tide you might not be able to get the boat on or off a bunk trailer without putting your truck rear wheels in the water. With a roller trailer its much easier. Up here in the Northeast you see mostly rollers. I could never get the boat on or off at low tide at our ramp if I had a bunk trailer, I'd have to use the town ramp because its very steep and longer, with much deeper water around it.

the water depth changes by 6-7 feet every 12 hrs.
On the south shore of LI, people have to time their trips in and out of certain areas by the tide charts. South shore is very shallow in spots, on the north shore we have much deeper water mostly but you still have to watch the tides.

Goostoff · **Posted:** Sat Jan 28, 2012 9:53 am

Thanks for the answer. Being on the Mississippi River, we don't have that problem. Problem I have is where I live all the ramps that are close are made for flat bottom fishing boats. It is a 20 mile haul for me to get to a ramp with enough water to get the boat off. Having never seen salt water before I never gave the tide a thought when it comes to trailer selection.

www.iFourWinns.com

Beach the Four Winns 205 Sundowner

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