Running aground: Your guide to getting back on the water

Sometimes it’s intended, such as running your bow up onto a beach so the children can get off and play in the shallows, and sometimes its not, especially when a particularly bad run of weather shifts sand spits around unexpectedly.

Unless you’re running fast, or you’ve hit coral or rock, chances are you can get away from a grounding with just a little paint or gelcoat missing, and a bit more wisdom about where you're going to nose the boat next time.

>> 15 tips to prevent your boat sinking

But what about those times that you can’t? Here’s the boatsales.com.au guide to getting back on the water after running aground.

A soft grounding is the best one to have. Sometimes it can be the result of a deliberate act, and other times completely unexpected.

The most common cause of a soft grounding is the action of wind, waves or tide. A likely scenario is running the bow of your boat up to a beach with the anchor set on land. You wander off and come back at some point to find that the wind has changed direction, or the tide has run out. Although it sat fine when you left, a fair proportion of your bow is either resting up on the exposed sand as the tide has run out, or the boat has turned sideways to the beach and is sitting firmly on its keel.

The first thing to do is to look at the area around the boat. A quick survey will let you know where deeper water lies, and where you’re likely to strike more trouble if you head in that direction.

Once you’ve established where you can get the boat back in navigable water, try powering up the engine with the rudder or outboard turned towards the deeper stuff – if you have dual outboards or engines, you can even try to wriggle the boat by powering up one side and then the other. If that doesn’t work, try a push on the bow. If that also falls flat, it’s time to look around the boat.

One of the easiest ways to free a laid-up bow is to add some mass at the transom – watching that any incoming waves are not likely to swamp the boat. Try moving gear and a couple of passengers aft, and if you have an outboard motor, lower it to get the boat’s centre of gravity more rearward; these moves alone could raise the bow enough to allow the hull to float free.

Another technique is called kedging. The idea is to run an anchor out as far from the boat as you can, and then use the anchor’s bite to pull the vessel backwards. This technique only works if you can get another boat to run your anchor and chain rode out for you – the combined weight of the chain and anchor will be too heavy and dangerous to throw or swim out.

You will also need to make up your mind if pulling the warp in by hand is possible.

If the hull is on the beach abeam to the water, a look over the tide table for the next high tide is likely to be your best option to get the hull refloated. If it’s a spring tide, the wait could be a long one.

>> Bureau of Meteorology tides information

Another version of a soft grounding is running out of draft on a submerged sandbar. One recovery technique is to load up one side of the boat to get the keel – the deepest part of the boat once you tilt up the outboard – heeling sideways, reducing the boat’s draft slightly. Even gently rocking the boat from side to side may be enough to get you out of +trouble. Otherwise, it’s time to pull out the tide table again.

Running softly aground in a boat equipped with an inboard engine is a bit more serious. Once refloated, you will need to check carefully for any leaks that may have developed if part of the hull’s structure, including the shaft-drive gland, rudder and prop guard, was placed under too much stress. Keep the engine running to power up radios or a bilge pump if needed, but don’t engage drive until you are sure there is no damage to the propellor.

If the inboard or outboard engine was running when the boat grounded, it’s important to also check that the cooling system has not sucked up sand or debris, affecting its performance.

Catamarans are a different animal. You may need to power up only the engine on the side that’s aground, using the other engine to stop the boat twisting as you try and free the stuck one.

If you’re using a boat to pull a partially stuck vessel off a beach or sandbar, be wary of the strength of the forces trying to keep the hull attached to the sand. You will need to break the water’s surface tension before the boat will start to move. Another trick is for a passing boat to produce a wake that may just provide the right amount of lift to free the hull.

Towing from the transom will most likely require the use of a bridle to pull the back of the boat evenly.

What’s the difference between a soft and hard grounding? Usually a hard grounding leaves you high and dry, meaning you’re going to need help to refloat, or there’s significant damage to the hull or its fittings, or the drive and steering systems.

There’s also a higher risk of injury from the more sudden stop, so don’t forget to check everyone on board is okay. Minimise movement around the boat until you’re sure you’re not using rocks or coral to punch extra holes in the bottom.

If it’s more than likely you’re quickly going nowhere, get everyone onboard to put on life jackets as a precaution. The next job is to go around the boat looking for potential holes that will need plugging before the tide rises. Take extra care with any through-hull systems that may have lost their watertight seal as they scrape over rocks or sand.

If you believe the boat is in danger of sinking once the tide starts to rise, it’s time to call in support on the marine radio via a “pan pan” message. You can also phone triple zero, or signal to other craft around you. Stay with the boat; don’t get out.

If the engine or propellor are damaged, drop the anchor to stop the boat drifting from where emergency services believe you are located.

If you’re laid up, one thing to consider is which way the boat is likely to rest as the tide falls. If the boat is likely to be swamped by oncoming waves or roll down a slope, you may need to run a kedge to the high side to ensure the hull falls the right way as the water recedes.

Hard groundings more often than not recovery operations.