Sad situation on the beach at North Haven in Adelaide today. Boat was being towed, towline broke somehow she ended up on the beach at high tide. They are trying to dig a trench to float it out at high tide tonight.
It's Been there for about 3 weeks , was getting towed up the gulf from port Adelaide with a tinny. First night the tinny went adrift and ended up getting collected 20 nm by emergency services down the coast. The main vessel remained at anchor for the week of the beach while waiting for the tow tinny to be returned before the vessel just dragged anchor and ended on the beach. It should be cut up for fire wood or put on a truck for rehoming, way too many dreamers around at the momemnet trying to live the dream!
I didn't realise it was up on the beach that long, I heard on the radio that they were going to attempt to get her off the beach tonight so I went down for a squiz. I don't think the mini excavator would have enough grunt to move the boat. I am surprised the Council has not required him to remove it by now? Anyway I hope they had some luck getting it off the beach at high tide tonight.
The story in the local paper this morning notes that (surprise) the attempt to re-float the vessel was unsuccessful and the department of transport has ruled out helping him. This is turning out to be a very expensive free boat.
It looks like his only choice may be to hire a crane and truck to remove it. I am still surprised that the local Council has not required him to remove it from the beach by now, anyone know the legal requirements of this?
There's no way a crane will get to that position unless it's 4wd. The local fire boat could easily tow it of that beach.
Looks like sharpening up the chain saw would be the next option.
I said it about a similar situation in QLD recently, coulda got a bigger digger ! And dig a proper canal to float it out or for that matter, that boat, my guess 4 tonne can be handled but your average 22 tonne machine
The saga of the beached 70 year old boat continues. The local Council stepped in to helm him with digging a channel to the sea but this also failed, although they did manage to get it further down the beach.
The latest plan is to bury a drum in the sand and try to winch it out. Another idea was to use poles to roll it but they are trying the winch first.
The Council has banned volunteers from assisting them now.
I had an answer from my earlier question of responsibility, evidently the Council is responsible for the area from low to high tide, then the SA Dept of Environment takes over.
The weather is deteriorating so I hope they have success in their attempt today
It's good to know that it doesn't seem to matter where you are, when the council steps up to the plate things just get more difficult.
I wonder if anyone has tried high volume water-hoses, like fire hoses? What I'm thinking here is to inject water into the sand with a lance, or just the pressure of the jet, around the bows. The idea is to liquify the sand around the boat and half-float the boat in the liquified sand. If you get enough pressure under the hull, it will push the boat up and put a water cushion around the hull. Might not work with a fin-keel. You'll need a tractor or winch to pull it forward, but the winching effort will be a lot less than a "dry" winch. Maybe two lances either side and a tow tractor/winch, so a 3-person job with some teamwork and timing. Or, just use the hoses to dig a channel. I've never tried it. What could possibly go wrong?
The Council came to the rescue and contracted an earth moving crew to dig a channel and then tow the boat to the waterline last night and she is now afloat and anchored off the beach and the crew "restored" the beach to its original condition.
She is sitting very low in the water so I hope the bilge pumps are working. The plan, according to the radio this morning is to tow it to a berth at North Haven Marina nearby. Good luck with that.
Update today. After re floating the boat on Wednesday evening and anchored offshore for the night, a mate offered to help tow the boat to shelter yesterday but she was sitting very low in the water and his mate damaged his boat in the process. I went to have a look today and she is back on the bottom just off shore. They were installing a generator with a pump to try to refloat her at high tide tonight. He seems to be running out of options now. Sad story, its getting a lot of attention in the local media now.
At least the weather has been obliging.
Obviously they won't let it in the marina cause it's not insured, I was waiting to see it get towed in once it was refloated midweek. There's no big tides for the next few days and a vigorous SW change approaching . It needs to be pumped out and floated I don't think the tide will make much difference.
The South Australian Fire Boat came to the rescue this afternoon. After the generator bilge pump was installed and they re floated her, they towed her over to the Public Boat Ramp at the North Haven Marina. She's actually sitting quite good at the dock now.
Great result after such a long ordeal.
I did hear the fire boat and pumps going I just thought they where training outside the harbour as they do. U seem to be hot on the press 2shakey.
After all that effort in rescuing it? Incredible.
Excellent photos from the beach, good resolution.
Interesting to see who foots the bill for all of this.
Hoping that there was a bit of volunteer spirit involved.
gary
It was towed in after refloating and salvage from the beach , it was obviously still going down and the 40 to 50 knot gales wouldn't have helped while being lashed unattended to a public boat ramp pontoon. Rip boat.
I recommended using a executvator to drag it back into the sea. Seems they spent a lot of time just digging trenches. There is some u tube drone footage of there efforts.
f
sad to see the the death of such an iconic design have restored quite a few because of their slack bilges and robust scantlings very rare to see one with real issues other than neglect though they are now starting to get a bit thin on the ground
