Drying out a wing keel Starlight 35

[West Coast]

Has anyone had experience of drying out a wing keel version Starlight 35 (or perhaps a 39) against a pier - any comments or advice? Seems this might need to be approached slightly differently compared to a fin so the wings are not damaged.

OK - anticipating some replies to this query, I have carefully studied the photos of the starlight stranded on the rocks off North West France earlier this summer!!!!

[Marmalade]

Our previous boat was a winged keel - not a starlight though. We dried out on scrubbing posts every year - the trick was to ensure that we had a flat area to sit on - ie not a slope. Then, unlike a fin where you have to lean the boat slightly into the wall as the tide drops, we had to let her settle upright adjusting lines as she dropped. Our Catalina sat comfortably on her winged keel although I was always worried she'd tip forward or back so we would put lines on her to prevent that.

[wotayottie]

Cant comment directly - I bought one with the deep fin keel. But a couple of the wing keel boats that were on sale when I was looking had legs for drying out upright.

I was concerned about the risk of drying a wing keel boat on the steep sloping bottoms round here but if you have a known flat bottom then I wouldnt worry too much. My past experience with bilgies and a cat would always recommend checking out the bottom before drying out thoug I must admit to a fair number of accidental dry outs in the cat

[rudolph_hart]

I've put my wing-keeled Dehler 35 alongside the scrubbing posts a couple of times.

The posts are on a gentle slope, which means that when the boat takes the ground, she leans into - or away from - the posts, depending on which side I lay her, so you should allow for that.

Even if she leans out (which looks odd, if not slightly alarming), I lash the base of the mast to one of the posts, just in case.

I'm not sure I'd dry out alongside a wall without having a look at the wall base first, in case it protrudes or the bottom slopes away too steeply.

I hope this helps.

[robp]

Originally Posted by West Coast

Has anyone had experience of drying out a wing keel version Starlight 35 (or perhaps a 39) against a pier - any comments or advice? Seems this might need to be approached slightly differently compared to a fin so the wings are not damaged.

OK - anticipating some replies to this query, I have carefully studied the photos of the starlight stranded on the rocks off North West France earlier this summer!!!!

I've got a wing keel Bene and have never fancied trying it I must admit. A stray brick or rock could spoil your day I guess. What about a scrubbing grid though?

[West Coast]

Thanks for all the advice - just need to give it a go. My club has a drying grid which I will check out but the thought was if I ever needed to do this somewhere unfamiliar. Dried out my last boat (fin keel 26') a number of times with no problems. I have been told that the starlight will happily sit on her wing keel without any support but do not plan to test this theory!

[DJE]

Originally Posted by West Coast

I have been told that the starlight will happily sit on her wing keel without any support but do not plan to test this theory!

I've heard that as well!