Will it float in water? If it will and it isn't too far above the water
level of the nearby creek (15 yards? you said) dig around the boat and
fill the cavity with enough water to float it. A portable genset and a
sump pump you can probably rent for $30 or so a day can be used to pump
water from the creek to the hole. Once the boat is floating in the hole
cut a channel just deep and wide enough to float it to the creek.
Depending on the elevation difference it shouldn't be too difficult. A
hard working teenager might come in handy.
Good luck.

"TwoGuns" wrote in message
oups.com...
Will it float in water? If it will and it isn't too far above the water
level of the nearby creek (15 yards? you said) dig around the boat and
fill the cavity with enough water to float it. A portable genset and a
sump pump you can probably rent for $30 or so a day can be used to pump
water from the creek to the hole. Once the boat is floating in the hole
cut a channel just deep and wide enough to float it to the creek.
Depending on the elevation difference it shouldn't be too difficult. A
hard working teenager might come in handy.
Good luck.


The toughest part would be finding a hard working teenager

Perhaps this would work:

Go to your local Home Depot/Lowes/Menards and buy several rolls of black
plastic sheeting. Whatever it takes to cover 15 yards times the width of the
'footprint' of the boat on it's side.

Lay this plastic between the boat and the creek. Spray the boat and the
plastic sheeting with a lot of (biodegradable) soap and water mixture, then
pull the boat on it's side on the plastic to the water.

Dave

"rcoleman" wrote in message
m...
Thanks for all of the ideas. To give you a few more details, Gene, you
will know the place, the boat is beached on Masonboro island. Ocean on one
side, creeks and marsh on the other. Reachable only by boat. It is public
land, and the boat is on the creek side. As I said before, about 15 yards
from a navigable creek. It wasn't put there on purpose; likely it broke
from its mooring and drifted there on its own. It is a bit of a mystery
because we didn't have any storm surges that you would expect capable of
putting it there, but there it is. It would appear fairly recently
stranded from the condition, and someone has stripped her of mast, tackle
and rigging. At this point, from my limited understanding of salvage law,
I'd say she's fair game. She'll float I believe, hull looks intact, but
putting her right would be quite an undertaking. My desire is to refloat
her, take her up river to another island on the Cape Fear, pull her up on
that island, and use it like a ersatz camper. Crazy, stupid, insane? sure,
just like I like things. And it will make a great story. So what the hell.

But it is an intellectual challenge nonetheless. All the equipment to do
the job must be readily available, at little cost, and must fit on a 18ft
boat to make it up the creek. So no cranes, helicopters, or elephants. And
it must be a simple plan, because yes, there will be much drinking
involved. And I am not overly concerned with the mechanics of putting her
on the new island, if I get that far, I can work that out.

For this phase however, I'm leaning toward an anchor array, a block and
tackle set-up, a come along, a really high tide, and a case of Rum. Should
be a hoot.

Thanks



"rcoleman" wrote in message
. ..
Out goofing around yesterday, and found a 23' sailboat high and dry,
maybe 15yds from a navigable creek. I'm guessing it could be dragged over
the marsh and into the water, but even with a really high lunar tide,
it's going to take some force. There isn't anything across from it to
secure a winch, and the creek isn't deep enough to get a big boat in to
drag it off.

Any idea how I can do this?

Ironically I want to float it to another location and beach it there.

On Wed, 1 Jun 2005 20:11:36 -0500, "David Pendleton"
wrote:

Perhaps this would work:

Go to your local Home Depot/Lowes/Menards and buy several rolls of black
plastic sheeting. Whatever it takes to cover 15 yards times the width of the
'footprint' of the boat on it's side.

Lay this plastic between the boat and the creek. Spray the boat and the
plastic sheeting with a lot of (biodegradable) soap and water mixture, then
pull the boat on it's side on the plastic to the water.

You forgot the part about the beer.

Later,

Tom