Bilge keels on Tudor Rose are not full depth so that on her half tide Beaumaris mooring the boat cants over 15° when the tide goes out, writes Charles Beddingfield.

This is not a disaster but irritating if staying aboard at moorings. I didn’t want to fit legs so we had to find something else.

The solution came to me one day when I saw Roger Wilkinson’s Cornish Shrimper beached at Gallows Point – mud feet – and I quickly knocked up a pair of boat feet out of scraps.

The boat feet had to be hooked onto the bilge keels by pushing them underwater with a boat hook, feeling for position.

With a much bigger footprint than legs, they worked well, but like legs, they had to be removed and refitted before and after every cruise which became tiresome.

The Tudor Rose. Credit: Charles Beddingfield

They also cluttered the deck while under way and were prone to being dragged adrift in my absence no matter how tightly I swigged up the guy ropes.

I concluded that although fine for occasional use on a boat normally kept in deep water, this type of foot was less suited for frequent use.

I contemplated making new, deeper bilge keels, but that would be no mean task, so I opted for a ‘temporary’ compromise that could be made quickly from materials I had mostly to hand.

The original mud feet for Tudor Rose, made from wood scraps. Credit: Charles Beddingfield

The more streamlined Mk2 foot is bolted semi-permanently in place, saving the bother of fitting and removing for every cruise and eliminating the dislodging issue; they are still easily removable.

They are not perhaps the prettiest objects, and I expect they knock a quarter of a knot off Tudor Rose’s top speed, but by golly, they do the job.

Besides, I hardly ever go at top speed anyway. My object in boating is to enjoy being out there playing boats.

I go by land if I want to get somewhere in a hurry.

The sketch (below) and photos show the gist of things.

Charles Beddingfield’s sketch of his mud feet

The oval-shaped boat feet flare out at the bottom so they have enough footprint to be effective yet readily shed mud picked up from the bottom.

They are likely to take some knocks, so there is no point in using expensive top-grade wood – anything hard will do.

The sole should be rounded or veed so that on hard ground, the foot is not strained by bearing on one edge.

The foot and extension parts are fastened together with two 8mm stainless steel studs.

The elliptical plywood cheeks have a bevelled edge to improve water flow.

The parts for the streamlined Mk2 boat feet. Credit: Charles Beddingfield

They are screwed to the extensions with seven hefty stainless steel woodscrews, and the whole assembly is bolted to the bilge keel by four 12mm stainless steel through bolts placed so as not to interfere with existing keel bolts.

No modification was required to the existing bilge keels.

In case of some dreadful clash with rocks, I think this construction might allow the mud feet to be safely ripped off without threatening the actual bilge keels.

The Tudor Rose is antifouled in Coppercoat, so I have also applied it to the mud feet.

Large stainless steel washers with plastic isolators under bolt heads and nuts prevent contact between the two metals.

The Coppercoated boat feet ready for installation on Tudor Rose. Credit: Charles Beddingfield

With hindsight, the foot parts might be better faired for water flow, but in profile the extensions as a whole are shaped with sloping ends so that they will not snag a rope in the water even if it passes right under the boat – an important factor given all the reports of fouled propellers due to entanglement with lobster pots.

The boat feet are made only slightly shallower than the central keel so that on mud, Tudor Rose generally sits bolt upright; on a hard surface such as a beach she lies at a very slight angle with one foot a couple of inches clear of the sand so that the feet only bear the balancing weight.

Should I move to a deep water port the feet can be easily removed and the bolt holes plugged.

My ‘temporary’ mud feet have so far survived several seasons.

They have the disadvantage that, like twin keels, they prevent deliberately biasing the boat to lean uphill on a slope, or inward against a quay, but all things considered, they are far more convenient than legs.

Despite their crude appearance, I’m well satisfied with the result.

Material sources

• All timber used was offcuts from previous projects
• Plywood from Robbins Timber in Bristol, which delivers nationwide, even small orders, and their service is excellent.
• Stainless steel screws, bolts and washers from Anglia Stainless.
• West or SP epoxy from my local chandlery
• Coppercoat from Aquarius Marine Coatings.
• Plastic isolators were cut from the side of an old plastic oil can

Thames tidal lesson – getting stuck in the mud motorboating in central London

Faith Merrett gets stuck in the mud while cruising from Teddington to St Katharine Docks Marina in Central London aboard…

Tips for drying out in a motorboat

Gilbert Park shares his tips for allowing motorboats to dry out safely

How I built my own 18ft motorboat

Having already built a dinghy and a dayboat, Ben Russell decided to design and construct an 18ft Selway Fisher Clyde…

Motorboat handling: techniques for rough weather

Gilbert Park undertakes some training for riding out heavy seas and wind in his Mitchell 28 – but first has…

Want to read more practical articles?

A subscription to Practical Boat Owner magazine costs around 40% less than the cover price.

Print and digital editions are available through Magazines Direct – where you can also find the latest deals.

PBO is packed with information to help you get the most from boat ownership – whether sail or power.

• • • • Take your DIY skills to the next level with trusted advice on boat maintenance and repairs
      • Impartial in-depth gear reviews
      • Practical cruising tips for making the most of your time afloat

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter