Running aground in non tidal waters sometimes presents problems, there being no rising tide to lift the yacht off. There are many different methods of dealing with this emergency, but experience has shown that the following drill generally gives the best chance of success:

a. As soon as grounding occurs bring all crew weight amidships.

b. Lower all sails and furl them neatly, ensuring that all sheets and halyards are inboard.

c. Take time to stop, think and weigh up the situation.

d. Start motor, and try to motor off in a reciprocal direction to the grounding course.

e. If this fails, stop motor and inflate dinghy.

f. Bending warps together if necessary, lay the anchor and the longest possible warp in the dinghy, row out to known deep water as far from the yacht as possible and cast anchor.

g. Recover the dinghy crew.

h. Using crew weight, fairleads or winches, haul in on the anchor from the most convenient position until the yacht floats off.

i. Stop hauling, establish exact position and decide on the course necessary to reach deep water.

j. Recover the anchor and sail away.

   If this is unsuccessful, another variation of the method is to greatly increase the angle of heel either by swinging out the boom with one or two crew members straddling it, or hauling in from the top of the mast by attaching the main halyard to the anchor warp