Shallow Water/Draft Depth

cdub88

This is our 3rd summer with our '96 232 and most of our boating is on a very shallow lake (average depth is only 6 ft). Like everyone else, we like to beach it.

I'd love to move to a Fiesta Vee 270 or even a 310 but worried that we won't be able to enjoy our same boating location. Does anyone know if the draft dept is much deeper for those larger boats? (I honestly don't even know what the draft depth is on our boat - Rinker wasn't able to provide me with any specific details)

Thanks in advance!

Stodge

I used to beach my 280.  Just keep the drives out of the sand and you should be fine.  

Dream_Inn

Well, my 400 only drafts 3 feet...even less with the drives up.

cdub88

Dream_Inn said:

Well, my 400 only drafts 3 feet...even less with the drives up.

Oh wow, that's encouraging. Thank you both for the info, much appreciated!

Willhound

I regularly back my 270 into a beach into about 3 feet of water. Drive trimmed up a bit so it doesn't hit if there's a wake or wave come in.

04FV270riverrat

Willhound said:

I regularly back my 270 into a beach into about 3 feet of water. Drive trimmed up a bit so it doesn't hit if there's a wake or wave come in.

Will, do you drop the anchor and then back in, then tie off the stern to the shore? That's always what I thought would be the best way.

GMSLITHO

the draft on the 270 is 3 feet I would think to power up on plane add another foot so when the average depth is 6 feet Id think about another body of water to boat on 

Willhound

04FV270riverrat said:9

Willhound said:

I regularly back my 270 into a beach into about 3 feet of water. Drive trimmed up a bit so it doesn't hit if there's a wake or wave come in.

Will, do you drop the anchor and then back in, then tie off the stern to the shore? That's always what I thought would be the best way.

Yes. Exactly. Except on the beach I use a second anchor to keep the bow pointed out.

Michael T

Make sure you measure the draft with your boat loaded. Manufacturers' specifications are notoriously unreliable. I can't remember what my EC310 was fully loaded but I believe my EC360 was 46+"

Dream_Inn

Michael T said:

Make sure you measure the draft with your boat loaded. Manufacturers' specifications are notoriously unreliable. I can't remember what my EC310 was fully loaded but I believe my EC360 was 46+"

Really?  almost 4 feet draft?  I know for sure mine is around 3 feet.  Every year at Rinkervous we end in about 3 feet (at low tide) with water just at my waist.  Never a problem with any of the boats.  I'll feel the skeg (when drive not lifted up) with maybe just enough space for my foot to slide under.  (& yes, we've had 360s there too)

McGarnicle

Where I boat we call it the Chain O Puddles because the avg depth for most of the lakes is 5ft and some 3ft. I usually have no issues other than seeing the drives stir up mud out of the hole, although I did end up beaching it the other weekend while on plane cruising the river which was a scary experience but luckily its just a mud bottom and there was no damage. 

halifax212

3' to 5' ......Yikes! That's no water at all.  

Michael T

Yes DI -  that was measured with the boat in the water,fully loaded for a normal trip of a couple of days. Tape measure, snorkel and wet suit - close to 47 inches......mind you Bryan and Jessica may not draw that much draft as they are slim and trim! 

Dream_Inn

Michael T said:

Yes DI -  that was measured with the boat in the water,fully loaded for a normal trip of a couple of days. Tape measure, snorkel and wet suit - close to 47 inches......mind you Bryan and Jessica may not draw that much draft as they are slim and trim! 

Very interesting.  I know I can see the top 2 inches or so of my bravo-2 drives when she's sitting in the water with full fuel.  The drive itself (looking at this https://www.sealinkmarine.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/268-Bravo-two-install-drawing-1.pdf ) is about 38 inches.  So, that means I draft 3ft.  It's crazy to think the 360 would draft 11 inches more than a 400.

davidbrooks

I want to say that my official draft for my 342 is 3.5 ft.  However at that depth i am raising the drives.  I have my shallow alarm set to go off at 4 ft.  And at that depth i am going very slow.

Michael T

.....don't forget the difference in hull width the 400s have. 496s and 502s about the same engine weight. Generator, tanks etc. almost identical. Plus I had a bunch of series 31 AGMs back there!

jhofmann

My 242 is about 3ft wirh drive all the way down, ironically my father had a 39ft SeaRay express with prop tunnels that only drew about 2 feet.

Kaptain_Ken

Rinker FV 270 specs from Powerboatguide.com say draft of 3.0 ft drive down

Dream_Inn

Michael T said:

.....don't forget the difference in hull width the 400s have. 496s and 502s about the same engine weight. Generator, tanks etc. almost identical. Plus I had a bunch of series 31 AGMs back there!

I do have 2 of the Northstar TPPL batteries (& they weigh more than the AGM, cause I have two of those for starting as well). 

I looked again at it this weekend sitting in the water and actually, just barely, the entire drive was in the water.  So, it looks like I'm drafting 38" with drives down and close to full fuel and full water.

Spyderweb

"The drive itself (looking at this https://www.sealinkmarine.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/268-Bravo-two-install-drawing-1.pdf ) is about 38 inches."

Would a Bravo 3 have the same height dimensions as the 2?

LaRea

MT, are you sure that 360 hull doesn't have a steeper deadrise? 

You're right that DI's 410 has a wider beam and longer waterline, so it might sit higher if both boats have similar engines and equipment.  That might account for an inch, maybe two ... not 11 inches.  

randy56

@Michael T did not take his med's that day he made that commit 

Michael T

The width (beam) of the hull of the 400 (in physics class it's called displacement) gives the 400 more flotation than a 360. With most other components: engine, drives, generator weighing the same the 400 sits higher in the water due to its displacement. Understood?

pistole

considering the action of wind / waves / current / tides / boat loading : can i say that it would be nuts to plan where to bring your boat based on even an accurate measurement of draft.

jhofmann

Sounds like an ideal place for a jet boat!!

LaRea

I did the buoyancy calculations.  The difference in waterline footprint can't account for an 11" difference in draft.  It would be about 1", or maybe 2" if the smaller boat is stern-heavy.  I'm thinking it would have to be a different hull shape to be 11" deeper.  

But I digress.  

Dream_Inn

LaRea said:

I did the buoyancy calculations.  The difference in waterline footprint can't account for an 11" difference in draft.  It would be about 1", or maybe 2" if the smaller boat is stern-heavy.  I'm thinking it would have to be a different hull shape to be 11" deeper.  

But I digress.  

Well, after my measurement this weekend, I had noted I'd be at 38", so the difference is 9".  Still a large difference though.  There is a 360 in my marina that we boat with often, I will measure theirs as well.  It actually is not bottom painted, so I may be able to look at a slight "dirt" line as a reference.

Michael T

Suggest that to properly compare the displacement of an EC 360 and an EC 400 you need to measure the footprint of both hulls.  BTW - you can not use the "brochure" specifications of these two boats. In reality the 400 is closer to the "brochure" specifications the 360 is not. Also the width must be plotted along the length of the boat. An actual scale overlay of both hulls would show a quite dramatic difference in footprint that then has to be converted to displacement. IMO to accurately measure your draft you have to get in the water with a tape measure and have one person hold it at the water line and one at the bottom of a skeg.

Dream_Inn

Well, I've got even an easier way to measure.  All of us are on lifts, so we can just do it with boat on lift right at the dock.    I know water is right at the top of my drive, so it's the length of the B-2 drive (38 inches).  I'll use a tape measure from skeg to the water line on the 360 on my dock.  I'll note year of boat as well.

LaRea

I was assuming the 360 waterline footprint is a rectangle 11x30, and the 410 is 13x35 (37% bigger area).  It's a rough guess, but probably not far from correct.  

I ... SUPPOSE ... that a tape measure might be more trustworthy than my simplified calculation, but you'll never get me to admit it!  

Michael T

Good idea DI, measuring on a lift - as long as your boat has autonomous drive -your hull depth in the water will be accurate. BTW using a water mark isn't always accurate. I have observed that on quite a number of boats the water mark is lower than the actual position of the hull in the water. Sometimes by an inch or more. Maybe the ripple action of wind/waves on the water surface causes this? I noticed this when measuring the water line of 360s to determine where to have the bottom coat done on my new 2014 EC 360 before it had been in the water. Even after measuring five EC 350/360 hulls I really should have marked the aft bottom coat about an inch, maybe two higher as my EC 360 seemed to sit a bit lower. Maybe the 2014 Merc 502s Bllls are a bit heavier, maybe it was 5 Sewries 31 AGMs?  Of course, this is just an academic exercise for me as I no longer own a boat with drives and am just trying to be helpful not argumentative. Anyone is free to believe how deep a draft they have. If they're wrong they'll find-out soon enough!