2005 Rinker 342 Draft Depth

glshoemaker

Hopefully, this is an easy question,but I'm having trouble finding the answer.  Do you know the draft depth (inches) for a 2005 342 FV with the Volvo Penta Outdrives in the "up" position?  Most of the literature provides info with outdrives down.  Thanks for any light you can shine on this matter!  Gary

LaRea

It's generally around 24" with drives up - Volvo or Merc.  At that depth, the keel is pretty close to touching bottom.  

reneechris14

X2 on 24" you won't see me in that much water anything under 5' and I'm a nervous wreck.

Dude_Himself

I have a 280EC but with the same draft. I found myself in 28" of water once, and every 3rd ripple we could feel the boat touch the muddy bottom. First trip out with the new chartplotter, and wasn't aware there was a second GPS antenna on the NEMA network. Somehow having two confused the plotter and it had us 50' to the left of indicated (the transducer is still in a box in my garage, grrr). At that depth you can't really motor off either without risking damaging the engine/prop/skeg/outdrive, so we used our smaller stern anchor to kedge deeper, then were able to drop the drive and motor.

If it's less than 6' deep I get nervous, and less than 4' indicated I start to panic. With the strong tides and changing bottom that's just dangerous.

LaRea

Local knowledge.  In this part of the Potomac, most of the bottom has a layer of chocolate pudding (silty mud) between me and anything dangerous.  At 5 mph with drives trimmed up, it's no big deal to transit 2 feet of water.  I do it 10-20 times a year, but I'd never do it with a rocky bottom.  Local knowledge.

glshoemaker

Thanks muchly for "depth" comments! Greatly appreciate the information...I agree, shallow water is very spooky stuff!