Draft

[James V]

The 12" draft is nice when you need to get to places and anchor, the tide goes out and nobody's around. it helps at the dock, you need less water. It helps at the ramp, you need less water.

Let me add a point, if the wind is to much, you cannot get enough thrust with the motor at 18 inches you will need more to be safe.

I have anchored in many places less than 18 inces at low tide and have see faw to many power boaters come by that did not read their charts cuting mud.

[Catigale]

Ive helped a couple power boater out of mud who have come in to anchor near me after seeing that mast and figuring if its deep enough for a sailboat they are good....DOH!!!

[Russ]

Ive helped a couple power boater out of mud who have come in to anchor near me after seeing that mast and figuring if its deep enough for a sailboat they are good....DOH!!!

LOL

So we can safely say the Mac can boldly go where no (traditional) sailboat has gone before.

[TAW02]

I mean, after all, even with 12" draft(or even 6" draft), one eventually has to step off the boat and if the bow is not "on", a beach(with a bow-ladder), eventually one's feet are going to go into the water.

Well, I don't quite grasp what this topic is centering on. A bit confused I must say. But what I figure it is about is a 'draftless boat'?

I am an ex-airboat enthusiast. Owned 3 different types. 1 airboat w/350 Lycoming aircraft engine. Another with a 220 continental aircraft engine and the latter a 350 Chevy automobile engine (which was my ultimate favorite) Mainly because it did not have to rely on moving at open throttle speeds just to keep the engine from overheating. And since I love to gunkhole and spear Nile Trout, Bass, frogs and other unmentionables, I needed a water-cooled engine to allow idling long periods of time.

The one thing you have got to love about air-boating is the zero draft. Yep, you can beach and step out of the boat on dry land! In fact, on a freshly paved blacktop road, you don't even need water to travel along! I don't ever recall getting wet feet whilst I romped around the Florida swamp/waterways. Wore sh~t-kicking boots and enjoyed every part of it.

But now that I am approaching 60 and want to include my wife in my romping around, I have gotten into sailing. I am rediscovering my youth and my love for my ol' lady.

So my advice to SURV1969, get yourself an airboat and if you enjoy gunkholing a lot, I recommend and 'autoboat'. Same boat only instead of an aircraft engine, you have an automobile engine and radiator instead.

Have fun. (Good money in Gator hides). Buys you a brand new MAC26M in as little as a few months.

Big T

[Catigale]

Big T

Ive taken Catigale into Poge Bay - about 20 square miles ?? of bay off Marthas Vineyard and been the only boat of size on the Bay during 4th of July. There is a a narrow, shallow gut that you have to pass to get into this bay....keelboats just wont go there.

Inside its a 3-10 foot sandy bottom bay, great for anchoring, and a great view of the July 4th fireworks at Edgartown.

The other guys are stuck outside the Bay in rough weather, if the wind is northerly at all.

I think I wrote this up in Events IIRC...

[Don T]

Hello,
One point I think you are missing: It is possible to get thrust from the outboard in 12" of water. In most cases it's enough to get you out into deep water. If you trim the motor up the thrust is angled up but it is only 12" into the water. As long as the cooling water intake is submerged and clear (not too much mud or grass) and the pee hole is peeing, you can make your way through very shallow places. I know, I've done it.

I have zipped over sand bars in the Columbia River riding the wave I am pushing. Of course, if I slow down cuz' it gets too shallow the wave goes away and I find the boat sitting in < 12" of water. Those sand bars are easy to see from even a little altitude but down on the river they are difficult to see. Only the wave patterns will give them away.

[eric3a]

..

[Catigale]

Go at non-planing speed with good wake

Good advice with the white hulls. You blue hulled guys dont need to worry about this of course.....

[jaguar496]

CATIGALE must say that the Edgartown fireworks ARE even more spectacular from Pogue Bay, a blessed event Alice and Stew,"THE RESTLESS TWO"

[jaguar496]

to: Y'ALL We thank all of you for the insight into driving in pond depth water. at times, when we have a strong east wind, my canal depth is about 24". good to know that that much water is quite SUFFICIENT to get out to BEAR CREEK , which is a foot deeper Alice and Stew,"THE RESTLESS TWO"

[delevi]

Add 3" to the draft if you have ballast in. I have been stuck in the mud in about 2 feet. Tilted the engine about half way up and slowly got out. Prop kicked up tons of mud, making a mess of things, but we did get out. Had to sand the prop and skeg a bit for minor scrapes but no biggie. Good as new after a few minutes with the file. Just recently I had to haul out when the tide was unusually low. Dock length was about 3/4 of the length of the boat, when often you can put three boats alongside. Depth was 3 feet (at the stern wehre the sounder is.) No problem. Rudders to hit bottom at four feet (hopefully mud or sand.) -6" for stock rudders.

I heard full length, shallow draft keels really hurt a boat's maueverability under sail. Can't remember where I read it.

Leon

[Catigale]

Just remember to keep Alice away from that bridge and the Kennedys

[Moe]

Add 3" to the draft if you have ballast in. I have been stuck in the mud in about 2 feet. Tilted the engine about half way up and slowly got out. Prop kicked up tons of mud, making a mess of things, but we did get out.

The Merc 60 BigFoot's skeg would just start dragging on our 7" draft Whaler in 2 feet of water. I measured it at 17" from the anti-ventilation plate to the bottom of the skeg. I could trim it up but it would still suck a lot of sand up off the bottom. Good idea after one of these episodes to replace the water pump impeller and check the hoses are clear under the cowling.

Rudders to hit bottom at four feet (hopefully mud or sand.) -6" for stock rudders.

Our X rudders would drag in about 3' of depth, no heel.

I heard full length, shallow draft keels really hurt a boat's maueverability under sail. Can't remember where I read it.

That would be compared to a sailboat with high aspect foils. A full keel only slows tacking and gybing a bit, and is really only a concern if you're trying to race. The Flicka we sail with (notched full keel) has no problem tacking. Sure, our C-18 is quicker, but the Flicka is no worse than our 26X powersailor dragging its ass deep in the water through a tack. On the other hand, the full keel improves longitudinal stability an order of magnitude, especially in steep chop. Even with the low aspect wing keel, our C-18 tracks like an arrow in conditions that had the Mac wallowing all over.

[jaguar496]

just the thought makes one want to keep spitting wish he would have drowned in his booze.

[jaguar496]

to MOE: see the PEARL at www.bwyachts.com. things to come?