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The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.
We have an opportunity this fall to keep our boat at a friend's dock on lake George. Unfortunately it's a shallow dock and I'm concerned about having enough depth. I haven't had a chance to measure it but from memory is going to be borderline at best
Any thoughts on what a comfortable depth with the board up would be? Or clearance under the board?
Their camp is in a bay that's protected from the most of the big chop on the lake and rarely gets much wind, but we will certainly get wakes.
Also, we were anchored with the board up a couple weekends ago and just using my body parts as rulers then using a tape measure at home I figured my boat has about a 28" draft. Anyone else actually measure theirs?
Chris Sacandaga Lake, NY 1984 C25 SRSK "Les's Moor"
Hard to say but Lake George is regulated by a dam and I don't know how constant the water level is. Also take into consideration what the bottom is made of just in case you do bottom out.
Scott-"IMPULSE"87'C25/SR/WK/Din.#5688 Sailing out of Glen Cove,L.I Sound
Thanks for the link. I'm aware of the draft spec, but my boat always seemed to ride a bit higher. More interested in what most people think would be appropriate clearance underneath. The bottom there is all sand and for the period of time we will be there the level will only change an inch or two.
Chris Sacandaga Lake, NY 1984 C25 SRSK "Les's Moor"
Well, if you're looking for opinions, I get nervous when I have less than 4' of water under the boat with the keel raised when exploring. The rudder has a deeper draft than the keel when the keel is raised, but I'm not sure how much deeper, maybe 4-6". I'd hate to crack my rudder.. If I'd spring for the $1k kick-up rudder, then I'd be happy with less than 3'.
So, what do you think of this: does the slip have 4' of water when Lake George is at its lowest typical water level?
For what it's worth, I have docked in 4' of water for 5 years now and have found no damage on the bottom of my rudder. ( I have a wing keel, but the rudder is the same.)
Besides clearance from the bottom, one of things you may have to contend with is plant growth. The warmer summer this year has brought significant growth in some areas and this can considerably muck things up dockside and possibly for getting out into deeper and open water. You may want to take a look and see what's doing.
So, it sounds like the rudder is the lowest point? Despite swimming under the boat several times I don't think I ever noticed that the rudder hangs lower than the keel. I guess if that is true it would make sense that my rough measurement of the waterline to keel bottom was less then the advertised draft.
I am not worried about the rudder. I can switch the cotter pins for a hitch pin and just hang it on the stern rail if needed.
The last time I anchored with the keel up in shallow water we had clearance under the keel that was about the distance from the floor to my knee or about 22". I felt that we would be ok with significantly less clearance, but just not sure how much.
Chris Sacandaga Lake, NY 1984 C25 SRSK "Les's Moor"
Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ. The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.