How shallow do you consider too shallow? - Page 2

C2 RIBS · 11 August 2009, 16:48

You need to check how your depth finder is set, it should be set to allow for the engine leg length so it is giving the technically reading as though from the bottom of engine.

Also remember to allow for any rise and fall caused by waves. If you enter a creek and the waves are lifting you up and down then read at the lowest and also other boats push up waves so allowances must be made to save the Yam prop!!!!

neilda · 11 August 2009, 19:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by chewy

It'll be either through hull transducer or mounted on the transom.
You need to measure how far your leg goes into the water too.

The widget is where Chewy says, little black thing on the bottom of the hull to the right of the engine when your standing looking at the rear - and, as above, the leg is quite a bit lower.

I'm happy going slowly at 2m and figure that seaweed or rocks could suddenly appear reducing the margin considerably.

We have the same boat and I have yet to pluck up the courage to take it into a beach...

PeterM · 11 August 2009, 19:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by neilda

The widget is where Chewy says, little black thing on the bottom of the hull to the right of the engine when your standing looking at the rear - and, as above, the leg is quite a bit lower.

I'm happy going slowly at 2m and figure that seaweed or rocks could suddenly appear reducing the margin considerably.

We have the same boat and I have yet to pluck up the courage to take it into a beach...

Come into Christchuch Harbour and you can practice on the banks - you soon get used to shallow water - but do it first at high tide. Nothing like seeing 2ft of water - or the bottom 100yards out to concentrate the mind .

neilda · 11 August 2009, 23:01

I do need to give it a go... might just try there.

TangoTango · 12 August 2009, 18:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blackroady

Come into Christchuch Harbour and you can practice on the banks - you soon get used to shallow water - but do it first at high tide. Nothing like seeing 2ft of water - or the bottom 100yards out to concentrate the mind .

Yes I'm a Christchurch harbour man too and it can be a little tricky. It does make most other places seem pretty deep though.

Some things I would suggest:

Drop a line over the side and take some depth readings while at anchor to compare with your sounder to see if there is already an offset.

Go slow and lift the leg up if you aren't sure.

Be ready to go into neutral to avoid prop damage.

I don't know about anybody else but when I have been going through depths of say 75 to 80 feet, I get nervous when it gets down to 15!

DGR · 12 August 2009, 18:36

Barmouth is quite a shallow harbour - so my sounder alarm is set at 1.5 metres, but I know that I'm still floating with about 20 cms clearance at 0.8m on the depth sounder.

I only beach the boat on sandy stretches that I know - but don't take chances in rocky areas... (the B2X leg doesn't really trim up very much) ......

...apart from the time I landed a film crew on Bardsey - and it was a bit like that Star Wars game flying an X-Wing down the trench on the Death Star...

It's Ok if you know it though...

The best way to set your sounder is to walk the boat into some shallow water, and when the bottom of the skeg is as close to the bottom as you are happy with - set the offset to give reading of zero. Then you know that the reading you are seeing is the depth below your skeg.

Searider · 12 August 2009, 20:13

Let us know where you are thinking of going and i'm sure one of us will have been there and can advise you of what to look out for.

Channel Ribs · 13 August 2009, 07:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrAinZ

Thanks for the posts so far.

So what depth on your gauge would make your concerned?

10ft, 6ft, 3ft ?

I try to pick a course that keeps me in at least 3m of water, so unless I am deliberately going in tight I would be concerned about something uncharted or having drifted off if my sounder reads less than 7 or 8 ft.

When beaching I am able to bring the leg up high enough that the keel touches sand first and the prop still has a little bite.

BogMonster · 14 August 2009, 01:36

I'm happy going into about 3-4ft on the sounder though I have never actually accurately checked whether this is water depth, depth under the transducer or depth under the skeg but I think its from the transducer.

I went up a local (very shallow and murky) river behind somebody who knew the way between the gravel banks from trial and error (classic quote from his previous voyage when they ran aground - passenger: "We're sinking!" him: "We can't sink you silly cow we're already on the bottom!!") and the sounder was regularly showing 2ft which I was a bit wary about and I had the prop only just under the water plus was only doing about 3kt but it is a very dodgy place and you have to follow the deep channel.

In anywhere I am not sure of I go dead slow in less than about 6ft of water - in a lot of the coastline areas there are a lot of rocks sticking up a couple of feet and something like that could really ruin your day.

jyasaki · 14 August 2009, 18:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by BogMonster

(classic quote from his previous voyage when they ran aground - passenger: "We're sinking!" him: "We can't sink you silly cow we're already on the bottom!!")

OK; Now *that's* funny...

jky