I need to know where to locate the draft of a specific boat. I am interested in purchasing a 1980 Hunter 27 and the specs show the draft can vary a foot. How can I determine the actual draft of this specific boat? thank you
drft specs
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Fin or Shoal
Lewis, It appears that the difference is whether you get a fin keel or a shoal draft (fin being the extra foot.) You'd just have to know which kind you were looking at (or wanted...) Dave Crowley s/v Wind Dreamer
Lewis, It appears that the difference is whether you get a fin keel or a shoal draft (fin being the extra foot.) You'd just have to know which kind you were looking at (or wanted...) Dave Crowley s/v Wind Dreamer
On this Site
From the Main Menu check: Boat Information/Model Information/Specs and you'll find it.
From the Main Menu check: Boat Information/Model Information/Specs and you'll find it.
Worst case...
motor VERY SLOWLY up to the shoreline till it grounds! Measure water depth, then you'll know for sure. If it has a depth meter, this is a good time to figure out how accurate it is and what kind of "offset" is being used. Current owner doesn't know whether it's shoal draft or not???
motor VERY SLOWLY up to the shoreline till it grounds! Measure water depth, then you'll know for sure. If it has a depth meter, this is a good time to figure out how accurate it is and what kind of "offset" is being used. Current owner doesn't know whether it's shoal draft or not???
The specs show that this model
comes in two keel configurations; one a shoal keel of 3.3 ft and 3,200 lbs ballast and the second a keel of 4.3 ft and 3,000 lbs ballast. The leaverage of the longer keel needs less ballast weight. The model with the longer keel will point better into the wind but the one with the shoal keel can safely get in and out of places the other one can't. Here in Florida, because of shallow waters shoal keel draft boats command a premium. I would suspect Louisiana is similar. We have a 1983 with the 4.3 keel and we don't have a problem but a couple of times a year. It is when you get close to 6 ft that it could seriously limit the use of the boat. Don't trust a seller's representation of actual draft, pay to have someone measure it.
comes in two keel configurations; one a shoal keel of 3.3 ft and 3,200 lbs ballast and the second a keel of 4.3 ft and 3,000 lbs ballast. The leaverage of the longer keel needs less ballast weight. The model with the longer keel will point better into the wind but the one with the shoal keel can safely get in and out of places the other one can't. Here in Florida, because of shallow waters shoal keel draft boats command a premium. I would suspect Louisiana is similar. We have a 1983 with the 4.3 keel and we don't have a problem but a couple of times a year. It is when you get close to 6 ft that it could seriously limit the use of the boat. Don't trust a seller's representation of actual draft, pay to have someone measure it.
Shoal or Fin Keel
I had the same problem with a 1984 Hunter 25.5. The seller told me it was a shoal draft boat. However, one day returning to my slip I ran aground at the entrance. Power boats were passing me by claiming they drew three and four feet. Finally got it when the tide rose sufficiently to help me off the grounding. A weekend later, with the tide in and the boat obviously floating (I could move it forward and aft at the slip), I measured the depth and it was 3 ft. 9 in. so I knew I had the shoal draft. Obviously, the other way of doing this is to go into the water and look to see if you have the fin keel as mentioned earlier or the longer boat shallower shoal keel. The reason I had run aground was that the entrance to the slip area was heavy with sea grass and the keel caught in that mess. The reason the power boats had no problem was that they had much more power than my 9.9 hp outboard and they did not have a keel to catch and become entangled but a "V" bottom that simply cleaved its way throught the grass.
I had the same problem with a 1984 Hunter 25.5. The seller told me it was a shoal draft boat. However, one day returning to my slip I ran aground at the entrance. Power boats were passing me by claiming they drew three and four feet. Finally got it when the tide rose sufficiently to help me off the grounding. A weekend later, with the tide in and the boat obviously floating (I could move it forward and aft at the slip), I measured the depth and it was 3 ft. 9 in. so I knew I had the shoal draft. Obviously, the other way of doing this is to go into the water and look to see if you have the fin keel as mentioned earlier or the longer boat shallower shoal keel. The reason I had run aground was that the entrance to the slip area was heavy with sea grass and the keel caught in that mess. The reason the power boats had no problem was that they had much more power than my 9.9 hp outboard and they did not have a keel to catch and become entangled but a "V" bottom that simply cleaved its way throught the grass.
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