I have always loved C&C yachts and many of the interiors are perfect for our needs. Feel we can find a good used cruising boat at a fair price. The FLY in this ointment is that C&C have always leaned to deep draft designs. I am curious how big an issue this has proven to experienced owners cruising the Atlantic coast (say NC- North Fla) and the Intercoastal. My experience is that it will be a manageable inconvience in the Bahamas, but also interested in opinions on issues caused by deep drafts in that area.
How big an issue is draft
- Thread starter ondinesail
- Start date
- Status
There is extensive discussion on the Bahamas and deep draft at:
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f19/draft-for-the-bahamas-17594.html
We require 4.5' and have recently cruised Cumberland Island south to Ponce Inlet. You would have no problems with up to 6' from Cumberland to St. Augustine either inside on the ICW or in any of the inlets. There is some shoaling around the Mantanzas river and in the Ponce Inlet area of the ICW that makes even our 4.5' a challenge at low tide.
As with every aspect of choosing a boat there are tradeoffs. Good luck with your decision.
--Eric
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f19/draft-for-the-bahamas-17594.html
We require 4.5' and have recently cruised Cumberland Island south to Ponce Inlet. You would have no problems with up to 6' from Cumberland to St. Augustine either inside on the ICW or in any of the inlets. There is some shoaling around the Mantanzas river and in the Ponce Inlet area of the ICW that makes even our 4.5' a challenge at low tide.
As with every aspect of choosing a boat there are tradeoffs. Good luck with your decision.
--Eric
Very helpful reference
Eric
Thanks for your comments and the discussion reference. Very helpful. I am slowly coming to the conclusion that many of my favorite C&Cs may not work for us because so many carry 7 ft + draft. Your materials further confirmed me in this impression.
Eric
Thanks for your comments and the discussion reference. Very helpful. I am slowly coming to the conclusion that many of my favorite C&Cs may not work for us because so many carry 7 ft + draft. Your materials further confirmed me in this impression.
in cruising the west florida coast i found the depth in the mid channel area is good--for the tugs--but out of the channel cvould be a trick..we got caught in ft myers on a shoal they were dredging, on our first trip--the second and third trips were after the dredging and the channel was deep enough for us--we had 4'6" draft--i have been thinking of binging my 6'6"draft formosa over--i think i would be ok--just sail in the deeper areas and do the short water in a kayak or dink....there are so many cool things to see in th ewaterway--would be a shame to miss just because of draft issues---the bridges are only 50 ft in height also--we had more issue with that than with draft. ithink pensacola's tricky inlet might be an issue--but there are other places to enter the waterway that are less tricky...
Since you ask about the east coast ICW and not the Gulf Coast, I can say we cruised extensively with a 6 foot draft with little issues. Some spots, especially in Georgia, the deeper drafts need to play the tides. The bridges are 65 feet for the most part if they are fixed and you will need an opening for the rest no matter what your mast height is. we have done several trips to the Bahamas and it just means paying attention to navigation.
Capt Force
I suppose in some ways I agree. We cruised in the Bahamas many years ago on an OI 41 similar to yours -sloop rig though. Even with its skinny draft we waited for tide at Green Turtle to enter. We ran aground while really scooting along under sail at the south end of Eleuthera and survived the spillage of our cocktails. Still its a damn site easier if you have a boat that is attuned well to where you want to cruise.
So getting back to the C&C yachts in question... I'm getting the sense from the messages that I might cruise a 7' drafted older C&C with care in the east coast ICW and inlets. But it would be marginal and take a good bit of attention. Six feet would be very doable. Maybe a yacht with a keel centerboard - C&C did some of those in the late 80s. I hadn't thought of the overhead clearance brought up in another message, but I think the I on a C&C 37+ is around 50 feet, so give another 5-6 feet for the hull, it should be approaching the max boat for a 65' bridge clearance. If others agree with this, I had hoped I might be wrong, but its kinda the reality I face. I guess the Great Lakes cruising areas that C&C focused on were quite a bit deeper than my neck of the woods.
I suppose in some ways I agree. We cruised in the Bahamas many years ago on an OI 41 similar to yours -sloop rig though. Even with its skinny draft we waited for tide at Green Turtle to enter. We ran aground while really scooting along under sail at the south end of Eleuthera and survived the spillage of our cocktails. Still its a damn site easier if you have a boat that is attuned well to where you want to cruise.
So getting back to the C&C yachts in question... I'm getting the sense from the messages that I might cruise a 7' drafted older C&C with care in the east coast ICW and inlets. But it would be marginal and take a good bit of attention. Six feet would be very doable. Maybe a yacht with a keel centerboard - C&C did some of those in the late 80s. I hadn't thought of the overhead clearance brought up in another message, but I think the I on a C&C 37+ is around 50 feet, so give another 5-6 feet for the hull, it should be approaching the max boat for a 65' bridge clearance. If others agree with this, I had hoped I might be wrong, but its kinda the reality I face. I guess the Great Lakes cruising areas that C&C focused on were quite a bit deeper than my neck of the woods.
C&C did make a shoal drafted boat with a centerboard. I am not sure, but I think it might be a 42' boat. Also, I know the C&C Landfall 38 came with a shoal draft design. Probably many others too. I have done a lot of sailing in the Bahamas with a 6.5 draft and found it fine. But less would be better and for sure more would not be.
- Status