deep draft

[beausoleil]

Opinions / thoughts wanted,

I have previously owned boats with a max draft up to 2.1 mtrs.
I have found a boat for sale , at a good price with a draft of 2.7 mtrs (8'10'').
I understand the upwind advantages, but concerned about practicalities of such a draft.
The boat I'm very interested in would also mean being a two boat owner if I don't sell my current boat pronto - hence the price is also about to tumble in an attempt to get a prompt sell.

All thoughts welcome, better still if you have deep draft experience!

 

[Birdseye]

cant imagine that a draught difference of half a metre would have a noticeable effect going to windward. I am sure that it will be a noticeable irritation if you cruise the boat rather than race it. Just like beam on a cat, draught becomes more of a problem in berthing, the more that you have of it.

 

[lw395]

If you ever race anywhere shallow and have to sail around things that others can sail over, it becomes a farce.
At that draft, you are into the area where certain yards cannot lift the boat, or find they don't have cradles to fit at a crucial moment. So you need to use a more expensive yard.
I lost a week once because my boat was lifted, then they found all their props were too short.
Obviously certain ports become no go zones. Others you have time constraints or plough a bit of mud.
The performance boost is real, upwind and down, but the rating will reflect that.
It does tend to make for a boat potentially less dependent on fat passengers on the rail, so worth considering for shorthanded sailing, again depends on rating system.

IMHO, you either want to be as similar as possible to the people/boats you race against (and beat them by skill) or you are playing games with arms races and ratings. But having the fastest boat you can get your sticky fingers on is always nice, and is often a sound route to winning the odd race, even if handicaps make it a poor choice on other days.
Given a choice between more draft and more LWL, LWL probably wins more often?

 

[savageseadog]

I sail around with 2.5m draft, it can be an issue for Marina and harbour access, lifting, very occasionally races will have courses set which we are unable to sail the rhumb line, It will all depend on where you intend to sail, most major events will have deep water.

 

[Neil_Y]

Sailed an open 30 in the past and went in to Campers and the only berth was the one for the big boats I think we paid a bit more as we took up space reserved for some very big boats, that was about 9' In the Caribbean many of the best anchorages were quite tight on 2m and it meant a longer trip to the beach.

 

[Sandy Bottom]

Opinions / thoughts wanted,

I have previously owned boats with a max draft up to 2.1 mtrs.
I have found a boat for sale , at a good price with a draft of 2.7 mtrs (8'10'').
I understand the upwind advantages, but concerned about practicalities of such a draft.
The boat I'm very interested in would also mean being a two boat owner if I don't sell my current boat pronto - hence the price is also about to tumble in an attempt to get a prompt sell.

All thoughts welcome, better still if you have deep draft experience!

In five years of owning a boat with 2.8M draft;
1. I have never paid a premium for any mooring anywhere in Europe or the UK.
2. There are endless choices for lift-out - we just paid less tha 900 Euros for lift-out, wash off, two coats anit-foul, a week ashore and lift back in - that's on a 62' boat with 2.8M draft and included all labour and materials.
3. In many harbours the size / draft counts for you rather than against - for example in the Scillies we are always given the large green (50 ton?) mooring bouy next to the lifeboat for the same linear mooring price as the standard.

Are there any disadvantages - yes there are compared to a bilge keeler or cat - but it doesn't stop you having a lifetime of decent cruising grounds and harbours to explore :encouragement:

Steve

 

[beausoleil]

In five years of owning a boat with 2.8M draft;
1. I have never paid a premium for any mooring anywhere in Europe or the UK.
2. There are endless choices for lift-out - we just paid less tha 900 Euros for lift-out, wash off, two coats anit-foul, a week ashore and lift back in - that's on a 62' boat with 2.8M draft and included all labour and materials.
3. In many harbours the size / draft counts for you rather than against - for example in the Scillies we are always given the large green (50 ton?) mooring bouy next to the lifeboat for the same linear mooring price as the standard.

Are there any disadvantages - yes there are compared to a bilge keeler or cat - but it doesn't stop you having a lifetime of decent cruising grounds and harbours to explore :encouragement:

Steve

Many thanks Steve,
decision has been made on the purchase - subject to survey etc.etc.

I would be interested in where :- we just paid less tha 900 Euros for lift-out, wash off, two coats anit-foul, a week ashore and lift back in - that's on a 62' boat with 2.8M draft and included all labour and materials. -

I recently was quoted £700 just for a lift at Moodys, & that was for a HR42'. I no longer contemplate keeping a boat in the UK.
Crazy prices on the south coast always have been ,but seem now to be beyond sense.

Thanks for response.


HR 42 for sale.

 

[Sandy Bottom]

Many thanks Steve,
decision has been made on the purchase - subject to survey etc.etc.

I would be interested in where :- we just paid less tha 900 Euros for lift-out, wash off, two coats anit-foul, a week ashore and lift back in - that's on a 62' boat with 2.8M draft and included all labour and materials. -

I recently was quoted £700 just for a lift at Moodys, & that was for a HR42'. I no longer contemplate keeping a boat in the UK.
Crazy prices on the south coast always have been ,but seem now to be beyond sense.

Thanks for response.


HR 42 for sale.

Vigo, Galicia, N Spain :encouragement: