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How shallow is too shallow?


Rivvy

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hey guru's I am looking for some help. I have an 85 mastercraft and am looking to upgrade to a 2000 response. I live on a small chain of lakes and one of the channels is really shallow. Shallow to the point that some of my neighbors can't even push their gekko or nautique's through! I never have an issue and usually just walk my boat through just to make sure I dont do any damage. Does anyone know how much water a 2000 response or sunsetter drafts? I believe my rig drafts about 16-18". any help would be appreciated.

I also love to ski and sometimes board. I am honing in on the response because of its reputation for skiing. Does anyone have an opinion on whether or not a sunsetter is a courseworthy boat?

Also I am in the search for a new ride. If anyone is planning on upgrading let me know.

Thanks.

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You need 3 feet or .5 Fathoms , indicated to run safely.thats just my opinion.

Edited by bigD
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If the water is up to my knees - I walk the boat. That's the actual draft. Bottom of prop is sitting on the bottom. If it's over my thighs - I will idle through slowly. Still have 8 - 10" below the prop. Really though - it depends on what the bottom is. If you are on a lake with rocks on the bottom - then 4' would be my minimum. If it's 100% fine sand or mud - not too much can happen to a prop if it drags through some muck a little.

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The official draft on a 2000 Response is 16". For a Sunsetter it is 18". I'm sure this is with no fuel, gear, chicky-babes, adult beverages, etc.

I think the Response weighs 2450 empty and the Sunsetter about 2800#.

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I was just wondering the same thing. I have the 1994 Echelon and our river has places where it's pretty shallow like 2 ft and i have seen people plane thru there. I am a chicken and I idle, glide, idle, glide. I never plow because I always hacve a buttload of kids in there. When you are on plane what depth is safe, other than 3 feet?

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My depth gauge alarm starts to go off at 2.1ft. Not sure if that is safe but I haven't ever hit anything, but I do put the gear box in neutral until I get a clear reading on the gauge and slowly idle out.

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My depth alarm goes off at 3' talk about a distraction, I'm going to change it this weekend. Too many 3' foot areas in our river, it's mostly sand but I don't want to hit a sand bar either I figure my hull hits first if I'm idling. Irritates my kids though cuz I am by far the most cautious one in the family.

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The boat will sit higher in the water and draft less at WOT. So just hit it! Ha! Just kidding. To be on the safe side, I won't spin the prop in less than 3 ft. In fact, I usually jump in and push off in less than 4 ft. You never know if there is a stump or rock just waiting to chew up a prop.

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Thanks for the responses. I found in the resourses/DIY section someone has posted all the specifications including draft by model & year. That is awesome!! nice work. The malibu website doesn't have much information on earlier models. Based on this info i think I will open my search to either a 1999-2001 sunsetter (18" draft) or response LX (16" draft). Price will probably decide the model for me. I was surprised to see that the sunsetter draft wasn't greater than 18". I believe malibu has some of the shallowest running boats out there. My summary based on the feedback I recieved is anything under 3' be cautious and walk your boat through. It definitely isn't ideal to navigate waters under 2' deep but you got to do what you got to do to make it happen.

Happy riding..

-Chris

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I have pulled people out in 3 feet of water but only where I KNOW its really 3 feet - not 3 feet about to turn into 13 inches. It always amazes me how little water our Response actually needs but I think 16 inches is a tad optimistic. 18 maybe but the bottom of the prop has to be at least 14" from the hull so if we float in 16" we'd have to be drafting less than 2".

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Our draft is 2' We don't let it get in anything less than 3'. Even then, we're pretty nervous...

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Does anyone have an opinion on whether or not a sunsetter is a courseworthy boat?

the sunsetter LXi is certainly course worthy as it ran on the diamond hull; it makes a great cross over for those who need a great ski wake.

the sunsetter LX will bring varied opinions....I think in the mid 90's it was AWSA approved, though.

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my depth finder was showing me at 3 feet the other day. I decided to shut it off and walk it. Jumped in and was up to my neck.....I'm 6'3"!!!!

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The sunsetter LXi is a great course boat as it shares the same diamond hull as the response (99-04 I believe). Just the topside is strectched out thus the extra weight. LOTS more room and storage too.

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Keep in mind also, that when you're reading your depth gauge, that reading is from the bottom of the hull (which is sitting a good 6" under water. Taking that into consideration, you really have an extra 1/2' from what your depth gauge. We slalom ski in the Delaware river, and there is one particular area about 150 yards long where the depth is much shallower than the rest of the river. We tend to use the 3-1/2' foot rule. If we get 3-3-1/2 feet on the gauge we say "ski on", if not we make the skier get into the boat and idle up to a deeper spot.....

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  • 3 months later...

I actually found myself a 2003 response lxi and love it! It is as good of boat as i have ever owned. Great in the course (much better than me)! I'm not sure on weighting in properly for boarding yet but will work on that next year. It has a better wake than my old 1985 prostar and drafts about the same amount of water approximate 24". I walk it through my shallow channel. Only disappointment is on the upholestry. I am having a local shop fix up some of the seats but the seams are pulling apart on multiple cushions.

Great boat though.

Thanks for all the responses!!

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Use the search on here and look for the keyword CHEE. He has the paterns for a lot of the interior of the older Malibus. O am sure that some others will chime in about the quality. I believe that he can make entire replacement skins that just need to be stretched over the old foam and stapled down.

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Despite what the manual or brochure says, 16" is INCORRECT. It is right around 22" on a Response.

There was a HUGE debate several years ago on this site...... several folks involved. After lots of emotion and some photos and facts and engineering data...... the results were indisputable.

By the way.... I own a '98 Response LX (at 2450 pounds)..... I did the measurements and took the photos. This is not hearsay or rumor.... I needed to know.....! Why? We have a shallow area that splits our lake in two parts. Depth is right around 24" - 30". If I trusted the brochure and manual, I would have been fine. I wanted to be dead sure. Hence, my own measurements. As a result, when I go under the bridge between our 2 lakes..... I either paddle, or use the trolling motor on the swim platform.... and, NEVER when there are any boat rollers in sight.

It is NOT 16"..... it is between 21" and 22". That's from the waterline down to the lowest part of the running gear. This is based on an almost empty boat (no passengers), 1/4 tank fuel, and no wave action. Add some waves, add some people, add some gear, add some gas, and put the boat in gear..... a bit of attitude change occurs..... and I suggest you better have closer to 30" to even consider getting that valuable prop spinning!

Yes, at speed, you have less draft...... but at speed, do you want to be tempting fate?

Edited by doughickey
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hey guru's I am looking for some help. I have an 85 mastercraft and am looking to upgrade to a 2000 response. I live on a small chain of lakes and one of the channels is really shallow. Shallow to the point that some of my neighbors can't even push their gekko or nautique's through! I never have an issue and usually just walk my boat through just to make sure I dont do any damage. Does anyone know how much water a 2000 response or sunsetter drafts? I believe my rig drafts about 16-18". any help would be appreciated.

I also love to ski and sometimes board. I am honing in on the response because of its reputation for skiing. Does anyone have an opinion on whether or not a sunsetter is a courseworthy boat?

Also I am in the search for a new ride. If anyone is planning on upgrading let me know.

Thanks.

I have an 01 Response. At the end of my dock I have pretty well exactly 24" depth with 8" of mud below that. When I am docking the boat the prop kicks up a lot of mud but I can take it there under power(whether it is turbulance or prop grazing the mud I don't know... never got close enough to check Biggrin.gif ). Unless the bottom is pure mud... no rocks, stumps yadda yadda I wouldn't go near driving in 24" of water. This is all at just coasting. Unless the water goes up I'll be adding another dock section next season. I'd be looking for 2 feet of depth on a solid bottom to push through.

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Despite what the manual or brochure says, 16" is INCORRECT. It is right around 22" on a Response.

There was a HUGE debate several years ago on this site...... several folks involved. After lots of emotion and some photos and facts and engineering data...... the results were indisputable.

By the way.... I own a '98 Response LX (at 2450 pounds)..... I did the measurements and took the photos. This is not hearsay or rumor.... I needed to know.....! Why? We have a shallow area that splits our lake in two parts. Depth is right around 24" - 30". If I trusted the brochure and manual, I would have been fine. I wanted to be dead sure. Hence, my own measurements. As a result, when I go under the bridge between our 2 lakes..... I either paddle, or use the trolling motor on the swim platform.... and, NEVER when there are any boat rollers in sight.

It is NOT 16"..... it is between 21" and 22". That's from the waterline down to the lowest part of the running gear. This is based on an almost empty boat (no passengers), 1/4 tank fuel, and no wave action. Add some waves, add some people, add some gear, add some gas, and put the boat in gear..... a bit of attitude change occurs..... and I suggest you better have closer to 30" to even consider getting that valuable prop spinning!

Yes, at speed, you have less draft...... but at speed, do you want to be tempting fate?

I read the title of this thread and just smiled... Where ya been doug? long time no bu crew for you?

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All summer was playing vs using the internet.

However, the topic about water depth revived the old raging debate. Pulled me out of Crew-retirement. Wonder if we'll hear from Tommy Boy.... or Jack..... who I think was the initial instigator way back.

Even though I don't jump in as often, I've become a lurker! Still a fun place.

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hey guru's I am looking for some help. I have an 85 mastercraft and am looking to upgrade to a 2000 response. I live on a small chain of lakes and one of the channels is really shallow. Shallow to the point that some of my neighbors can't even push their gekko or nautique's through! I never have an issue and usually just walk my boat through just to make sure I dont do any damage. Does anyone know how much water a 2000 response or sunsetter drafts? I believe my rig drafts about 16-18". any help would be appreciated.

I also love to ski and sometimes board. I am honing in on the response because of its reputation for skiing. Does anyone have an opinion on whether or not a sunsetter is a courseworthy boat?

Also I am in the search for a new ride. If anyone is planning on upgrading let me know.

Thanks.

I have a Response LX. I get nervous in anything under 2ft if I am not idling.

To answer your question about comparing the Response with the Sunsetter for skiing. I can definitely answer that one with real life experience.

My Cousin's have a 2001 Sunsetter LXi with the same hull as my 2002 Response LX (sv23 diamond). I have a barefoot plate on my boat, they have a wedge. I have footed and slalomed behind both boats and to be honest, the wakes are almost identical. The advantage of their boat is they can add fat sacs and get a better wake for wakeboarding.

Both boats are phenomenal for slalom skiing. Thumbup.gif

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