Draft for Shallow Lake

[dpangalangan]

I am looking to purchase a 2002 Sunsetter. I have found one (non-malibu) website that said the draft is 16 inches.

Does anyone have the actual Malibu specs from a brochure or manual to confirm for me?

Thanks

DP

[Bill_AirJunky]

Maybe with no one in the boat & no prop. Sorry, I don't have specific info for you but can virtually guarantee you it'll be closer to 2', maybe more with 3 or 4 people in the boat.

[Ndawg12]

check this out

Doesn't look like any sunsetter is 16".

Edited September 24, 2009 by nemire12

[Bill_AirJunky]

Still surprises me. Wonder if thats full of gas... and maybe 1 person.

[Ndawg12]

Still surprises me. Wonder if thats full of gas... and maybe 1 person.

Same here, I don't trust them numbers, coupled with the fact that my depth gauge is off by 2 feet. I get pretty uptight when my depth gauge reads less than 5 feet!!

[cyoda44]

I would think typical manufacturer BS... empty boat, no gas, no driver, no options and no motor! It's like OH... our truck get 56 miles a gallon. Yea.. on a long downhill with the engine off!!

[zad0030]

Still surprises me. Wonder if thats full of gas... and maybe 1 person.

Same here, I don't trust them numbers, coupled with the fact that my depth gauge is off by 2 feet. I get pretty uptight when my depth gauge reads less than 5 feet!!

Does it read 2 feet shallower or deeper?

[Bill_AirJunky]

HEhe, hopefully 2' shallower. Otherwise it's just warning you that you just hit bottom.

Mine picks up milfoil & whatever plants are on the bottom too. So it could be 6' deep, with 4' long plants, and it'll say we're at 2.2'.

This time of year the beeper annoys me a lot because the water depth is so shallow. I wish I could silence it for a minute or two at a time.

[jim05rlxi]

mine does not beep but it says 1.4 feet and i haven,t hit yet key word being yet.

[JayHoy]

Still surprises me. Wonder if thats full of gas... and maybe 1 person.

Same here, I don't trust them numbers, coupled with the fact that my depth gauge is off by 2 feet. I get pretty uptight when my depth gauge reads less than 5 feet!!

I feel the same way!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Brad3607]

I am curious about this a well and will measure from my swim platform to the bottom of the rudder to see as my boat sets with the platform in the water. I wonder if they are meaning the that draft while the boat is on plane. If you are worried about the water being that shallow you must remember while taking off or slowing down the boat will drop much lower than just setting or running.

[Brad3607]

I am curious about this a well and will measure from my swim platform to the bottom of the rudder to see as my boat sets with the platform in the water. I wonder if they are meaning the that draft while the boat is on plane. If you are worried about the water being that shallow you must remember while taking off or slowing down the boat will drop much lower than just setting or running.

[crescentbar]

Just did a google search on the term "Draft". It states most small boat, pleasure craft manufacturers use the bare minimum amount of water to float an empty boat. No fuel, people, gear etc.

However the term Draft in a large ship usually is measured using 1/2 of it's payload capacity.

[VinRLX]

I am looking to purchase a 2002 Sunsetter. I have found one (non-malibu) website that said the draft is 16 inches.

Does anyone have the actual Malibu specs from a brochure or manual to confirm for me?

Thanks

DP

Malibu's draft numbers used to be unrealistically low. Don't know if they measured (incorrectly) from the hull bottom to bottom of prop or just got caught up in some sort of shallow draft competition with other manufacturers. Regardless, they changed their measurements several years ago--and a Response, with an unchanged hull, went from 16" draft to 22" draft.

People talking about depth finder readings bring in more variables. You have to question the accuracy of the unit, the comparability from one to another, AND you have to realized the sounder shoots from the bottom of the hull, NOT the water line.

The 16" draft number you found for a 2002 Sunsetter is ABSOLUTELY INCORRECT, IMHO. You need 24" minimum to float that thing without bending your prop. But I wouldn't recommend clicking into gear with 3 people in the boat and half a tank of gas in 24" of water...

Edited September 25, 2009 by VinRLX

[edgeski1]

That is exactly it, Draft measurement use to be from the bottom of the boat, not the swim platform. This is the depth meter measurement. Now draft measurements are from the waterline