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2001 Sunsetter VLX - How shallow is too shallow?


smarty39

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I've done some searching but have come up with different answers.  My boat is an 01' Sunsetter VLX which has a stated draft of 18" (but I assume that is bone dry).  The water level at our lake is low this year and our slip where the lift is located is currently only about 24".  My question is, with a full tank of gas and regular accessories (life jackets, batteries, etc), what is the actual depth I can go?  I assume I can go quite low if it isn't running, and that is my backup plan, just push it off the lift and walk it out a few feet to get to deeper water.

Thanks in advance!

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It might float at 24" but I wouldn't do anything at all with the prop running at that depth.  That 18" draft is a bogus number.  The prop is 13.5" across, sits a good inch below the hull, and from hull base to platform, which on an SSVLX will be right on the water is at least 8 inches.  Your walk-on walk-off idea is the only way to go and only if the bottom is soft and it's not wavy.

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I used to ski in the Houston shipping channels with a friend.  Coming home  in 18" water we routinely stirred things up.  I would definetly not be running hot in anything less than 3 feet.

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