Capt. JG wrote:

"JimC" wrote in message
. net...


What would the shallow draft have to do with it?

Because if you have a 1.5-ft draft (with the dagger board pulled up), you
don't have to worry so much about staying in a channel (between the red
and green markers, or whatever). - You can temporarily pull over a few
feet outside the channel to a shallower portion of the waterway out of the
way of larger vessels with deeper drafts. As I said, I don't know the
exact layout of the situation you were in, so it may or may not have been
a factor in your situation. (Once more, it may or may not have been a
factor in your situation.) - But in some cases, larger boats are limited
to a marked channel or to sections of a waterway deep enough for their
deeper draft, whereas a shallow-draft boat can maneuver through shallower
sections and thereby skirt around or otherwise avoid deep-draft boats
heading down a channel. Or, it can simply edge along slowly for a few
minutes outside the channel until the other boats are gone. - Not the
safest thing to do, but if it gets you out of the way of a large, fast
boat that doesn't see you, it may be better than getting run over.

Jim


Why would I have my dagger board pulled up in storm conditions?


In my case, there are multiple choices. - Dagger board all the way down
(5.5-ft draft), all the way up (1.5-ft draft), or anything in between.
If I had been in your situation, as understood, I would have had the
board partially down, providing perhaps 3 ft of draft, which provides
control of the boat at displacement speeds but which would also permit
it to to be temporarily maneuvered into shallower waters out of the path
of oncoming, deeper draft vessels. Alternatively, one could rely on the
speeds available with the large motor to get out of their way. My point
is that options are available that wouldn't be available with a
conventional, fixed-keel, hull-speed-limited vessel.

Jim