I like to tell people I'm spoiled, my last few boats have been pretty
close to perfect. Right now we have two, both are relatively shoal
draft. The "big boat" is a 36' trawler that draws about 3' 6" (1.1m)
and the other is a sailboat with a ballasted daggerboard that draws
10" to 5'.

We sail & cruise mostly the south-east coast of the US, including the
NC river & sounds, often visit the Chesapeake. I know a lot of people
with much deeper draft boats that say, "We can go anywhere we want to"
but of course the key is that they don't want to go a lot of the same
places we do... that's good, cuts down on the crowding!

One of the biggest (and often overlooked) benefit of shoal draft for a
cruiser is the wide range in choice of anchorage. A shallower boat can
get closer in to good shelter, can choose different holding ground,
can swing very securely in a much smaller circle on much shorter
tackle.

Another benefit of shoal draft for small/medium sailboats is that they
can sit on trailers, avoiding slip fees, more secure in hurricanes,
and can reach new cruising grounds dead to windward at 50 knots.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King