Question - shallow water operation
 

I just bought a place with a dock on a creek that provides direct access to
the river. The creek is wide, 700 feet or so, and the water level is fairly
stable and doesn't drop below about 30" at the end of the dock. I am not
familiar with shallow water operation of a sterndrive motor, and I am
looking at purchasing a different boat with the sterndrive. The boat I am
considering has a draft of 18" with the drive up, but a maximum draft of 36"
with the drive down. How far can you safely trim up the outdrive at low
speed on a sterndrive? Does this sound like it can work or am I barking up
the wrong tree?

All help greatly appreciated!

Tom

Question - shallow water operation
 

"Who??? Me????" wrote in message
news:vdh0g.100964$oL.42433@attbi_s71...
I just bought a place with a dock on a creek that provides direct access to
the river. The creek is wide, 700 feet or so, and the water level is
fairly
stable and doesn't drop below about 30" at the end of the dock. I am not
familiar with shallow water operation of a sterndrive motor, and I am
looking at purchasing a different boat with the sterndrive. The boat I am
considering has a draft of 18" with the drive up, but a maximum draft of
36"
with the drive down. How far can you safely trim up the outdrive at low
speed on a sterndrive? Does this sound like it can work or am I barking
up
the wrong tree?

All help greatly appreciated!

Tom

You should not run above the "trimmed up" position. The drive will not go
up any further than that unless you use the "trailer"
switch position and raise it all the way as they all have a "trim limiter"
switch to let you know. Dan

Question - shallow water operation
 

If the prop is not out of the water and you go gently on the throttle, it
will get you to deeper water easy enough so you can trim down. Too much
throttle with the drive way up and you'll cavitate and go nowhere fast.

Good luck with the new place!

--Mike

"Who??? Me????" wrote in message
news:vdh0g.100964$oL.42433@attbi_s71...
I just bought a place with a dock on a creek that provides direct access to
the river. The creek is wide, 700 feet or so, and the water level is
fairly
stable and doesn't drop below about 30" at the end of the dock. I am not
familiar with shallow water operation of a sterndrive motor, and I am
looking at purchasing a different boat with the sterndrive. The boat I am
considering has a draft of 18" with the drive up, but a maximum draft of
36"
with the drive down. How far can you safely trim up the outdrive at low
speed on a sterndrive? Does this sound like it can work or am I barking
up
the wrong tree?

All help greatly appreciated!

Tom

Question - shallow water operation
 

Who??? Me???? writes:

How far can you safely trim up the outdrive at low speed on a sterndrive?

I routinely run with the tips of the prop rotating up above the water, such
as when approaching the ramp. You're kind of dog-paddling, and the
steering is unresponsive and unstable (the thrust vector pointing acutely
up in the air), but you can move that way, and it beats dragging the skeg.
On my Mercruiser Alpha unit, that's all the way up in the trailering
position, at the upper limit.

Question - shallow water operation
 

Who??? Me???? wrote:
I just bought a place with a dock on a creek that provides direct access to
the river. The creek is wide, 700 feet or so, and the water level is fairly
stable and doesn't drop below about 30" at the end of the dock. I am not
familiar with shallow water operation of a sterndrive motor, and I am
looking at purchasing a different boat with the sterndrive. The boat I am
considering has a draft of 18" with the drive up, but a maximum draft of 36"
with the drive down. How far can you safely trim up the outdrive at low
speed on a sterndrive? Does this sound like it can work or am I barking up
the wrong tree?

All help greatly appreciated!

Tom
Given the parameters you provided, I would be more inclined to go with
an outboard. You should be able to raise it up a bit more than a stern
drive, and still maintain reasonable control and maneuverability.

Question - shallow water operation
 

And, of course, we know you realize that as long as that driive or lower
unit is tilted up close to maximum you won't be able to go much above idle
speed, right? Depending upon the distance to deeper water you could be
spending a lot of time going very slowly.

If the entire area where you intend to boat is pretty shallow you may want
to consider a boat/motor combo designed to operate in shallow water. For
those types 30 inches of water is the norm.

Butch
"DownTime" wrote in message
m...
Who??? Me???? wrote:
I just bought a place with a dock on a creek that provides direct access
to
the river. The creek is wide, 700 feet or so, and the water level is
fairly
stable and doesn't drop below about 30" at the end of the dock. I am not
familiar with shallow water operation of a sterndrive motor, and I am
looking at purchasing a different boat with the sterndrive. The boat I
am
considering has a draft of 18" with the drive up, but a maximum draft of
36"
with the drive down. How far can you safely trim up the outdrive at low
speed on a sterndrive? Does this sound like it can work or am I barking
up
the wrong tree?

All help greatly appreciated!

Tom
Given the parameters you provided, I would be more inclined to go with an
outboard. You should be able to raise it up a bit more than a stern drive,
and still maintain reasonable control and maneuverability.

Question - shallow water operation
 

I idle around in shallows with the prop partially in the trailer position.
It's about a slow walk but if you just have to cover a few hundred feet.

"Who??? Me????" wrote in message
news:vdh0g.100964$oL.42433@attbi_s71...
I just bought a place with a dock on a creek that provides direct access to
the river. The creek is wide, 700 feet or so, and the water level is
fairly
stable and doesn't drop below about 30" at the end of the dock. I am not
familiar with shallow water operation of a sterndrive motor, and I am
looking at purchasing a different boat with the sterndrive. The boat I am
considering has a draft of 18" with the drive up, but a maximum draft of
36"
with the drive down. How far can you safely trim up the outdrive at low
speed on a sterndrive? Does this sound like it can work or am I barking
up
the wrong tree?

All help greatly appreciated!

Tom

Question - shallow water operation
 

"Richard J Kinch" wrote in message
.. .
Who??? Me???? writes:

How far can you safely trim up the outdrive at low speed on a sterndrive?

I routinely run with the tips of the prop rotating up above the water,
such
as when approaching the ramp. You're kind of dog-paddling, and the
steering is unresponsive and unstable (the thrust vector pointing acutely
up in the air), but you can move that way, and it beats dragging the skeg.
On my Mercruiser Alpha unit, that's all the way up in the trailering
position, at the upper limit.

Better have your u-joints checked often. That's why they have the trim
limit switch. Dan

Question - shallow water operation
 

Danlw writes:

On my Mercruiser Alpha unit, that's all the way up in the trailering
position, at the upper limit.

Better have your u-joints checked often. That's why they have the trim
limit switch.

Isn't that the limit I mean?

Question - shallow water operation
 

Thanks to everyone for all the great input!