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

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

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.

"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

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?

Richard J Kinch wrote:
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?

It sounds like you are going past the trim range, into the tilt range,
if you are breaking the surface with the prop. This is VERY hard on the
u-joints.

Rob

trainfan1 writes:

Isn't that the limit I mean?

It sounds like you are going past the trim range, into the tilt range,
if you are breaking the surface with the prop. This is VERY hard on the
u-joints.

I see. The Alpha stern drive has two upper limits depending on the switch
applied. Nothing in my user's manual mentioned this being a problem for U-
joints.

"Richard J Kinch" wrote in message
...
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?

Not at the trailer position. The trim limit is the point at which you have
to use the trailer up switch. If you ever have a drive off, or see one in a
shop, look at what the full up angle does to the u-joints. It puts a
terrific strain on them to run above the trim limit. Have seen them blown
out, even at idle.
Dan

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.

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.