Boat Slip Water Depth
 

I've got a 2001 Mariah Diablo that I purchased last summer and just trailored to and from the lake. I'm looking into a dock / boat slip for the summer. The ones I'm looking at and are cheaper have a water depth of 2 feet and 3 feet. Do either of these depths sound reasonable for a boat like mine? I'm not sure how low my boat actually sits in the water and I don't want to not be able to get in and out of my slip.

Re: Boat Slip Water Depth
 

sounds shallow to me. I would want 4 to keep the prop out of the mud

Re: Boat Slip Water Depth
 

3' maybe, but not 2'

Re: Boat Slip Water Depth
 

Draft for a 180/200 Diablo is 34" with the drive down. 2ft wont cut it and 3ft is cutting it too close.

Re: Boat Slip Water Depth
 

I’ll tell you that I need at least 0.6m below the keel. That’s 2' in Old English ;)
So with displacement you'd need at least a good 3' of water if you've got the leg down :wink_thumbup:

Re: Boat Slip Water Depth
 

Just been out and measured mine.
if you look here.

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/v...309_115811.jpg

The water level at rest is just below the ladder. From the ladder to the bottom of the skeg with the leg down (Volvo SX) is exactly 3ft

Re: Boat Slip Water Depth
 

Thanks for the comments everyone. I think the 2' slip is definitely out. I'm waiting to hear if they have 4' deep slips and what those cost. 3' is also the minimum they're promising, depending on water levels it could actually be higher so maybe I'll be safe (considering all the rain this spring, that is certainly possible). It looks like a couple of you are doing fine in 3' water.

Re: Boat Slip Water Depth
 

Personally i think that 3ft is not enough. If u are carrying a couple of extra passengers or a load of toys/kids etc you will have to be very careful entering & exiting that slip. Forget once and you could be replacing a prop....

Re: Boat Slip Water Depth
 

I ended up doing that twice last summer at $75 a pop :(

I'll get deeper if it's possible and the cost isn't a ton more.

Re: Boat Slip Water Depth
 

Ah you guys and your lakes, The luxury of fixed water depths at the boat ramps.
You should come over here and try doing it on a tidal slipway with a 4 meter range that dries out too nothing at low water :rolleyes:

Re: Boat Slip Water Depth
 

Is there a chance of wave action by boats or wind?

Re: Boat Slip Water Depth
 

This area is in a channel between two bigger lakes. Wave action should be pretty low.

Re: Boat Slip Water Depth
 

I guess timing is important for you then.

I launch at a well protected ramp in Wiarton, Ontario, Canada.
Two years ago it was iffy at 3 feet.
Last year the town "dredged" it with an excavator and kept the 3 feet despite lowering water levels in lake Huron.
Over the winter the water level dropped at least a foot and a half.
The docks are now resting on the shore and are unusable.
There is talk of dredging again, as a tinny with a 9.9 would be all you could launch right now.
Slips here are now going at a premium as the local marina at least has decent depth
The only good news is thanks to the zebra mussel infestation the water is crystal clear. Visability is incredible. You'll see what you are about to hit :(
I dove from my boat last year and you could see the ugly bottom paint from 200 feet away.

Re: Boat Slip Water Depth
 

here's what i have to deal with


http://easytide.ukho.gov.uk/EASYTIDE...ictionLength=7

todays chart

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/v...t/untitled.png

Re: Boat Slip Water Depth
 

If the lakes I run in dropped and raised by 4 meters, boats would be held up by dock cleats and floating over the dock all in the same day.

We have a whack of lakes that rise in the spring. Many now have flooded waterways taking docks and boat houses with them. That's maybe a meter or two and it's a state of emergency.

I guess we are just weak...or dumb.
People build boat houses, docks etc. based on "normal" water levels......normal doesn't always work out.
We raise dams, block water, let it flow. This year it's not worked. Lots of water, really fast. Man made control doesn't work when you have multiple dams and spillways.

Mother nature always wins.

Re: Boat Slip Water Depth
 

That'll be why our docks/pontoons float :wink_thumbup:

Re: Boat Slip Water Depth
 

Just spend the extra $$ and get a 4' minimum slip. It's worth it for not having to worry about it, especially if you have any water level fluctuation with winds, traffic, etc.

On my last trip in 2012, I docked my boat in a slip that was literally 6" deep under the tip of the bow, because it was one of the only slips left, and that's where the harbor master put me. I had to raise the drive completely to get it in. Granted it was a muddy bottom and towards the stern was probably around 3ft, but it definitely wasn't a comfortable feeling going in, or getting out.

Re: Boat Slip Water Depth
 

Does the slip come with a complementary "no diving" sign!?

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Re: Boat Slip Water Depth
 

Not sure i'd want to dive into that! :eek_animated:

Re: Boat Slip Water Depth
 

My father taught me how to dive when I was a kid by diving into shallow water and seeing the chiropractor regularly for the next five years. So I don't need the sign :)

The price difference between a low level dock and a deeper one is upwards of $800, which is making me rethink the whole boat slips thing. Trailering is a PITA but another $2k in my pocket is not.