Running Shallow

2ndCurse · #1 07-08-2008, 08:49 PM

How shallow can a V20 run? I was out on a 25' boat this weekend and was amazed how shallow it could run. He had a Porta Bracket and could could go skinnier than I would ever attempt. Has anyone set up their V to run skinny? Thanks

macojoe · #2 07-08-2008, 09:22 PM

I could float in a foot of water, and as long as I went idle speed move around to.

tsubaki · #3 07-09-2008, 04:42 AM

Back when my father owned the boat with a 140hp on it, he would bump across the bars to get into inlets. The bow would be slightly lower than the stern, with the motor trimmed up he said he would literally bump the bow across the bars with the combination of the waves washing in and the motors forward push.
Now I have the boat with a hydraulic jack plate and haven't taken the time for real sea or shallow water trials.
What MJ said sounds about right, I'm real interested to see what goes on with the jack plate also.

csvencer · #4 07-09-2008, 06:43 AM

Kind of on topic...and will most definetly make me sound stupid but whats the best way to run aground??? Ex...."honey why are those crab pots half way out of the water??"" ahh **** were not gonna make it.

Is it better to slow down as easy as allowed? Throw it in neutral while raising the engine? Keep it on plane and hope to skip across? Thoughts.

-Svence

Pipe_Dream · #5 07-09-2008, 06:50 AM

Somewhere around here is a spec sheet on the V-20 -- maybe in the history section. I believe that draft with the engine up was around 15-16". Next time I have my boat out on the trailer (maybe around Christmas) I'll measure from the waterline to the bottom of the hull.

Seacrets · #6 07-09-2008, 07:31 AM

Spec sheet shows 18" w/engine up, 31" engine down. I run a 23' Carolina Skiff and I draft 6" engine up and I can run in 18".

C YENSEN · #7 07-09-2008, 08:53 AM

i was floating in 1.2 feet of water last weekend according to the depth finder. or should i say i was lost in the shallows and couldn't find my way out for over an hour.

Airslot · #8 07-09-2008, 09:22 AM

I spend way too much time in shallow water. I can run across 15''s, anything less gets real scary.

As for the best way to run aground...when I see its gonna happen, I will pull back on the throttle smoothly but quickly to soften the blow. There are spots that I know are shallow that I run across and I just keep it on top...

Blue_Runner · #9 07-09-2008, 11:37 AM

Last trip we made the mistake of going up creek at dead low. I knew this spot could get hairy...plus to get to the prime location you go WAY up the creek - approximately 1.5 miles. Well, long story short me and buddy ended up pushing it about 1/3 of the way. At one point we ended up like this at each other:

because we couldn't seem to find a way out of one spot and were thinking we might have to stay there until the tide came in. Not fun. Finally got it pushed across.

We would push for a while until it seemed deep enough, then hop in and run to the next shallow spot and repeat the process.

We did catch some flatties once we got there though. We went 4 for 11 on keeper/throwback ratio.

It was no Macojoe day, that is for sure!

randlemanboater · #10 07-09-2008, 11:52 AM

I think that with the deadrise of the V-20 that it probably draws almost as much water on plane as at rest.

And remember, if your depthfinder says 1.2 feet, you have to ad 18" because the transducer is that far in the water to start with.

As for running aground, I agree with AS, SLOW DOWN so you dont knock your motor off the back.