Can someone finally tell me what draft I have?

[Cool Hand Luke]

I have a 2011 Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 409 and to this day I still don't know what draft I have...

According to Sailboat Data:

https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/su...y-409-jeanneau

My draft is:
Draft (max): 6.89 ft / 2.10 m
OR...
Shoal draft: 1.55m/5.09'

Marina friends tell me that there's no way that my draft is almost 7 feet... but, I also don't think it's 5 feet. See photo attached...

What say ye?

[chowdan]

Definitely 7footer unless that person is a 4ft or shorter.

If you know your height, put a mark on the hull with a sharpie and measure up/down

[PirateGuy]

Don’t you know how to use a tape measure?

[Muaddib1116]

It's pretty easy to measure when the boat's on the hard. Measure from the waterline at the keel down to the ground and subtract the height of the block under the keel. If you suspect the boat is crooked, measure each side and split the difference.

[Cool Hand Luke]

Originally Posted by chowdan

Definitely 7footer unless that person is a 4ft or shorter.

If you know your height, put a mark on the hull with a sharpie and measure up/down

I agree... right??? The guy is a little shorter than me and I'm 6-foot even. I think the actual keel is less than 6 feet, but the actual DRAFT is 7 foot, since the water level goes up to the top of the blue paint (as in photo).

Originally Posted by PirateGuy

Don’t you know how to use a tape measure?

Haha... very true! Good point. But it's hard to use tape measure to the water line when the boat is NOT in the water and the bottom of the keel is NOT touching the ground. But you're right, a tape measure would help.

But, also... the tape measure would have to be vertical, otherwise the angle would distort the distance/length.

Originally Posted by Muaddib1116

It's pretty easy to measure when the boat's on the hard. Measure from the waterline at the keel down to the ground and subtract the height of the block under the keel. If you suspect the boat is crooked, measure each side and split the difference.

Good call! But it wasn't on the hard... they just pulled it for a powerwash and then threw her back in the water immediately.

But yeah... it's tough to get a straight, truthful reading.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by Cool Hand Luke

...
But yeah... it's tough to get a straight, truthful reading.

No, not really. Not if you actually want to know.



You can also measure it in the water. Anchor somewhere shallow.


Second question. Do you KNOW what depth sounder reading = touching? Often they are NOT calibrated to the waterline.

[PirateGuy]

Yep, you don’t want to measure on the angle from waterline to tip of keel - unless you also can measure that angle, and a little trig will give you the vertical actual draft.
It really shouldn’t be a biggie measuring the vertical distance with the boat hauled out and maybe using a ladder. The Dune fan guy (loved the book) was patient enough to give you all the possible little details to get it right.
Pirates are too busy swiving maids and guzzling rum (actually beer these days) to be more than somewhat useful wiseguys - aaaargh.

[Jim Cate]

The minor error in draft measurements that is caused by the tape not being absolutely vertical will not make any significant difference in your pilotage. That is, it will be on the order of fractional inches, and this is sorta similar to changes in draft caused by lading. Tanks, crew, equipment, beer... changes it such items will cause larger errors than the difference which worries you in the measurement.

Be realistic: if you know your draft to an accuracy of +/- a couple of inches, that's all you need for any pilotage decisions you may make.

Jim

[Spider0804]

All you do is measure from the waterline to the ground....then measure the height of the blocks under the keel and subtract that from your first measurement.

Simple.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Cool Hand Luke

I have a 2011 Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 409 and to this day I still don't know what draft I have...

According to Sailboat Data:

https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/su...y-409-jeanneau

My draft is:
Draft (max): 6.89 ft / 2.10 m
OR...
Shoal draft: 1.55m/5.09'

Marina friends tell me that there's no way that my draft is almost 7 feet... but, I also don't think it's 5 feet. See photo attached...

What say ye?

Attachment 226228

Its out of water, get out a tape measure

[tkeithlu]

There's an assumption in some posts above that the ground is level. To get it with more precision, Use a line level (the little jobbies that hang on a string). Run a line from under the keel out to a stake beside the boat. Hang the level on it and level the string. Then tape a string just above the waterline and above the horizontal string. Run it vertically (using a level) to the ground at the horizontal string. Measure. Then mark the side of the hull with a few small load lines, since you don't know quite where the waterline is given different loads on the boat. Adjust your depth sounder to take your draft into account.

Now you can look at the depth sounder and know exactly when to say "OH SH*T!"

[sailjumanji]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

Its out of water, get out a tape measure

Also a great time for him to measure his depth transducer offset.

[chris mac]

Knowing your draft is important, but so is knowing your offset.
For example, our draft is 4'6, but we touch ground when the depth gauge reads 3'2"
Both are critical knowledge

[Spot]

It is plausible to think your draft is almost 7 feet.
This is easier to do when the plans have a drawn waterline that extends past the hull.

[Zzmeyer]

Jeanneau's tend to have deep (standard) draft. My 42DS had a 7 foot draft, same as my Beneteau Sense 50. My 349 is 6'6". You might find an area with 6'11" of water and see if you can run aground.