Shoal Draft Cruisers

[Sue & Larry]

Can you tell me which cruising monohulls have a draft of about four feet

Sue & Larry respond:
Thanks for your question. Actually, there aren't that many cruising monohulls larger than 30 feet that meet this criteria. Boat designers always face the difficulty of giving the consumer a shallow draft vessel while maintaining that craft's performance and safety. The keel on a cruising boat provides stability, righting moment, and the lateral resistance needed to enable a boat to sail to weather. Centerboard keels and wing keels have both been design solutions to address the dilemma of draft vs. performance.

Nonetheless, our favorite boats in the 30 to 40-foot range that come close to meeting your criteria are as follows:

Tartan 37—4’2" draft

Bristol 35.5—3’9" draft

Block Island 40—4’2" draft

Hinckley Bermuda 40—4’2" draft

Morgan Out Island 41—4’2" draft

Pearson 35—3’9" draft

Nonsuch 30—4’0" draft

Freedom Cat Ketch—33 3’6" draft

Tartan 34—3’11" draft

If you’re looking at these models, be aware that some were built with deeper-draft versions as well. Regarding newer boats, you might want to take a look at the Shannon Shoalsailor 32. It sports a draft of 30" with its dagger boards raised. And the new Pacific Seacraft 34 has a draft of 4’1".

Have fun boat shopping.