Bahamas & ICW with 5''-8"

[el]

Most of the sailboats that I like draw between 5''-6" & 6''-0". Two at the top of my list draw 5''-8". How much of a problem will this really pose in the Bahamas and ICW.

thanks
el

[Jeff_H]

I have known people who cruised the Bahamas and ICW in boats drawing as much as 7 feet but it definately requires more care in navigation and patience with the tides. Once you get over around 5 feet you begin to lose some places that you can easily enter in the Bahamas. Still 5''8 is not terrible.

Jeff

[Jeff_H]

BTW: Most Tayana 37''s end up drawing well over 6 feet when fully loaded. The published 5''8 was a little optomistic and at least when my folks were looking at Tayana 37''s in the ealy 1980''s were told that the 5''8 draft supposedly represented an empty boat but that T-37''s were actually deeper when empty.

Regards
Jeff

[fourknots]

I second what Jeff said. I had 5'' and still ran aground in the ICW and Bahamas, but it wasn''t too much of a problem. I have 6 now, and I know I couldn''t go to some of the places I went to before.

[Charbonneau]

We''ve sailed the entire east coast and Bahamas for the last 3.5 years aboard our Island Packet 40, Charbonneau. Fully loaded we draw around 5''6" and have never felt cheated out of anchorages because of draft. Play the tides, take your time, and almost all anchorages are available to you that are available to other monohulls. Don''t try and act like a catamaran and you''ll have a great time. I''d worry more about the anchoring gear and techniques you''ll use rather than draft.

Happy cruising,

Blaine, Janet, Max & Bailey Parks
http://www.SailCharbonneau.com