Boat Length

[rbh1515]

I have a stupid question, but it is something someone asked me today down at the dock and I didn''t know.
On a sailboat with an outboard rudder, does the boat''s official length over all (LOA) include the rudder or just the hull?
Rob
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[Jeff_H]

Traditionally LOA was measured from the point that the line of the deck met the line of the stem to the point that the line of the transom met the deck. With reversed transoms, this convention eventually was altered to the length of hull from the stem to the furthest aft point on the transom. An outboard rudder would not extend the LOA any more than it would the waterline length.

That said, today, you see ads and the like that include all kinds of corruptions of traditional definitions. You see LOA''s that include the length of bowsprits and boomkins, davits and any other projection fore and aft. In my book that is just plain disingenuous and shows a lack of honesty on the part of the advertisers.

Jeff

[walt123]

One consideration here is that most Marinas take the total overall length of your boat including the rudder, steering vane, swimming platform and Bowspirit in computing the total length for slip charging. LOA means different things depending on your view

[lamontj]

Don''t know if this helps, but the American Sail Training Association defines LOA as "the length between the forward end of the stern post and the after end of the stem. It does not include the bowsprit, pulpit, or any other extention at the bow or stern."

Jeff