If I religiously follow the
charts of Lake Erie.
The
charts are based on some obscure, probably made-up low water datum with the average depth of water being 4 feet above datum and high water marks almost a foot above that.
MY new(old), boat draws 4 feet.
ACCORDING to the
charts, since the depths are based on "low water datum", shouldn't I be able to take my boat ANYWHERE THAT THE
CHARTS SHOWS WATER existing?
The idea of using low water datum is that a 4' depth would for all intensive purposes, be some number of feet deeper(like a "safety" margin). In this case, 4 feet deeper. ANYPLACE on the chart that shows 1 foot of depth, should mean I can transit that route safely, which is plain and simple, just not true. In fact I know of many places which is shown as 1 or even 2 feet depth, where the smallest of boats(planing hulls) get stuck on the bottom all the time.
REALISTICALLY . . . shouldn't any place which has a depth of less than 3-4 feet(real-time actual depth), actually be shown as uncoverings or dry-land on the chart . . . or at the very least, a color-change exist at the lake bottom(average depth) where the low-water datum would meet the air?
THIS seems to be especially critical to me since my draft is the same as the difference in real-time depth and low-water datum.
Linear Mode
