1979 f26 draft

trojanmanXS · Post by **trojanmanXS** » Mon Aug 08, 2011 9:09 pm

curious here as the water level goes down even more , how much water does this boat need "in general" to move in? I hear 3 1/2' others say 2' what do you that have them notice is the level required ?

captainmaniac · Post by **captainmaniac** » Mon Aug 08, 2011 9:52 pm

Trojan brochure for 1979 reports draft for an F26 to be 27". You probably need more because of waterlogging after 30+years, extra crap accumulated aboard, weight of passengers, fuel, water, etc,....

You might squeak by with 30", but that's touch and go..... and when you hit reverse you will be sucking all the crap off the bottom into your cooling water intake. Impellers, thermostats, and in general engines don't really like that.

I wouldn't try to operate in anything less than 36" (4' preferred) for your configuration. Remember : if someone dumps a cinder block into 36" of water, you only have 24" to work with (and you need more than that if you hit it right/wrong)! If you have to operate in less, get touchy-feely with the gears. Touch in, neutral and drift as far as you can ... then touch in and back to neutral again... until you get where you are going.

foofer b · Post by **foofer b** » Wed Aug 10, 2011 9:42 pm

3' with no waves 4' to be safe. In a pinch have all aboard go to the very bow!!! It saved me in a grounding on a scuba diving trip.

randyp · Post by **randyp** » Thu Aug 11, 2011 9:12 pm

Yup. What they said.