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Article on True Draft

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Robert C. Lindenberger
<div>As Lenny mentioned, I contacted Pete Brown and Warren Pandy to
discuss the true draft of the Brewer Morgan 38s. As you will
read in more detail in the Newsletter, Morgan did not add any
additional ballast to the keel of the 38x series. Unfortunately,
I was not able to get the information concerning draft that I
wanted. Apparently, it does not exist. I would like to develop
a table which will compare the draft to the displacement. Unless
anyone has such a comparison, I will need to obtain a scaled copy
of the "lines drawing" which has cross sections of the different
stations. Anyone who has a copy of these drawings that they
could share with me (or who would be willing to calculate the
volume of the boat below the waterline at different drafts)
please post a note to the BB.Lastly, my appologies for taking so long on the article, I
obtained some other information about the 38x that was quite
different to what I had previously believed and it took me awhile
to resolve some of my questions.
</div>
 
Jay,I have commented on the following somewhere else on the board, but to repeat here goes. I have measured the draft of Vixen(382 hull #74)using two levels and a 2 by 4, the measurement is 5ft 4 inch. This is to the factory waterline mark on the hull.This is more or less confirmed by the polor diagrams from U S Sailing. I don't have my copy of that at this location but there expressed draft is 5 Ft plus a decimal which was 3 plus inches(closer to 4) If you want this decimal let me know and I will find it and advise. Happy Sailing
 
Dick. Thanks for the imput. Njord is also at about 5' 4". I would like to be able to determine what the displace of the vessel at any given draft. Does the US Sailing measurement indicate the displacement of the vessel at that draft? Again, Thanks for the help.
 
Dick's report of draft is important in one regard: Morgan always listed the draft of the M-38X boats as five feet. In fact, for the water lines the company painted on them (and where most of the boats actually settled with a bit of a load), the draft was about four inches greater than that. My M-383 (hull #15) is the same. Morgan probably wanted to stay within the "magic" five feet shoal draft limit for those who worry about thin water--at least on paper, that is!
 
Lenny, I can mail you the page from U.S. sailing describing the Morgans. Displacment in U.S. sailing IMS measurement listing is all over the map for lots of the boats--not just th morgan. Plus one of the measured Morgan 382' has an outboard, it says. Anyway, I will send it and you will see that the displacement numbers are all different and, if I recall correctly, all are less than 17,000 pounds. I have a 6' draft boat--consciously chosen because Brewer said I would have slightly better up wind performance (who knows?) but I do not know what my true draft is. I figure if I am in less than 8 feet of water, I am in too close. I am not sure I care what my true draft is. Should I?
 
Terry -- You ask should you really care about your "true draft." My answer -- only if you're as fanatical as some of the rest of us! I guess that to know our "five foot" draft boats really draw around five-four can be helpful in deciding whether to approach a dock at low water, or whether to go up a tributary in the Chesapeake. I donno, I'm just a fanatic...
 
Terry. The title is a little misleading. I know what my true draft is, 5'4". What I would like to know is, what is my true displacement. I think that it is important (at lest somewhat) to know what your displacment currently is and what is was when the boat was designed.
 
Next time you haul out, ask the lift operator to tell you the weight. Make sure your vessel is loaded as you use it.

 
Jim. My yard does not have a hydraulic travel lift, so they do not have the capability to correlate hydraulic pressure to weight of the vessel. I am assuming this is the method you are referring to. If you have weighed your vessel and know the draft, please post these messurements on the BB. Thanks for the help.
 
Draft and weight both vary with every vessel. My 38 will not weigh the same as yours. The draft is 6 feet and I'm sure it was that initially, but now it probably 6'4". When it was last hauled it weighed 21500 lbs. loaded.
 
Xanadu is a 5' draft 1984 Hull # 047 Built in Dec 1983 with a 4108 Perkins, 40 gallons of fuel, 60 gallons water in the strbd settee, 40 gallons water in the bow, 300' of 5/16" Hi-Test chain in the bow, 200 lbs of dinghy and motor on the davits, and loaded for 6 months of food and supplies in the Exumas. The Travel Lift at Green Cove Springs,Fla weighted us at 22,000 lbs Almost completely unloaded on haul-out we tipped the scales at 19,500 lbs with empty tanks. Hope this might help you for comparisons
 
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