Minimum Depth for dock

[Flowing]

Hi guys, I'm getting a used AR192 '14. I have a home without a dock yet. It looks like the depth is like 2-3'. Would that work for the time being? or likely get stuck?

Thanks

 

[Crob83]

Hi guys, I'm getting a used AR192 '14. I have a home without a dock yet. It looks like the depth is like 2-3'. Would that work for the time being? or likely get stuck?

Thanks

I don't see why not I have went down the clam river in MI in 3 feet of water for miles, the ramp and dock were definitely not any deeper. Never had any issues besides a little bit of grass from the surface of the water shooting out when I shot the water out of the box.

 

[DrPhil]

I've got a future 195S coming, and my dock guy said the most important thing is to have the right depth for the LIFT and NOT THE boat. While the boat has a very shallow draft, the lift apparently needs a sufficient depth for its mechanism which will be under the boat and its shallow draft. Hope I'm describing correctly - soon to be new yamaha boat owner...

 

[anmut]

I've got a future 195S coming, and my dock guy said the most important thing is to have the right depth for the LIFT and NOT THE boat. While the boat has a very shallow draft, the lift apparently needs a sufficient depth for its mechanism which will be under the boat and its shallow draft. Hope I'm describing correctly - soon to be new yamaha boat owner...

DrPhil is correct - your lift needs room to get down far enough to scoop your boat. You can wet slip it in 2-3' of water no problem, but that's never a good idea for long term health of your boat.

 

[EricE]

I would really only be concerned about a few things... one, how much variation is there in that depth throughout the year. You may need to be careful if your below 2'.
The other thing I would be concerned about is the material that the bottm is made of. Just at idle, the boat will suck debris up from the bottom at shallow depths. If it's mud, probably not a big deal, but a stony bottom may cause you to suck up pebbles when your only in 2' of water. There is a video by jetboatpilot that illustrates this.

Overall, I don't think you'll have much of an issue. You just may need to be cautious when docking not to overdo the throttle.
A lift needs more that 2 feet of water, so I doubt y ok u could use a lift if it's that shallow. The ones I looked at needed 4', but that was for a 21+ foot boat.

 

[marcham]

Is there any waves? Could passing boats wake cause waves and then the boat may touch the bottom? Can you extend the dock to deeper water?

The problem with 2feet is although the boat won't be on the bottom, everytime you run the engine, it will probably ingest the bottom through the pump, some of the finer silt will also go though the engine. I recall that 3 feet is the min recommended depth for running the engine.

 

[Bayou boater]

My lift, which is pictured in my profile sits in 2 feet of water. The key is to use a sling lift . Therefore, you literally only need 20 inches to get your boat in and out. The slings I use are good up to 10,000 pounds. They also do a great job of naturally making it easy to get it in and out and keeping the boat level. The steel lifts are more expensive and needs substantially more clearance.

 

[haknslash]

It will technically work. However if in a busy are of the lake it may not offer enough protection from smacking the bottom if you get big wakes and waves. It also wouldn’t be ideal depth for your engine as it could suck up stuff. Guess it depends on the kind of bottom you have on your lake if you feel safe about it.

 

[Stan M]

My lift, which is pictured in my profile sits in 2 feet of water. The key is to use a sling lift . Therefore, you literally only need 20 inches to get your boat in and out. The slings I use are good up to 10,000 pounds. They also do a great job of naturally making it easy to get it in and out and keeping the boat level. The steel lifts are more expensive and needs substantially more clearance.

Any issues with your sling lift affecting the boat hull? I have heard sometimes they can deform the hull, and although I LOVE my boat, Yamaha don't have the most sturdy of hulls.

 

[Southernerd]

Hi guys, I'm getting a used AR192 '14. I have a home without a dock yet. It looks like the depth is like 2-3'. Would that work for the time being? or likely get stuck?

Thanks

I've got an AR190 and very shallow water at my dock. It averages around 2 ft but last week it was barely a foot and a half and I didn't have any issues at all other than my boat going under my dock platform when tied off. As far as lifts, I think the only thing that will work for a stationary lift is a sling style. Pretty much every lift on my lake is a sling. I am considering a floating lift. I've be talking with some dealers and they seem to to indicate that they will work in my depth range but I've avoided those that have air pumps to raise/lower the platform since I'd assume that would create an issue with depth. Also, as some folks have mentioned, pay attention to the lake bottom. I'm lucky, all I have is packed sand without any rocks or other debris to suck up. I keep an eye on the water leaving my boat and its always clear.

 

[biffdotorg]

In Minnesota, we use Aluminum lifts and if with bunks you need at least 2-3ft of water to get the boat off the bunks.

That being said, I have seen a company sell what are called Raptor lifts. These lifts actually cradle the boat from the side and don't require full length bunks under the center of the hull.

Raptor Lifts – Raptor Lifts (raptorliftsmarine.com)

We don't have the option for sling lifts here, as they usually require permanent pilings to be installed. Our lifts must come out annually due to ice. So go check out the Raptor lift if in super shallow water. Otherwise, a jet dock or other floating lift may be your only other option.

Good luck!

 

[2kwik4u]

Didn't @Julian have some sort of inflatable soft lift? I gotta think that would in a situation like this.

 

[Julian]

Didn't @Julian have some sort of inflatable soft lift? I gotta think that would in a situation like this.

Might work....would depend on the bottom composition....wouldn't want a rocky bottom or it might punch holes in the Airdock (linked in my signature).

Also, is @Flowing is inactive since Oct 2021.....so not sure it matters.

 

[biffdotorg]

Also, is @Flowing is inactive since Oct 2021.....so not sure it matters.

Ahh, those of us that try not to tease ourselves with boating discussion during the winter months. Heck, I rode snowmobiles last night on 7" of fresh snow!

 

[Southernerd]

Ahh, those of us that try not to tease ourselves with boating discussion during the winter months. Heck, I rode snowmobiles last night on 7" of fresh snow!

Meanwhile I took this 2 weeks ago. Yet, I'm jealous you get to play in the snow.

 

[biffdotorg]

I was assembling some of my dock on shore, just so I could have a beer on it! (honestly, expanding my sundeck from 12x8 to 16x16)