Chrysler 26 Draft

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Pnwsailer
Posts: 9
Joined: Mon Sep 27, 2021 10:36 am
Location: Corvallis

Chrysler 26 Draft

Post by Pnwsailer »

I have recently purchased a Chrysler 26 and had some questions regarding the draft. Everywhere I've read states the draft is 2'3", but when measuring from the keel trunk to the painted waterline the distance looks much closer to 32" than 27". I figured maybe the paint isn't at the waterline, but pictures of the boat in the water from the previous owner show the paint barely above the water, probably less than an inch.

Is it possible the weight of the outboard, anchors, and other gear could lower the draft 5 inches!? Has anybody measured theirs? The Marina I'll be keeping my boat at has had low water levels the last several years and a 5 inch difference in draft could significantly shorten the sailing season before having to pull the boat from the water.

The more I read in the forums the more excited I am to have a Chrysler 26! The boat is actually in pretty good condition, it is just a little weathered after sitting outside in the sun for 2 years. I'm excited to get to work refinishing the teak, buffing the oxidation off the hull, re-wiring, firing up the outboard, and getting it sailing!
CLS72
Posts: 42
Joined: Mon Jul 20, 2020 7:44 pm
Location: Ontario, Canada

Re: Chrysler 26 Draft

Post by CLS72 »

congrats on your boat.
weight could be a factor, however pictures are not accurate (there could be people inside not visible, etc)
the risk is that having such a small margin for error --5"--, will expose your boat to unforeseen changes in the water/lake/river bottom (e.g. rocks, sand banks, debris, etc.) also, waves / wind can change the behaviour or your boat..... so you will need to get an alternate way to a)confirm the real draft or b)have a way to confirm and monitor the water depth when sailing in shallow areas
Pnwsailer
Posts: 9
Joined: Mon Sep 27, 2021 10:36 am
Location: Corvallis

Re: Chrysler 26 Draft

Post by Pnwsailer »

The boat has both a depth sounder and a fish finder, so I'm hoping to be able to closely monitor the depth. The Marina is located on the muddy shore of a lake, so waves shouldn't be an issue outside of wake from other boats and a bump to the bottom hopefully wouldn't result in damage.

Last year I sailed a boat with a 18" draft (keel up) and my slip spent the majority of the summer between 3-3.5ft. It started losing a couple of inches a week during our heat wave and I took the boat out at 2.5ft. This year I'm hoping to get a better/deeper slip, but a 5" difference in draft makes a huge difference when it comes to comfortable wiggle room.

I guess ultimately I'll just have to launch it and see, it's possible the boat was listing in the previous owners pictures. I'm just shocked there's such a difference between the measured draft and what the stated draft is, 27" would nearly have the top of the rudder out of the water.

I don't have a truck to tow it and the current used truck prices are through the roof, I was hoping to wait out buying a tow vehicle until this winter or next spring. I'll try to get the best slip I can when they call me for renewal and I'll just hope that come spring time the draft is closer to 27" than 32".... If anybody has any thoughts or measurements it'll hopefully ease my mind until then.
Erbardy
Posts: 29
Joined: Sun Aug 09, 2020 1:29 am

Re: Chrysler 26 Draft

Post by Erbardy »

When I had the boat on the crane I went ahead and measured the draft one crank at the time of the swing heal. I can share those numbers if you want me to
Pnwsailer
Posts: 9
Joined: Mon Sep 27, 2021 10:36 am
Location: Corvallis

Re: Chrysler 26 Draft

Post by Pnwsailer »

I'm primarily interested in the draft with the keel fully retracted, but I'd appreciate any numbers you've got!
Erbardy
Posts: 29
Joined: Sun Aug 09, 2020 1:29 am

Re: Chrysler 26 Draft

Post by Erbardy »

I measured the draft as a function of swing keel winch location while my C26 was on straps. The numbers below include when the keel is all the way up (0 rotations) to the keel being all the way down (16 rotations). Here were my findings.

Winch Handle Rotations Draft (feet)
0 2.33
1 2.92
2 3.25
3 3.50
4 3.83
5 4.08
6 4.33
7 4.67
8 4.92
9 5.17
10 5.42
11 5.67
12 5.83
13 6.08
14 6.33
15 6.58
16 6.67
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