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05-03-2016, 08:18 PM
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#1
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Veteran Member
City: Grosse Ile
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 83
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What is boat length measured?
In searching for a new boat I'll see "boat length" or "nominal length." Since most boats that interest me have a bow pulpit or over hanging anchor at bow & swim platform at stern, are these figured into advertised length of a boat? I like to see LWL (length at water line).
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05-03-2016, 08:45 PM
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#2
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Guru
City: West Coast
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,790
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There are at least 4 different ways to quantify boat length:
1) Documented length -- I don't know the formula, but I believe it excludes swim steps and bow pulpits.
2) Length overall (LOA) -- this is what most marinas (at least on west coast of US, Canada and mexico) base their slip fees on, and is often used by owners to describe the size of their boat;
3) Length at water line (LWL) -- probably most useful, but least used,
and
4) manufacturer's "designation" (like a 550, implying 55 feet) -- practices are wildly inconsistent between manufacturers with many "stretching" (even beyond LOA), but a few, inexplicably, understating.
For an apples to apples comparison, I would suggest documented length or LWL
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05-03-2016, 08:48 PM
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#3
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Wannabe
City: SF Bay Area
Vessel Name: Stillwater
Vessel Model: Kadey-Krogen 54
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 782
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MYTraveler
There are at least 4 different ways to quantify boat length:
1) Documented length -- I don't know the formula, but I believe it excludes swim steps and bow pulpits.
2) Length overall -- this is what most marinas (at least on west coast of US, Canada and mexico) base their slip fees on;
3) Length at water line -- probably most useful, but least used,
and
4) manufacturers "designation" -- practices are wildly inconsistent between manufacturers with many "stretching" but a few, inexplicably, understating.
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I have heard your definition of 1) described as Length on Deck (LOD).
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05-03-2016, 09:09 PM
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#4
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Guru
City: Here
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 2,940
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Documented length (Register length in Canada) is measured from the inner part of the stem to the foremost edge of the rudder stock. I'm a Transport Canada Appointed Tonnage Measurer.
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05-03-2016, 09:19 PM
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#5
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Guru
City: Campbell River
Vessel Name: Okisollo
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 783
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Quote:
Originally Posted by boatpoker
Documented length (Register length in Canada) is measured from the inner part of the stem to the foremost edge of the rudder stock. I'm a Transport Canada Appointed Tonnage Measurer.
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Unless they have changed since the '70s, if you had a sternpost they
measured to it.
Still valid?
Ted
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05-03-2016, 09:27 PM
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#6
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Guru
City: Sidney
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 2,258
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Britannia
I have heard your definition of 1) described as Length on Deck (LOD).
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And centre line length.
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05-03-2016, 09:29 PM
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#7
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Guru
City: Campbell River
Vessel Name: Okisollo
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 783
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When referring to smaller (runabout size etc.) boats there was a
difference between Canadian or American measurements.
Canadian used the centerline length, American measured from
the bowstem to the transom around the gun'ell.
Ted
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05-03-2016, 09:37 PM
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#8
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Guru
City: Sidney
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 2,258
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ted;
American measured from
the bowstem to the transom around the gun'ell.
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Ah yes, the old take the long way from A to B and use a rubber tape.
If I'm not mistaken Bayliner started that one.
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05-03-2016, 09:42 PM
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#9
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Guru
City: Campbell River
Vessel Name: Okisollo
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 783
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I don't know who started it, but it was in use in a book of
plans by Mechanics Illustrated from mid 1950s.
Ted
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05-03-2016, 09:43 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
City: Perth
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 374
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So many different methods.
You would have to think that C.L.(centreline) from the actual bow to stern of the hull - disregarding bow spit, duck board , pulpit and pushpit etc. would be the only true indication of the vessels length.
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05-03-2016, 09:47 PM
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#11
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Guru
City: Sidney
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 2,258
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ted
I don't know who started it, but it was in use in a book of plans by Mechanics Illustrated from mid 1950s.
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That leaves me hangin' on by a thread then. Bayliner started production in 1957.
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05-03-2016, 09:49 PM
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#12
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Guru
City: Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Vessel Name: Xanadu
Vessel Model: Mainship 37 Motor Yacht
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 2,472
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My Mainship 37 is 41' 4" if I measure from the aftmost bumper molding on the swimstep to the forwardmost edge of the forward-angled bow pulpit rail. If I'm checking into a marina that charges by the foot I'm a 37. If I'm boasting, I'm a 41 or 42.
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05-03-2016, 09:58 PM
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#13
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Wannabe
City: SF Bay Area
Vessel Name: Stillwater
Vessel Model: Kadey-Krogen 54
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 782
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It's all a question of why you want to measure the boat. If it's to fit in a slip then you need to include pulpit and swim step. If you want to show off to friends that's a good number too, rounded up of course! If you want an idea of the speed then waterline length is the most interesting. In fact, the LOD or CL is the least interesting in some ways. It gives you an idea of how big the boat is from a livability perspective, but to be of any use you really need to include beam and cabin height (and double decking if any).
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05-03-2016, 11:31 PM
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#14
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Guru
City: Seattle
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 1,142
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I just wish there was not only some consistency from builder to builder, but that builders would also share how they denominate their boats. I have seen boats listed as a "34" or "52" but when looking at the measurements, LOD, LOA, LWL, whatever, not a single one of them will be 52! With Krogen, they clearly list their models by LOD and make it plain that is what they have done. I wish more builders did the same.
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05-04-2016, 12:09 AM
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#15
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Guru
City: Port Ludlow
Vessel Name: Fiddler
Vessel Model: DeFever 46
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 703
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The state of WA limits the use of their mooring buoys to boats 45' in length. My boat is a DeFever 46' but the length at the waterline is 43 and change, so how the boat is measured is important. I emailed the parks and rec dept for an answer and they stated that they go by whatever length is on the registration, so I am SOL for using state mooring buoys.
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05-04-2016, 01:02 AM
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#16
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Guru
City: Here
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 2,940
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ted
Unless they have changed since the '70s, if you had a sternpost they
measured to it.
Still valid?
Ted
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I received my training in 1999. Don't know about the seventies.
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05-04-2016, 01:04 AM
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#17
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Guru
City: Here
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 2,940
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Quote:
Originally Posted by drb1025
The state of WA limits the use of their mooring buoys to boats 45' in length. My boat is a DeFever 46' but the length at the waterline is 43 and change, so how the boat is measured is important. I emailed the parks and rec dept for an answer and they stated that they go by whatever length is on the registration, so I am SOL for using state mooring buoys.
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Get it documented, it'll come up a few feet shorter.
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05-04-2016, 01:05 AM
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#18
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Guru
City: Here
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 2,940
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Quote:
Originally Posted by THD
I just wish there was not only some consistency from builder to builder, but that builders would also share how they denominate their boats. I have seen boats listed as a "34" or "52" but when looking at the measurements, LOD, LOA, LWL, whatever, not a single one of them will be 52! With Krogen, they clearly list their models by LOD and make it plain that is what they have done. I wish more builders did the same.
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These are the same builders that started calling planing and semi-planing boats ...."trawlers"
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05-04-2016, 07:05 AM
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#19
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Guru
City: Sidney
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 2,258
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Quote:
Originally Posted by boatpoker
These are the same builders that started calling planing and semi-planing boats ...."trawlers"
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They were probably ex audio peddlers from the 70s as well. No 2 audio equipment manufacturers of components used the same standard for their specs. It was a jungle out there.
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05-04-2016, 07:14 AM
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#20
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TF Site Team
City: Jacksonville
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 11,682
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Our Krogen 42 is documented at 43'. We're 46' overall from the tip of the bow pulpit to the edge of the swim platform. The swim platforms 3' as is the bow pulpit.
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