Is there a trick to measuring the air draft of a boat?
The usual approach seems to be to read the manufacturer's documentation if available, or the PO's ad, estimate how much that might have changed with the addition or removal of other "stuff," then pass under successively low bridges until you get a sense of when you can make it, and when you can't.
The problem with actually measuring is complicated by the fact that there's no straight line from the top of the anchor light to the waterline. Or from the deck.
I was thinking I could put a long pole horizontally across the deck, then measure from that to the anchor light. Then I'd need to take two measurements from the pole to the water line, and average them, or else get both the pole and the boat perfectly level.
I've never seen anyone do this, or for that matter, any other method of taking an actual measurement.
I wonder if there's a better way. Like last month when I showed up at a newly-purchased boat to help a buddy take it home. I didn't have a 14' pole handy, and we had lots of bridges to pass under along the way.
The usual approach seems to be to read the manufacturer's documentation if available, or the PO's ad, estimate how much that might have changed with the addition or removal of other "stuff," then pass under successively low bridges until you get a sense of when you can make it, and when you can't.
The problem with actually measuring is complicated by the fact that there's no straight line from the top of the anchor light to the waterline. Or from the deck.
I was thinking I could put a long pole horizontally across the deck, then measure from that to the anchor light. Then I'd need to take two measurements from the pole to the water line, and average them, or else get both the pole and the boat perfectly level.
I've never seen anyone do this, or for that matter, any other method of taking an actual measurement.
I wonder if there's a better way. Like last month when I showed up at a newly-purchased boat to help a buddy take it home. I didn't have a 14' pole handy, and we had lots of bridges to pass under along the way.