Minimum Operating Depth

[DDL]

We're renting a property on the Flathead Lake in Montana for a couple of weeks. This isn't the property we originally had booked, but it's all we could get on very short notice due to the owner of the original place selling at the last minute a few days ago.

This new property is on a canal at the north end of the lake (Bigfork) with access to and from the big lake via a no-wake zone. I found out today that the canal is quite shallow, with a depth of about 45 inches at the center of the canal (at its deepest point) which tapers off as you move away from the centre of the canal.

We've got a 2004 XLV. It looks, by a quick measurement, that we're about 2 1/2 feet from the bottom of the swim platform to the bottom of the prop.

Are we going to be OK? I'm not sure how much further she settles into the water with a load of fuel or people and of course, I don't want to be tagging the prop, even if, I'm told, it's soft soot?

Any advice, thoughts or suggestions greatly appreciated.

[zegm]

The specs say your draft is 26", stay in the center and go slow!

[Razzman]

Go real slow! You start stirring up mud and such it gets sucked into the impellor and shortens it's life!

[mmandley]

I believe the proper boating term is Dead Slow

LOL.

[RobertJ]

I agree with the other guys go super dead slow as a door knob

Or have a little adventure and go balls out fast to get the boat as high on plane as possible.

I would go with the first one

[mmandley]

I agree with the other guys go super dead slow as a door knob

Or have a little adventure and go balls out fast to get the boat as high on plane as possible.

I would go with the first one

HAHAH this made my chuckle out loud.

How long is this so called channel?

Maybe get some PVC tubes and pole your way out and not risk running the prop at all?

[RobertJ]

Poleing is a great idea Mandley. If the guy can sing he could make a few bucks giving gondala rides up the canal.

[sandm]

little bit of jealousy here. I lived in kila about 5 miles east of kalispell for a while. beautiful country up there..

good luck

[james yarosz]

I live on a lake at the end of a shallow cove.Later in the summer the water level goes down.When we leave the lift with 5 or 6 people on board everyone crowds into the bow area and we idle out to the main lake.

[kaneboats]

Excellent suggestion. Keep the peeps up front and idle out. You should be fine.

[jester]

The correct way to do this is you tie a rope to the kids and have them swim the boat out of the canal. Don't even turn the boat on until you get into deeper water. This solves the issue of mud getting turned up and any worry's of hitting anything at any speed.

[brain_rinse]

Or clamp a trolling motor to the swim platform. :) I have a buddy with a MasterCraft that does this, no joke! He also uses his boat for fishing with the kids.

[moombadaze]

If you have ballast bags-fill the front up and then all people go up front, think you will be suprised at how much that will "lift" the rear. Idle speed or as allready said--pole your way thru, or throw a young one over board with a rope to the bow eye and pull you thru.

[skiyaker]

Or clamp a trolling motor to the swim platform. :) I have a buddy with a MasterCraft that does this, no joke! He also uses his boat for fishing with the kids.

oh my... no fishing poles or worms on the moomba... that's what kayaks are for!

[KurtL]

DDL,

I live in the Flathead and I'm trying to figure out where you are boating from. That canal is probably at it's deepest right now. The local paper has lake level at less than a foot below "full pool"(2893/2892.1). That canal may
be dry in the spring. Hope the Flathead valley treats you well!

Sandm, I drive by Kila every weekend on the way out to McGregor where our boat is. It is truly beautiful country here, but the water is not for a thin skin friends from the south!!:D

Kurt

[DDL]

I've been monitoring this site for a couple of years now and have to say how impressed I've been with how all of you chip in to help a fellow Moomba owner out. This was my first post but this site has helped me through a few challenges, fixes and ideas since I purchased our XLV and signed up to the forum. Thanks to all!

KurtL: We were in Lakeside last year and know very little about this new property. We do know the canal accesses a small cove of properties and it is at the northeast corner of the lake. We're told it's within walking distance to downtown Bigfork. I guess I'll find out when I enter the canal for the first time on day 1.

We have thought about oaring our way in and will have to see how far the property is in from the canal mouth. The trolling motor is a great idea and it might even come in handy for tight manoeuvring. I would throw the kids in for a swim but I'm told there are no swimming signs and the water is very stagnate (the canal is protected by a storm wall/wave break so the water doesn't move). I assume the signs are there either because of the safety issues with boat traffic or it's not the best water to swim in.

Either way...dead slow it will be.

Thanks again!

DDL

[kaneboats]

Glad to have you aboard. These guys and gals are the best.