How important is shallow draft for your boating? Is a fixed keel an option? Would you lose access to important sailing grounds if your boat drew 2-3 feet? Are features like a kick-up rudder and centerboard or lee board important? Tell us about your primary sailing grounds and the suitability of deeper-draft vessels. —Eds
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Sail the PNW so depth is rarely an issue.
Most locations near shore are barnacle covered rock so beaching isn't an option. Most beaches are rocky gravel with a big slope.
Most shallow anchorages have very sticky mud, deep mud, where you can't walk to shore if you dry out.
Most anchorages finding something shallow is more of a challenge than finding depth. It can be 30 to 50 ft deep 50 ft from shore (and sometimes even closer to shore).
For me there are two reasons, one is that a shallow draft boat is much easier to launch and recover at the boatramp, the other being that my local harbour is a mass of sandbanks so shoal draft is helpful there, plus I sail on lakes a lot and being able to just pull up to a beach and step ashore is really nice.