Total newbie to inboards (shallow water)

[rafaelnfernandes]

Hi,

I've never had a boat before, but I "drove" a lot of types of boats already. From jet skis to big double engines in/out boards, but NEVER an inboard.

And right now, opportunity shows up for me to buy an used 17' inboard DD. I will use primarily for wakeboarding.

My 1st doubt is, how to "park" the boat when their no deck/peer? (Im very afraid about damaging the prop, strut, rudder, etc)

I thought I would just leave it in not so shallow (2 - 3 ft) water and anchor it, but I saw I lot of pictures here of guys with inboards "parked" in the almost dry!!!


My second question is, will a 17', 170 hp inboard DD be any good for wakeboarding? (It looks a lot like an old Nautique 2001, but of course a bit smaller)

As I live in Brazil, boats are VERY expensive (as almost everything else but food) and we dont make a lot of money, specially me, a fresh grad. So no way I can afford a 22-24 wakeboat.
'
(just to have an idea, an used 2005 19' matercraft DD w/ indmar 350 hp will set you back atleast USD 40k, with nothing fancy on it, just few ballast and tower, thats it)

[cvach]

most inboards can ride in 2ft water especially if not weighed down. They have a shallow hull which yes will not be the best for wakeboarding, but any boat is better than nothing. And if you weigh it down with some ballast sacks you can probably produce a decent nice clean wake.

With questions on parking it, I don't really understand what you are asking it. Yes you can just anchor it? Normally a front and rear anchor will help hold the best. Further clarify your concern and I may be able to help better?

[tank222]

I think he is saying can you beach a inboard.

[Christobull]

This totally depends on the beach you're trying to stop at. As with any boat, you want to find a sandy beach free of rocks if possible. Gravel is fine, but rocks are bad. With the inboard, you're mostly going to be concerned with the slope. A beach with a steeper slope to the water is fine, but be cautious of a gradual slope. ALWAYS kill your engine before beaching. NEVER drive your boat onto or off of the beach. Kill the motor, get out and pull it up, then push it away when you're ready to go. There is, however, an alternative. With a two anchor set up, you can purchase a special bungee cord to tie off your stern anchor. The idea is to set the stern anchor with the bungee cord, drive forward toward the beach, toss your bow anchor and let the bungee center your boat. Another approach is to walk the bow anchor to the shore and pull the boat in and anchor by hand. I'm not certain how strong the bungees are, but I believe they're suited to boat size.