The term ‘Shallow Draft’ is a nautical term referring to watercraft whose hull requires only a few feet of water depth to remain operable.
Motorized craft considered to be ‘Shallow Draft’ are what many see as the largest segment of the boating market in and around the Chesapeake Bay. Most boats of up to 30′ can be housed in creeks and rivers that have a 2-3′ minimum water depth (although 4′ or more is recommended) making these craft between 20′ and 30′ extremely popular.
Most ‘Shallow Draft’ boats of 25′ or more are generally considered sea worthy and in the hands of an experienced owner can reasonably handle open water with up to 3′ swells depending on other weather conditions. Being able to handle those conditions would allow an owner to fish as far southeast as the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel islands where the Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean.
