Mine's a pint ... no, really, does anyone know what a Merlin draws with centreboard fully down ... at Welsh Harp last weekend we had this bloke setting the start line in the shallows, so want to publish some authoritative guidelines (and a lead and line might just help too)

Why not turn the yot on its side put  the plate down and measure it about 4'6" or less should be OK for a modern boat say 5' to be safe.

One gripe I have and it is probably down to Microsoft over the years, is that Draft is more and more apprearing miss spelled as draught. We even had this out with HMSO's Hydrographic department in 2005. Having spoken to their main man, they came back with a split result from thier staff. Suspect the seafarers (ex merchant navy) went for the correct draft and pen pushers (RN and office wallers) draught. As more pen pushers than anyone else, they decided they'd go down the draught route. Interestingly when doing my Merchant Navy qualification up to Class 1 foreign going, so spent plenty of time in college, if we'd used draught instead of draft, we'd have been brought up short by the lecturers.
Some call in progress, I call it something less obliging.
Anyway back to the original thread.

Some call in progress / some call IT progress

I think that office waller should be office wallah!!

Hazards of Harp sailing I'm afraid: there's a few too many places to go aground.

I agree with Mark.  Draft it is - you drink draught brought to you by a char wallah.

I hate to be pedantic but you drink India Pale Ale, or its more modern versions, brought by a bearer, Cha Wallah brings Chai (Tea made with condensed milk in the pot!)No draft in India.

My Admiralty Manual of Seamanship (rather an old one, I admit) has "draught", as has the OED, which lists 'draft' as the American spelling.

If you would care to look in the New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary 1993, you will note that under Draught it reads. 'The depth of water required to float a ship'. Draft refers to drawing up a cheque, being drafted into the forces, a rough form of document, a plan or drawing etc. Therefore in the English language Draught is the word.

Another example of where things have gone wrong.
If you look in Merchant Navy Maritime text books etc from the 1980s and earlier, Draft is definitely the correct spelling. As for it coming from America, that is definitely wrong as it goes back to pre Victorian times in the English langauge and adopted by the Yanks.
One of the procedures for a ship is a draft survey. Google that and you'll see that it is correct.
My old lecturers are probably turning in their graves on the thought of more barstadising of the Maritime langauge.

So are you saying that Marine language is not the Queens English?

A draft is either a preliminary written version of something or a body of people selected for a special purpose: The solicitor had prepared a draft of the letter he intended to send; A second draft of troops was called in to assist in the flooded area. A draught is a current of air or a swallowing of liquid: There's a terrible draught in here; He downed his glass of beer in a single draught. In American English the usual spelling is draft for both senses.

Is it going to be drafty this weekend then?

Gotcha..

To avoid any confusion I am going to have a couple of pints (rather than drafts) tonight and see if I can get a seat away from the draught near the door.  In similar vein I am not looking to join the military organisations under any National Service scheme or write cheques.  I may play chequers or draughts but again may stick to chess so that I don't get muddled.

I now find the class rules include this:-

"When fully lowered the centreboard shall not extend more than 1400mm below the keel."

This is a whisker over 4'7" in oldspeak, so very good guess by the shy person above.

So now we know .... and d____t isn't mentioned!

When I was very young and spotty, I bought Beatle Cut (Chippendale Mark IX) from Pat Blake. I recall (but may not be totally accurate that the length of this board was only about 2ft 6". Even in my inexperienced hands the boat went brilliantly on the river and a recent trawl of Upper Thames results established that we (apparently) were quite successful. I do remember sailing inside various competitors on the bank to my great advantage.  However, at that time I thought it was pure skill. Darn!!!!!!!!
Maybe Pat can refresh memories?

Patrick, please can you advise

Chris - I had forgotten but I think you are right, we were experimenting with shorter boards (less draft). I recall drafting out the plans and working out that the difference in righting moment of a shorter board was significant in heavy weather, and of course there are advantages in shallow water too.
I am pretty confident that no modern boats are built to the maximum draft (there I go again) and I know that there are some top sailors experimenting at the moment with short boards again - right off for a pint of draught bitter

More barstadising of the Maritime langauge? I was wondering where on the North - South divide "Barstadising " becomes "Bastardising"?

3112's extends 4ft below the keel so she probably draws 4ft 8 inches max dry with crew onboard. The board itself is a slimmer version of half a Mk 1 Spitfire wing. As far as semantics are concerned, after 31 years in the RN just list me as a potential draft dodger.

"after 31 years in the RN just list me as a potential draft dodger."

Is that swinging the lead - or heaving the lead?

Colin

You could add a little bit of lead which might increase the displacement as well the draft or draught.
Windy last nigh wasn't it!

I'll let you know on Sunday, Colin. It was all a long, long time ago!