Shallow draft monohull

[docwood]

Keel depth obviously is a design consideration for stability purposes. I plan on spending most time in Keys, Caribbean, and at least one shot to Jamaica So draft is an issue and every few inches could be the difference between sailing on or hearing an ugly sound below. I realize more (c0st)that my boat will likely be a monohull40-45 ftwhich is fine. I love sailing them. IDraft on these boats seemsto be 4' 3" to 6+. Is there a particular shallow keel make/design that I should consider/ or stay away from. Thanks for your input. Can't wait to join you all in social distancing at anchor

[slug]

Shoal draft boats are dangerous

If keel draft equals rudder draft you destroy your rudder when you ground out

Be wise

[DDabs]

You can easily do the Keys and the entire Caribbean in a boat with a 5-6' draft, no real reason to go less than 5' unless you really want to get into extremely shallow anchorages in the Bahamas. Even then- unless you have a catamaran or a boat with a lifting keel, saving a foot off the keel isn't worth sacrificing sailing performance, in my opinion.

[dougweibel]

I would agree that for actually sailing any keel depth below 6', and deeper than that, will present no problem in the Keys or Bahamas. Where you do find a difference is what anchorages you can get into and how deep into the anchorage you can get. With the past 3 winters spent cruising the Bahamas and paying attention to where we went versus where friends went I would say that 6'+ starts to be a bit of a nuisance. Friends with a 7' draft had to time tides to get into some places, were shut out of a few places, and often were further out in the anchorage to gain an extra foot of depth. But they were still there, cruising in the Bahamas. All boats are compromises. We sometimes had a more comfy spot in the anchorage but they generally left us behind sailing to weather

[pcmm]

Originally Posted by slug

Shoal draft boats are dangerous

If keel draft equals rudder draft you destroy your rudder when you ground out

Be wise

That's a stupid response. Shallow draft boats are no more dangerous than bilge keel or deep keel boats. Poorly designed boats are dangerous. Hunter as an example has the same depth rudder for both shoal and deep draft. It a problem of lazy builder not that the boat is dangerous

My shoal draft sailboat has a rudder that stops 4 inches above the bottom of the keel. Its a full keel and the bottom shoe of the rudder prevents the rudder from being deeper than the keel.

[robert sailor]

Personally I've always had deep draft boats, they sail better especially upwind. The boat we have now is shallow draft with a Scheel keel and while you simply can't beat draft sailing upwind this keel is an ok compromise. It's really come in handy getting into some areas.

Personally I'm not a fan of the wing keels that are shallow draft as if you do ground out they are sometimes like an anchor and can really get you stuck.

It's always a good idea to have the keel a bit deeper than your rudder which in many decent designs is not an issue.

Speed wise off the wind we dont notice any difference in speed to our deep draft sister ships. Stability is right around the same as a lot more weight is designed into the bottom of the keel.

[carlosproa]

I used to own a 1972 Charlie Morgan 34ft mono hull, not to be confused with the Morgan Outilander. The Charlie Morgan had a draft of 4.5 ft to 7 ft when you lowered the swing keel. For good upwind work the 7 ft was great, all other points of sail did not made too much difference. This boat was built like a tank, sailed very nice - only bad thing it had a gas engine and when in reverse it would walk to the side a bit.

[Gary Mc]

The other issue with shallow draft that is rarely mentioned is that in my experience the boat is much more tender.

You will heel significantly more going to weather than a boat with a deeper keel, and it will take longer to get there.


Good luck with your search.

[chuckr]

I bought a Jeanneau DS40 with shoal draft new in 2001 I think -- I was a long time ag0. Since then over 50knm, east coast of the USA a couple of times, most of the Bahamas, most of the Carib including the San Blas Islands , all the Med, all the Black Sea and 2 ocean crossing. Love the shoal draft. We can get in close and get out of the weather in anchorages. and places deeper draft can not go.


One big warning. We have a full wing keel and that really adds to her stability and speed. But having put her on the ground once that wing keel is better than an anchor so do take precautions.

[Act Three]

Please look into a Southerly, believe they are a European. Two rudders and shoal draft with a hydraulic centerboard. Look up Distant Shores on YouTube.

[Mystic38]

There are plenty of keel/centreboard vessels where you can have shallow draft when required and also point.. no reason to be so black and white about the topic

[geoleo]

Originally Posted by docwood

Keel depth obviously is a design consideration for stability purposes. I plan on spending most time in Keys, Caribbean, and at least one shot to Jamaica So draft is an issue and every few inches could be the difference between sailing on or hearing an ugly sound below. I realize more (c0st)that my boat will likely be a monohull40-45 ftwhich is fine. I love sailing them. IDraft on these boats seemsto be 4' 3" to 6+. Is there a particular shallow keel make/design that I should consider/ or stay away from. Thanks for your input. Can't wait to join you all in social distancing at anchor

Island Packet 44 or 45

[PegasusIX]

Martcraft 46, 1.4m? Integral short keel plus centreboard

[Tortuga's Lie]

I think there are plenty of quality, shallower draft sailboats out there to choose from and much of your decision will be based upon your budget. You may want to consult a boat broker who will have your best interest in mind and will be able to narrow down your choices pretty easily, show you plenty of boats, negotiate the deal, do the closing for you and not cost you a dime (seller pays the commission).
That being said, if you are on a budget, the Tartan 37C comes to mind as a good candidate. Most were equipped with a centerboard (only really needed to point closer than 45 degrees), good build quality, draws 4'-2" board up, good pedigree design from Sparkman-Stephens, great sailing boat and plenty of these have circumnavigated. These can be had for a relatively low price now that they are getting older, they can range from the low twenties to over 50K in decent condition.
There are more choices and I am sure you'll get a lot of opinions!
Cheers,
Tom

[Tupaia]

OVNI - Jimmy Cornell sailed one of the these. Adventurer III lots written about it.