Full Keel or Fin Keel?

[AnchorageGuy]

Originally Posted by Louis Riel

For my designs twin keels are becoming far more popular than any single keelers by at least a 3 to 1 ratio. I went for twin keels 24 years ago and I'm sure glad I did. I could spend a winter in the South Pacific for less money than a years moorage at a dock. Twin keels have allowed me to cruise for 24 years , 11 months a year,without ever having to pay moorage.

I am not really sure how many keels you have or what type of keel will have any bearing on how long you cruise or whether you save money in dockage or mooring charges.

[Brent Swain]

I have two keels enabling me to hang out in drying anchorages , in places where tying to a dock and paying moorage would be the only other option. That has enabled me to afford to cruise 11 month a year since the mid 70's including two return trips to Tonga and back , and one to Mexico and back to BC, each trip costing far less than a years moorage.
People spend far more on moorage than my total cost of living and cruising full time.
Brent

[mmckee1952]

I had a Morgan 27 with a normal keel and then a Irwin 37CC with a full keel and I trust the Irwin to be a lot more foregiving when I run aground because sooner or later it will happen, I just haven't donw it yet after 7 years on the Chesapeake. If I had hit something hard with the Morgan I know I would have a big problem, the Irwin's keel is very forgiving it slopes very little and that is very reasuring for me and my wife.

Mike

[eugene kalsow]

I just bought T27-2 and keep her on canal in my backyard.F keel only 3'2''.It is ideal for SW Florida.Only one question :is it reliable for local cruising in old boat--as far as I know in 1979 Tartan used different than Island Packet technique and attached f keel to the hull?Is this bond strong enough?Thank You.Eugene.

[rebel heart]

The longer the trips and the deeper the water, the bigger the keel.

This is a democrats vs. republicans debate though; a lot of people arguing their point.

[dcstrng]

Originally Posted by mmckee1952

I just haven't donw it yet after 7 years on the Chesapeake...

Good grief, ya need to get outa the middle of the Bay… just kiddin’

I occasionally used to ground my Irwin 42 on purpose… every now and again had guests aboard who claimed seasickness even at anchor, so I’d nudge into the mud near low tide in the creeks and let the waterline “lower an inch or two” for few hours of a nice firm footing… kept expecting the beast to fall over, but with that fat keel she never did… and as far as I could tell no harm to anything (mine was the centerboard version… but couldn't seen any effect other than smudged bottom paint).

[keelbolts]

For shallow water it's twin keels. For anything else full. Unless you want to be a slave to your tiller.

Brent Swain, what kind of boat do you have?

[mmckee1952]

Larry,
What I should have said is after I said I haven't done it, is I sure have come so close to running aground so many times, it's the reason I have all these gray hairs on my head. Going out this weekend (knock on wood) hope I don't have to come back here and tell everyone about joining the grounding club.

Mike

[dcstrng]

Originally Posted by mmckee1952

hope I don't have to come back here and tell everyone about joining the grounding club...

I assume what little wind we had didn’t put you on the sand… from the photos it looks like yours is a ketch rig…? Nice for that size… was on a CC37 once, largely similar to my older CC42 as I recall (mine wasn’t the poop-deck model, so had the more modest aft cabin…). Probably shoulda had a 37, as my 42 seemed to be more boat than I needed most of the time…