Shoal or deep keel?

[Captain Krook]

I intend to buy a yacht 40-44 feet for serious offshore sailing, including an Atlantic crossing. Some boats exist with two keel versions, a deep one (1,80-2.00 m) and a shoal one (around 1,50 m). I am tempted to go for the shoal one, as this gives access to a much larger amount of harbors and anchorages. Would this be a major mistake?

Top sailing characteristics is NOT important to me, I am absolutely not the racing or snobby type, but the boat must be stable with nice sea movements and not overly tender. It would be quite OK to reef earlier and thereby lose some speed, in order to avoid excessive heeling. A boat such as the Moody 425 has the scheel version of the shoal keel, thereby somewhat diminishing the drawbacks of a short keel.

Regards,

Par
Stockholm, Sweden

[Cheechako]

Shoal, unless sailing to weather in deep water is your main endeavor.

[hobopacket]

If your not in a hurry, shoal draft all the way.

[kas_1611]

It really depends on where you plan on sailing or more accurately where you think you might tie up or drop anchor.

We have a 40ft with the 2.05m deep keel. Ummed and rrred about the keep for ages but decided on the deep keel for the slightly higher stability. Up to now we have never had a problem with water depth but then we sail in the Adriatic where there is no tide to speak of and you are more likely to have trouble with deep water than shallow due to the topography underwater.

However, if we tried to bring her into the UK waters we would actually struggle to get into some marinas/harbours due to tidal cills and water depth. I read somewhere that Weymouth Harbour is only dredged to 2m (I may be wrong) so we are 5cm too draughty (is that a word?). Add in the tides and the advantages of shallow keels or even bilge keels comes to the fore.

Thing is we can anchor in 3m water depth quite happily but normally aim to be in 5m just to be really comfortable. At that depth the 30-50cm difference in keel depths doesn't make much of a difference, as long as you have calculated your scope and swing of course

Hope this helps the decision making process

Keiron

[markpierce]

Shoal. But don't get cocky. I've even gone aground on my former pocket-cutter with two foot draft.

[Typhoon]

Look at a Ted Hood or Dieter Empacher boat . Slack bilges and centerboards . Best of both worlds .

1988 Bristol 47.7 Center Cockpit Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com

1985 Bristol 41.1 Aft Cockpit Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com

Regards John Tully

[Captain Krook]

Thanks, everyone! It seems that advantages of a deep keel are limited, provided speed is not a priority, just as I suspected. I have been sailing the Baltic a number oh seasons with a Bavaria with a draft of 1,95 m, and there were lots of cosy (shallow) fishing harbors we had to skip. After all, one does not sail to be in the middle of an ocean, but to get to nice places. At least me and my wife.

[Yellowtulip]

Originally Posted by kas_1611

It really depends on where you plan on sailing or more accurately where you think you might tie up or drop anchor.







However, if we tried to bring her into the UK waters we would actually struggle to get into some marinas/harbours due to tidal cills and water depth. I read somewhere that Weymouth Harbour is only dredged to 2m (I may be wrong) so we are 5cm too draughty (is that a word?). Add in the tides and the advantages of shallow keels or even bilge keels comes to the fore.



Keiron

Just for information's sake, Weymouth Marina, above the lifting bridge is dredged to 2m, but that's at LAT. There's normally more. The approach, just above the bridge has slightly less again at LAT. The harbour has at least 3m LAT. There's 1.5m or so rise of tide at neaps.

[double u]

imho: go for the deepest keel under, let's say 8' - 8,5'! if you are "not-such-a-keen-sailor" you will want to get the upwind stretches (that INEVITABLY will come up on ANY bluewater voyage!) over with as quickly as possible (just think of a passage up the Red Sea, that might become feasible in the future again)
we've been rtw thrice, once with 3', twice with 7' - very few places we couldn't come "back" to!

[barnakiel]

Deep and or narrow boats are tender.

Skip IFs, HRs and Fantasis; concentrate on modern Arconas, X-yachts, etc.

It does not matter in the Atlantic, how much your draft is. I think Bahamas is the sole exception. And draft does not buy stiffness, flat canoe body and plenty of bean does.

Think an Opti vs. a kayak.

Cheers,
b.

[robert sailor]

[QUOTE=Captain Krook;2315690]I intend to buy a yacht 40-44 feet for serious offshore sailing, including an Atlantic crossing. Some boats exist with two keel versions, a deep one (1,80-2.00 m) and a shoal one (around 1,50 m). I am tempted to go for the shoal one, as this gives access to a much larger amount of harbors and anchorages. Would this be a major mistake?

Top sailing characteristics is NOT important to me, I am absolutely not the racing or snobby type, but the boat must be stable with nice sea movements and not overly tender. It would be quite OK to reef earlier and thereby lose some speed, in order to avoid excessive heeling. A boat such as the Moody 425 has the scheel version of the shoal keel, thereby somewhat diminishing the drawbacks of a short keel.

Regards,

Par
Stockholm, Sweden[/QUOT

We have a Moody 425 with Scheel keel and are happy with it. Crossed the Atlantic with it and found it to be very easy on the helm and directionally very stable and a very good turn of speed off the wind. We do give up some pointing ability but not enough to really worry about for cruising. PM me if you need more details. R