Fixed Keel v. drying out

[Tim Good]

Since there number of marinas is limited around Pembrooke & North Devon as a cruising area would I regret getting a fixed keel over a bilge keel or lifting keel boat? I have no real experience from boats that can dry out, but being an adventurous sailor they see quite a good option.

That said I am used to high performance boats and maybe I would miss the fixed keel.

Your thoughts?

 

[Allan]

After three years sailing the Bristol channel in a single keeled boat the first thing on my wish list for a replacement were bilge keels. In my opinion any reduction in performance is far outweighed by the ability to dry out at places like Watermouth, Clovelly etc. I have found the difference between sportboats and cruisers is much larger than that between fin and bilge. This is borne out by handicap figures.
Allan

 

[Bosun Higgs]

Since there number of marinas is limited around Pembrooke & North Devon as a cruising area would I regret getting a fixed keel over a bilge keel or lifting keel boat?

Yes. I sail the Bristol channel and having gone from a bilgie to a fixed fin keel I do find cruising is difficult. I changed for racing reasons and it was probably a bad decision in that the racing I do can be done in a bilge keeler and the one that I had sailed very well.

The problem is the limited number of places you can go and stay afloat all the time. If you are wanting to get out of the channel as I do its a PITA since the only viable stop between Cardiff and Padstow is Lundy. You need an easterly to leave the channel but you cant stop at Lundy in an easterly. You can stop at Lundy in a Westerly but that means wind over tide and ideally you leave on a spring tide. You wont have this problem unless you turn left out of Milford.

The difference in performance between a good bilge keeler and a good fin keeler is about 10 to 15% from the handicap tables. You will get people coming on here to tell you that its less and quoting YM tests. But they are unrepresentative since who would buy the fin version of a family bilge keeler if they were interested in performance? In reality the choice is between say a Westerly bilge and a Benny First.