Keel types

[SouthPark]

What are the different types of keel on yachts?

So far I know about:
Fin Keel - deep and thin, a bit like a dinghy centreboard
Bilge Keel - double keel, allows drying out?
Long Keel - traditional, runs the length of the boat
Wing keel - like a fin keel but with a horizontal wing attached to the bottom
Lifting keel - what it says, allows drying out?

So what's a "shoal keel"? And are there any other types that I've missed? And what are the advantages/diadvantages of each?

S.

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[dickh]

Do you mean "Scheel" keel - the original name for a wing keel I believe.

<hr width=100% size=1>dickh
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[Romeo]

shoal means shallow. A shoal draft boat is one that has a shallow draft for her size and so is good for ditch crawling or sailing in areas where ahrbours are shallow or drying.

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[bazam]

2 more
Swing Keel----similar function to lift keel but pivots around a pin usually not as heavy.
Stub keel----- As it implies very shallow but long keel usually to allow a swing keel to lift without encroaching on the cabin.


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[Aeolus_IV]

Long Fin Keel. Of the type found on Contessa 32's and many boats of that age (ie late 60's and 70's). Sometimes as deep as a fin keel, but often longer (fore-aft) than its depth.

Jeff.

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[Evadne]

Scheel keel isn't a wing keel, its is flared so starts out wide at the bilges, narrows then widens towards the foot. Pre-dates the wing keel by quite a bit I believe.
You also get triple keels, i.e. a small (shoal?) fin or long fin with bilge plates as on the Golden Hind 31.
Leeboards (a la Thames barge and Dutch Botter)
Centre plates (swing) are usually central but dagger boards (slide) are both single and double with single and double rudders to match.

Mike Peyton did a very funny cartoon to go with a Confessional about a wing keel when an East Coast sailor dried out in his brand new MG spring bolt upright. Didn't dare breathe, let alone visit the heads, until the tide came back in.


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[Evadne]

Scheel keel isn't a wing keel, its is flared so starts out wide at the bilges, narrows then widens towards the foot. Pre-dates the wing keel by quite a bit I believe.
You also get triple keels, i.e. a small (shoal?) fin or long fin with bilge plates as on the Golden Hind 31.
Leeboards (a la Thames barge and Dutch Botter)
Centre plates (swing) are usually central but dagger boards (slide) are both single and double with single and double rudders to match.
A friend who sails internaional 14s recently described his hydroplane rudder: apparently hydroplane keels are banned in the class but expect them to appear on 1/4 tunas soon.

Mike Peyton did a very funny cartoon to go with a Confessional about a wing keel when an East Coast sailor dried out in his brand new MG spring bolt upright. Didn't dare breathe, let alone visit the heads, until the tide came back in.


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[snowleopard]

'twin fins' are a term hunter uk use to describe their bilge keels to imply they are more efficient.

'LAR' or low aspect ratio keels are long & shallow fins, common on cats.

'canting' keels are long thin plates with a big weight on the bottom, moved hydraulically from side to side to keep the boat upright- used on open 60s etc.

want any more?!

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[billmacfarlane]

Don't forget the Scheel keel and the tandem keel. The Scheel kel is usualy fitter to larger boats to reduce their draught. It's like a ling fin keel with a groove running longitudally along its lengtn. The tandem keel was invented by the novelist Warwick Collins. It's similar to a wing but with a hole in the middle.

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[Seal_surfer]

Don't forget Lee boards as used on Thames sailing barges.They are attached one to the each side of the hull, on the outside of the planking, by a pivot and can be swung up or down as required.

At the other extreme, there is the Canting keel as used on high performance ocean racing yachts such as Ellen Macarthur's Kingfisher. These are a very slender,deep fin with a very heavy bulb at the bottom to give max righting moment. The clever bit is that using hydraulic rams, it can be leaned to the winward side of the boat to give an even better righting moment from gravity.

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[DeeGee]

And, of course, there is the v old american type, the Howard keel

<hr width=100% size=1>Black Sugar - the sweetest of all

 

[wiggy]

And dont forget jellied keel!!!!!

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