prelude bilge keels

[Marakei]

What is the idea of keels shaped like this and are they effective in practice?

 

[LittleSister]

What is the idea of keels shaped like this and are they effective in practice?

1) Bulk of the ballast as low down as possible, where it's most effective.
2) Long enough bottoms on the keels so it dries out as stable fore and aft as possible
3) Minimise keel surface area and hence drag

 

[Tranona]

Keep the ballast low down, increased footprint for drying out level and more efficient narrow chord foil. Very similar to the twin keels used on the RM range. Also commonly used on shallow draft version of modern fin keels - very similar shape to the one on my Bavaria.

 

[Lakesailor]

I looked after a friend's bilge-keel Prelude. It sailed very well. I haven't sailed a fin keel one, but the bilge keeler was excellent. Little leeway, pointed well and didn't round up like a cowboy.

 

[Seajet]

One thing to watch is that Ridgeway Marine didn't exactly overbuild boats.

A colleague had minor snags in this respect with his Prospect, one of their larger products, and a chum at my club had his Pegasus sink as soon as he put her on the drying - soft mud - mooring due to a problem with the mounting of one of the keels, a bodged repair he hadn't spotted when buying.

The Prelude may well have been their best effort, I think I have the original brochure if of any interest.

 

[Lakesailor]

One thing to watch is that Ridgeway Marine didn't exactly overbuild boats.

his Pegasus sink as soon as he put her on the drying - soft mud - mooring due to a problem with the mounting of one of the keels, a bodged repair he hadn't spotted when buying.
.

Is that anything to do with Ridgeway?

 

[Seajet]

Well yes, having seen the thin hull and shall we say minimalist backing which presumably led to the repair being necessary to start with.

 

[Lakesailor]

Or maybe the owner hit a rock.

 

[Seajet]

Or maybe the owner hit a rock.

The owner in question didn't hit a rock that I know of, and nor did the boat on the mooring in question.

The whole keel ( 1 of 2 ) punched straight up and through, I haven't seen such damage since the October 1987 Hurricane - I know it didn't hit Windermere but believe me it was boat carnage down here.

Straight afterwards a whole industry of ' man and a dog ' grp repair firms sprang up and one has to be careful, some weren't too fussy about the angle they put keels back on !

Mentioning that makes me wonder, this Pegasus is a pre-1987 boat...still **** initial build though.

 

[VicS]

and a chum at my club had his Pegasus sink as soon as he put her on the drying - soft mud - mooring

He was lucky. I knew someone who had one which sank in mid channel while returning from a family holiday in the CIs Luckily their orange smoke was seen by a passing ship and they were picked up before having to abandon ship to their Avon.
Steering became difficult, then they found water rising above the cabin sole. He said skeg fixing bolts pulled through the hull as result of inadequate backing.

July 1981 IIRC.

 

[Seajet]

He was lucky. I knew someone who had one which sank in mid channel while returning from a family holiday in the CIs Luckily their orange smoke was seen by a passing ship and they were picked up before having to abandon ship to their Avon.
Steering became difficult, then they found water rising above the cabin sole. He said skeg fixing bolts pulled through the hull as result of inadequate backing.
July 1981 IIRC.

Strewth !

I was a bit dubious about Ridgeway before, when I mentioned them on a nearby stand at Southampton Andersons' sales manager Nick Wright just said " Pah ! Tupperware ! " which even I thought was salesmanship, seems it was actually being generous...

Hope some people who like to question my judgement are reading this, I expect they have and are staying quiet for once.

 

[Marakei]

Goodness. If I had been thinking of buying a Prelude I would be a little worried. But I'm not, I just thought the keels looked interesting. Thank you for all the info.

 

[Lakesailor]

Hearsay and conjecture. The Prelude I was looking after was sound and in very good condition for an old GRP boat. If I had wanted a boat at the time I would have bought it from him when he sold it.

 

[VicS]

Goodness. If I had been thinking of buying a Prelude I would be a little worried. But I'm not, I just thought the keels looked interesting. Thank you for all the info.

Prelude is a good little boat. Some friends of mine have had one for several years although just recently sold it.

 

[LittleSister]

I used to have a Pirate, the smaller version of the Prelude. (A great little boat.) It was nicely made and had lasted very well for its age.

PBO said of the Prelude that it had a 'good finish' (as well as praising its handling). Hoskyn's 'Good Yacht Guide' said both the Pirate ('fast...well mannered') and the Prelude ('sails well') were 'well finished'.

A Prelude would certainly be on my list of possible boats if I was looking for something around that size again. I do not think the horror stories mentioned are at all typical.

 

[Phil the Cowman]

In 2011 I sailed round ( most ) of the uk mainland in a fin keeled "tupperware" Pirate. This included a couple of nasty groundings and some horrid boat breaking windward episodes - and some exciting downwind surfing!! - and living on board for three months. The boat is around 40 years old so there is bound to be the odd leak here and there, but at no time was I unduly concerned about her structural integrity, and indeed nothing fundamental broke. She's tremendous fun to sail and surprisingly dry; don't let negative comments about build quality put you off. I don't know how well the Express built ones were, but no probs with Rydgeway!

Phil

 

[Bru]

The boat is around 40 years old so there is bound to be the odd leak here and therel

Brigantia is somewhat more than 40 years old and if there was an odd, or even even, leak ANYWHERE I would be after it like a ferret up a drainpipe

Wooden boats leaking, yes. GRP ones? Not at any age, it would be a sign of a potentially catastrophic imminent failure AFAIC!

(I have a reputation for being somewhat paranoid about leaky boats anyway. Although I have only vague recollections of either incident, I apparently twice refused to board rowing boats with water in the bilges as a small child and once had to be dragged by the ear'ole aboard the Symonds Yat ferry and moaned about the water in the bottom all the way across the River Wye in a very loud voice. I was only little! )

 

[LittleSister]

In 2011 I sailed round ( most ) of the uk mainland in a fin keeled Pirate.

Well done! Respect to you, Sir!

Wooden boats leaking, yes. GRP ones? Not at any age, it would be a sign of a potentially catastrophic imminent failure AFAIC!

Or, vastly more likely especially on a 40 year old boat, just a window or a deck fitting needs resealing.

 

[sailorman]

Prelude is a good little boat. Some friends of mine have had one for several years although just recently sold it.

I had one, she was my second boat, she was mast head rigged which was probably a mistake. i just had the hull & deck moulding`s & then fitted a traditional interior. owned her for 3 yrs

 

[sailorman]

One thing to watch is that Ridgeway Marine didn't exactly overbuild boats.

A colleague had minor snags in this respect with his Prospect, one of their larger products, and a chum at my club had his Pegasus sink as soon as he put her on the drying - soft mud - mooring due to a problem with the mounting of one of the keels, a bodged repair he hadn't spotted when buying.

The Prelude may well have been their best effort, I think I have the original brochure if of any interest.

My 3rd boat was a Pegasus 800, again hull & deck only & i fitted her out, she had top quality mast & Austin Farrar sails, not the normal rubbish . she is still local to us 36 yrs later. i done many North Sea crossings in her 100 mls being the longest. we owned her 11 yrs.