boatmike
Well-Known Member
What should \"cruising\" boats be designed for?
I make no excuse for starting another thread on this subject as the other two on keels etc have IMHO wandered off the point.
It is immaterial that racing boats have had failures. Racing boats, cars, anything are designed to win races. The factor of safety regarding keel, rig, and hull failures is pretty marginal by definition. That's why racing boats are often dismasted, have rudder failures, keels fall off etc. just as F1 cars blow engines, but a cruising boat, like a road car should be designed to be easy to handle, very safe in the conditions it might face, and survive any normal level of cock up that it might face too. (Hands up anyone who has more than 10 years sailing experience and has never run aground or bumped into a pontoon etc etc)
It does not matter if the boat is long keeled, twin keeled, lifting keel, or fin. It should be built in my opinion with a FOS that allows for the boat to hit an underwater obstruction at it's normal cruising speed without catastrophic failure and sinking.
That does not mean it won't suffer serious damage that will need attention. It means it wont drown it's crew.
It is my contention that this condition can only be met by
1. A traditional integral long keeled design
2. A well designed swing keel boat that will absorb the shock ( not a lifting keel with dagger board)
3. A well designed cat (because it will ride over the obstruction and even if damaged should not sink)
4. A bolted keel where the design has been subjected to mathematical analysis or tested by applying a shock load equal to the force seen in a collision and proven to be sound. Even then the keel attachment points should be examined and bolts etc replaced periodically just like mast and rigging should on all boats.
Unfortunately what we have on the market are really a load of "cruiser racers" with racing keels and rudders that have not been shown to be robust enough to stand any sort of underwater clout at all. Furthermore they are built down to a price and corners cut to what I believe to be a wholely unacceptable level. THESE SHOULD NEVER BE CONFUSED WITH PROPER CRUISING BOATS which are still on the market but vastly more expensive.
If you choose a racing derivative to cruise in be aware that you attract at least the same level of risk as a racing boat which includes the possibility of rapid capsize and sinking.
I make no excuse for starting another thread on this subject as the other two on keels etc have IMHO wandered off the point.
It is immaterial that racing boats have had failures. Racing boats, cars, anything are designed to win races. The factor of safety regarding keel, rig, and hull failures is pretty marginal by definition. That's why racing boats are often dismasted, have rudder failures, keels fall off etc. just as F1 cars blow engines, but a cruising boat, like a road car should be designed to be easy to handle, very safe in the conditions it might face, and survive any normal level of cock up that it might face too. (Hands up anyone who has more than 10 years sailing experience and has never run aground or bumped into a pontoon etc etc)
It does not matter if the boat is long keeled, twin keeled, lifting keel, or fin. It should be built in my opinion with a FOS that allows for the boat to hit an underwater obstruction at it's normal cruising speed without catastrophic failure and sinking.
That does not mean it won't suffer serious damage that will need attention. It means it wont drown it's crew.
It is my contention that this condition can only be met by
1. A traditional integral long keeled design
2. A well designed swing keel boat that will absorb the shock ( not a lifting keel with dagger board)
3. A well designed cat (because it will ride over the obstruction and even if damaged should not sink)
4. A bolted keel where the design has been subjected to mathematical analysis or tested by applying a shock load equal to the force seen in a collision and proven to be sound. Even then the keel attachment points should be examined and bolts etc replaced periodically just like mast and rigging should on all boats.
Unfortunately what we have on the market are really a load of "cruiser racers" with racing keels and rudders that have not been shown to be robust enough to stand any sort of underwater clout at all. Furthermore they are built down to a price and corners cut to what I believe to be a wholely unacceptable level. THESE SHOULD NEVER BE CONFUSED WITH PROPER CRUISING BOATS which are still on the market but vastly more expensive.
If you choose a racing derivative to cruise in be aware that you attract at least the same level of risk as a racing boat which includes the possibility of rapid capsize and sinking.
