What's the longest bilge keel sailing boat we can buy?

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jayjohnrobert

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Dear forum members, I've posted in Yachting Monthly's forum this question and would value PBO readers insight too. Apologies if you have seen this question already.

We are looking to buy a 2nd hand sailing boat and because of my height and our desire to be able to beach easily we want to purchase the largest bilge keel possible from a known manufacturer. After many years hard toil we have a healthy budget of around £50k.

They seem to stop at about 36" and the most popular argument I seem to have read is that anyone buying bigger is able to afford deep water mooring.

What's the largest bilge keeler you know of?

Thanks
 
Talking big bilge?

I think the reason most people prefer keel types other than bilge on big boats is simply that other keel types are much better. I don't think affordability of moorings is a major determinant. The attractions of taking the ground diminish with boat size - places where one would happily creep in and sit down in a compact bilge keeler are much less appealing in less handy craft. Taking the ground (and re-floating afterwards) can be a very unsettling experience if there is any swell - the pounding may ok - ish in a cheap, light boat but not so if you are talking many tons of boat and money slamming onto hard sand. Even bilge keelers can slither into very uncomfortable positions if the bottom is uneven and you won't get a coat of antifouling on between tides on a big boat - also you need a ladder to get on and off unless you can abseil!

All that aside, other keel types sail better!
While some bilge keel yachts do sail very well, the respective attractions of a fin or a long keel are sufficient to outweigh any ability to take the ground. So the relative scarcity of big bilge keelers is on balance a reflection of the drawbacks of dragging another keel along - one properly designed keel normally suffices for larger craft.

Robin
Pleiades of Birdham
MXWQ5
 
jayjohnrobert said:
Dear forum members, I've posted in Yachting Monthly's forum this question and would value PBO readers insight too. Apologies if you have seen this question already.

We are looking to buy a 2nd hand sailing boat and because of my height and our desire to be able to beach easily we want to purchase the largest bilge keel possible from a known manufacturer. After many years hard toil we have a healthy budget of around £50k.

They seem to stop at about 36" and the most popular argument I seem to have read is that anyone buying bigger is able to afford deep water mooring.

What's the largest bilge keeler you know of?

Thanks
Click to expand...

Welcome to the forum.

Not really necessary to post on both for this type of question.

You are right, very few bilge keel boats above 35/36ft, although more shallow draft drop keel boats above that such as the Southerlys. However with your budget you will be very limited, mainly to the small number of 1970/80s boats from Westerly and Moody.

As Pleiades says the benefits of bilge keels diminish with size and there are few benefits for boats of that size. think you will find "beaching" of that size boat is not really a practical proposition and just about the only benefit is the ability to use a drying mooring. The relatively small numbers of such boats built suggests that few people find them attractive.
 
JimC said:
Westerly Solway
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+1

or aft cockpit Galway. Both difficult to find (only 12 Galways built) but, with £50k you should just about have enough to sort out even an average one.

There is the Hunter Legend 39 with bilge keel but probably three times your budget (and I wouldn't want one!)

Nothing else I can think of above 36ft.
 
Perhaps it would help if you tried to expand on your reasons for wanting a bilger rather than any other? Folk might then be able to offer their opinions on the qualities you raise. Oh, and they WILL offer their opinions!
 
There are a few Cobra 1050s about, but you will be lucky to find one. I know of one that left Burnham, last seen in Greece as liveaboards.

The French RM range are super, but out of your price range.

I have a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 35 which is akin to a bilge keel - it will stand on the beach, but is a drop keel too. It has 6'5" headroom.

jimlighter-1.jpg


P1010001.jpg


beached....

DryingOutBurnham20062.jpg
 
Pretty sure no Moody 37/376s built with bilge keels, despite misleading info to the contrary. SFAIA largest Moody with a BK variant is the 1990s M36. Centre cockpit and a nice aft cabin with central berth. If I had the money, I would get one, but these boats will still be well above £50K budget- probably £75K lowest ball park. You might get one of the rarer lift keel 41s for between 50 & 60, but you are then looking at a 30+ yo boat, so might need more to bring it up to date.

lLke other posters, question whether a bilge keel is really offering what OP may be seeking. Think partic with first time buyers, thought of running aground on a fin keel is scary and BK looks a safer option, but that stability issue is generally more theoretical than actual in day to day real life usage.
 
Tranona said:
You are right, very few bilge keel boats above 35/36ft, although more shallow draft drop keel boats above that such as the Southerlys. However with your budget you will be very limited, mainly to the small number of 1970/80s boats from Westerly and Moody.
Click to expand...

One of Peter Poland's survey-of-what's-out-there articles in PBO recently was about French bilge keelers ("biquilles"?). I gather from it that there were and are a lot of them, so the OP might get more choice, and a much newer or even new boat, if he looks across the channel.
 
JumbleDuck said:
One of Peter Poland's survey-of-what's-out-there articles in PBO recently was about French bilge keelers ("biquilles"?). I gather from it that there were and are a lot of them, so the OP might get more choice, and a much newer or even new boat, if he looks across the channel.
Click to expand...
But not 36'+ for £50k!
 
The RMs and Onvis (variable keel), but well over £50k; the big twin/bilge keelers are hard to find because people keep hold on to them. More and more people are looking for yachts that can take the ground, perhaps you should consider drop keels too; Southerlies are variable draft but not cheap either. The prices of marinas and the recession is the main driver as many are looking for semi deep water moorings at a lower cost.
 
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