CSY 44 shoal Draft

[Paul J]

After recently completing a 19 year circumnavigation in our CSY44 my wife and I are considering doing the snowbird routine spending the winters in the Bahamas. Because of the shallow waters of the intracoastal waterway and the Bahamas I am considering cutting off the encapsulated cement portion of the keel. Is there anyone who has done this or has information how to do it, or could someone direct me to a source of information.

[Santana]

I would just find a marine architect and see what he thinks about it. Lot's of people modify their boats, but I think I would get an expert opinion on this one.
I modified mine when I built it, but asked the designer about it. All I did was widen the keel to make it more stable while putting it on the beach to clean

[Pblais]

am considering cutting off the encapsulated cement portion of the keel. Is there anyone who has done this or has information how to do it, or could someone direct me to a source of information.

Having been with the CSY community before I can tell you that it's easy to cut off the bottom part of the keel. They did it at the factory when they built them. there is a section of fiberglass between the lead in the upper keel and the concrete in the lower keel. It's sort of a sawzall operation and you re glass the wound. It's clearly easy to do and you will end up with the same shoal draft CSY 44 as they made back in 1980. They all started out fully keeled and were cut off to order.

I wouldn't. There are a lot more folks that would rather they had the extra keel than those wanting to cut it off. The ICW is getting more shallow by the minute and while negotiating the ditch isn't easy it still won't be that easy with a cut off keel in a CSY 44.