I Think I Found It - My First Boat!

[kcmarcet]

So a shoal keel hulled boat will need to change the shape of the sail and increase or decrease the angle at which they tack into the wind?

[speedoo]

Right. A boat with a shoal draft keel cannot sail as close to the wind as a boat with a normal keel. So you ease your sails and bear away from where the wind is from, otherwise the boat just goes sideways or sits there and stalls.

All other things being equal, a boat with a keel that is 3 feet deep (like that Rhodes 19) will sail much closer to the wind than a boat with a 2 foot deep keel like this Montego.

[Ahnlaashock]

Have him take you back out and take a compass with you. Record the angle hard upwind, tack, and then record the boat angle again. If there is a problem pointing up, it will show. If there isn't, beautiful little boat!