Fin Keels - Skeg Hung Rudders - Full Keels

[bdurham]

looking for some opinions on different keel types..

we are looking to do some long distance cruising. trans pacific, east to west. i know that a full keel boat offers stability and protection for the rudder.

is it crazy to do offshore cruising in a boat with a fin keel and no rudder protection..?

it would be great to hear some opinons on this topic.

[DeepFrz]

is it crazy to do offshore cruising in a boat with a fin keel and no rudder protection..?

Hundreds or thousands do it successfully. Some have problems and some lose their boats. How many, I don't think anyone can say. I personally like a boat with a sturdy, skeg hung rudder and a longish keel. It's just my personal opinion but I think they are stronger and more seaworthy than fins and spade rudders. Now watch the fur fly.

[SaltyMonkey]

omg here we go

im with the full keel w a cutaway forefoot. rudder attached to keel

barring that a skeg rudder w/ full keel.

barring that a partial skeg rudder w/ full keel

I'm basically not a fan of any keel i have to check keel-bolts on to make sure it doesn't fall off. More because I am lazy and don't wanna fix it by dropping the keel! More that than safety.

well...benefits of a spade like rudder is easier to manuever or go backwards with engine

well...benefits of full keel and skeg is heave too and stability

well...benefits of fin is fast YAY!

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by bdurham

looking for some opinions on different keel types..

we are looking to do some long distance cruising. trans pacific, east to west. i know that a full keel boat offers stability and protection for the rudder.

is it crazy to do offshore cruising in a boat with a fin keel and no rudder protection..?

it would be great to hear some opinons on this topic.

You might want to do a quick search for previous threads on the forum. This topic has been mentioned briefly before, just a few times.

[sarafina]

I think it's more complicated than what keel you have... there are boats of all different designs successfully plying the bluewater.

A boat is more than the sum of it's pieces... it's how all the parts work together. If you only look at the rudder or the keel or the waterline or the displacement or the ballast or the rig, you will miss the magic that brings all of those elements together and creates the spirit of a boat, the thing that makes it seaworthy and seakindly and a vessel in which you can place your trust and your life... and those of your loved ones.

There is science and there is art. Boat design is both of these things as well as a bit of magic...

It's not an equation you can hold up as a definitive law.

; -)

[SaltyMonkey]

Originally Posted by skipmac

You might want to do a quick search for previous threads on the forum. This topic has been mentioned briefly before, just a few times.

ya think?
heh

monkey loves boats and talkin boats though

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by sarafina

I think it's more complicated than what keel you have... there are boats of all different designs successfully plying the bluewater.

A boat is more than the sum of it's pieces... it's how all the parts work together. If you only look at the rudder or the keel or the waterline or the displacement or the ballast or the rig, you will miss the magic that brings all of those elements together and creates the spirit of a boat, the thing that makes it seaworthy and seakindly and a vessel in which you can place your trust and your life... and those of your loved ones.

There is science and there is art. Boat design is both of these things as well as a bit of magic...

It's not an equation you can hold up as a definitive law.

; -)

Yup.... some are into Rembrandt.. others Goya... then theres the Picasso set.... Personally I'm an Esher man.... Make the impossible reality...
They all work... its just personal preference...

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by sarafina

I think it's more complicated than what keel you have... there are boats of all different designs successfully plying the bluewater.

A boat is more than the sum of it's pieces... it's how all the parts work together. If you only look at the rudder or the keel or the waterline or the displacement or the ballast or the rig, you will miss the magic that brings all of those elements together and creates the spirit of a boat, the thing that makes it seaworthy and seakindly and a vessel in which you can place your trust and your life... and those of your loved ones.

There is science and there is art. Boat design is both of these things as well as a bit of magic...

It's not an equation you can hold up as a definitive law.

; -)

Absolutely. Everything Sarafina said.

[Bash]

Nothing better than a long passage when, after going days without seeing another boat, at sunrise I spot the glint of a distant set of sails on the horizon. I pull out my binoculars, steady myself against the dodger, and discover that the vessel ahead of me is an ancient vessel with a full keel. I sit back and chuckle softly because, in those precious situations, I know that with my fin keel and spade rudder I'll pass him by noon and do a horizon job on him by sundown.

Those are good days, out there on the big blue.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Bash

Nothing better than a long passage when, after going days without seeing another boat, at sunrise I spot the glint of a distant set of sails on the horizon. I pull out my binoculars, steady myself against the dodger, and discover that the vessel ahead of me has a full keel. I sit back and chuckle softly because, in those precious situations, I know that with my fin keel and spade rudder I'll pass him by noon and do a horizon job on him by sundown.

Those are good days, out there on the big blue.

ROTFLMBO....

[SaltyMonkey]

Originally Posted by Bash

...I sit back and chuckle softly because, in those precious situations, I know that with my fin keel and spade rudder I'll pass him by noon and do a horizon job on him by sundown.

Those are good days, out there on the big blue.

Spoken like a true Hunter owner

[bangkaboat]

I prefer a keel or skeg hung rudder which is why, of course, I bought a boat with a fin foil/spade rudder. Aside from my windvane, I'm taking an emergency rudder that I designed. Because of a slightly modified rig, I'll spend a couple of days finding the right sail trim on different strengths & points of wind. I'm not fond of bolt-on keels, either, but lots of cruisers have them.

But, I'm not saying one keel configuration is better than another, imo. I think that every sailing-related forum has more than a few threads on that!

[SaltyMonkey]

Thanks bangka. I duuno what I like anymore. I'll take the best condition I can afford although French alum centerboard boats have my attention

[bdurham]

Originally Posted by Bash

Nothing better than a long passage when, after going days without seeing another boat, at sunrise I spot the glint of a distant set of sails on the horizon. I pull out my binoculars, steady myself against the dodger, and discover that the vessel ahead of me is an ancient vessel with a full keel. I sit back and chuckle softly because, in those precious situations, I know that with my fin keel and spade rudder I'll pass him by noon and do a horizon job on him by sundown.

Those are good days, out there on the big blue.

i guess what im really trying to get at here is not whether different hull types can make the trip, (thats obvious and there will always be an example of one that did make the trip) but whether we would be taking more of a risk by sailing certain hull types than others?
i mean, ive heard plenty of horror stories about boats hitting submerged rubbish and loosing there rudder...
since ive never been out in the blue water, is this a valid fear, or something that has been blown out of proportion?

[Bash]

Originally Posted by bdurham

i mean, ive heard plenty of horror stories about boats hitting submerged rubbish and loosing there rudder...
since ive never been out in the blue water, is this a valid fear, or something that has been blown out of proportion?

horror stories are just stories. stop listening to them.

listen to yourself: you're asking "is this a valid fear?"

sailing isn't supposed to be about fear. it's supposed to be about fun.

my boat, with its fin keel and spade rudder, is waaaaaaay fun.