Do you mean adding on to the existing "skeg"? Or putting one onto a boat that doesn't already have one?
The only question would be why? These boats aren't designed by backyard builders. These are designed by naval architects. I wonder why any of us would think that we know better than the architect.
Dave has a sage question. Why on earth would someone want to remove a designed in fixture placed there for a purpose before understanding why the architect/builder placed it there in the first place. Always a puzzle why owners do that rather than purchasing a boat that more closely fits their needs.
Wing keels became the rage when Australia won the America's Cup for the first time in the mid 1980s. Their boat had a wing keel. On Australia the wings were there to beat a rule in the 12 Meter Class Rules. The theory is more lift is generated when the boat heels and more weight could be placed at the extreme end of the keel helping to keep the boat flat in a breeze.
Because the naval architect doesn't build the boat. Someone above him points at his features and says "That adds cost and mold complexity for a performance perk that we cant justify at this price point", and the architect gets overridden. My cheap boat has a smooth arse.
Nobody is talking about removing anything, and wing keels are actually a brilliant work around to a complicated hydrodynamic problem.
If only they really worked. If they had, there would be more boats built with them now, there aren't. Wing keels were a fad.
Yup, it was a narrow market. Take away the rules that spawned this innovation, and you've got a something with half of the benefits of a fin keel, and half of the advantages of a swing keel.
Well, seems simple enough to test out. I can shape it out of wood and glue it to to bottom. I have until it falls off to determine if it helps.
Depends on the hull form, keel, rudder placement and designer's goals. In the photo above the aft sections of the hull are broad, flat and upswept, that would make for good maneuverability as there is less lateral resistance which also means poorer tracking.
I could see how, apart from manufacturing complexity, a small cruiser may be intended to lack this feature. 25's and under tend to be peoples first boats. Meaning their first time navigating marinas et al. Sacrificing a bit of tracking to give us the ability to pivot more quickly when we cock up would be a valid design choice.
A boat that has it sails balanced will track in a straight line, a little bit of skeg will assist it. The skeg area relative to the rudder is quite small and is easily over come by the rudder. With the rudder and prop wash a fin keel boat will turn in about its length.
