The new (?) Zero Keel on the Kracken 50

TomY

Alden Forum Moderator
Jun 22, 2004
2,759
Alden 38' Challenger yawl Rockport Harbor
The lastest Classic Boat download talks about the new Zero keel on the Kracken 50. A cruising keel that can't fall off.

I watched the video and couldn't help but think, the Zero keel isn't new. I have a Zero keel on my old boat, even though it has a bolted on lead ballast shoe.

What do you think, new idea? Not a bad deal in a new 50'er, $750K, if you're in the market. :)


https://www.krakenyachts.com/k50
 
Jan 22, 2008
296
Islander Freeport, 41 Ketch Longmont, CO
Same here on my 1977 Islander freeport 41 including the keel hung rudder. This is just a new design on an old solution, which takes advantage of the new engineering and hydrodynamic understandings.

Nice looking boat either way
 
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Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
Interesting.

Some of the claims made by the company owner are sketchy and self serving, but is a nice looking boat and you have to admire the moxie.

Whats really interesting is his rail against bolt-on fins is atypical. Unlike most of that ilk he's NOT claiming that the leverage caused by the depth-span of the keel applied to the narrow root is the problem, but its the dis-similar flexing characteristics of the glass hull and the metal keel that creates the problem. So to deal with that they mold the hull and the fin keel all in one go, getting rid of the bolts but the load is the same. Stronger maybe. ZERO chance of it failing? Thats a stretch.

Outfits like IP use mostly the hull body to provide lateral resistance, with very little lifting surface. This is of course stronger but with a huge hit in windward performance.
 
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Jun 14, 2010
2,096
Robertson & Caine 2017 Leopard 40 CT
I agree with @Gunni . Watched it and almost nodded off asleep. At the 5-minute mark I was thinking "OK I'm going to watch it to the end because I need to make sure this guy really isn't saying anything new". He didn't.
PS - The guy is kinda stuck in a narrow view. Multihulls don't need keels. Boats with kick-up rudders don't need protective skegs.
 

capta

.
Jun 4, 2009
4,773
Pearson 530 Admiralty Bay, Bequia SVG
I got about 4 minutes into that crock of $hit and couldn't take it! PNG is 5k miles from a yard to haul a 50' sailboat? I guess he's never heard of Taiwan, where I believe they actually BUILD fiberglass boats in quantity (or Cooktown @ 650 mi)? For that matter, any container port could haul any 50' yacht ever built and a boat builder could fly in and do any kind of repairs needed without putting the boat or crew at risk with a 5k passage to anywhere!
And just exactly how is one going to go aground in the middle of an ocean crossing and knock their keel off? If someone went that hard aground near land, would they then continue on across an ocean before assessing the damage and making repairs?
And not to be at all insensitive to the relatives of those 28 people (according to him) who may have perished from the loss of a keel at sea since the '80s, that's an incredibly small number of casualties compared to the number actually doing crossings and compared to just about any other even slightly dangerous activity.
And lastly, though perhaps not right up there with the most important things I consider important for an ocean cruising vessel, those windows look a bit large for any boat that might encounter some heavy weather at sea.
And as for his claim that there are no production boats out there that aren't built without a fin keel seems a bit far fetched to me, though I honestly have not researched it at all.
I'm not so sure I'd buy a used car from that fellow.
 
Oct 22, 2014
21,099
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
That is an interesting boat @Gunni. Only question is the bunk for a passage. Lots of room in the main salon, and nice roomy decks. A cabin in the bow is just not very kindly on a long open sea passage.

Have you been aboard one?
 

capta

.
Jun 4, 2009
4,773
Pearson 530 Admiralty Bay, Bequia SVG
For that kind of money, you could have an Outbound 46 and $100 large to commission it with. My idea of the perfect fast blue water boat. And, oh yeah, it has one of them ‘zero keels’ too!
https://outboundyachts.com/outbound-46/arrangements/
My only question is about having the stateroom fwd. Probably un-sleepable at sea if beating, and we've found no matter what we do, there are times when the anchor chain dragging across the bottom or the stretch of the snub line makes sleeping forward a lot noisier than aft. All in all, not insurmountable problems, but something to consider if purchasing a boat to live aboard full time.
 

Gunni

.
Mar 16, 2010
5,937
Beneteau 411 Oceanis Annapolis
There are two cabin options for the the Outbound 46, Vee-berth and Pullman berth. Pullman is the one to have, it puts the forward head in the bow where it is can be used for launching and recovering the headsail/spinnaker. Also makes the best use of that odd shape section of the boat. The Pullman is far enough aft that it can be used as a sea berth in anything less than rough conditions. Otherwise, the saloon seat is long and straight and makes a good sea berth, as is the aft cabin berth - depending on tack, and possibly the use of a lee-cloth.

I wouldn’t own a boat with a vee-berth, don’t like sleeping in them, find them cramped. The Pullman berth can be found on both the Beneteau 393 and the 411 also.
 
Jul 20, 2005
2,422
Whitby 55 Kemah, Tx
Not sure about Vanuatu, but Fiji has two yards that can haul out super-yachts, Tonga has a 30 Ton lift (but the yard will not take anything over 25 tons). New Zealand and Australia has many yards for large yachts. Thailand and Malaysia also have yards too. American Samoa also has a yard. In fact, there is even an atoll in the middle of the south pacific that I saw haul out 60' cats. Now days there seems to always be a yard somewhere near. Even Marquesas was working on one when I was there 3 years ago.
 
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