310 Keel

[D. Potter]

Has anyone been 'surprised' when the listed 4' keel has turned into a 4'10" keel? It's a big deal in my shoal water area. I have #81.

 

[Kurt]

YES I WAS

I was very surprised to learn that my advertised 4' draft was actually a 4'10" draft! I too sail in very shallow water including a channel that has on 4' spot at low tide. Hence my selection of the 310 with the advertised 4' draw.I have hull #51 and was wondering all last summer why I was hitting bottom and running agrounbd in places where I really shouldn't have been. It was driving me nuts all summer. I was seriously losing confidence in my ability to navigate the terrain.Then I found out about the extra 10" I'm dragging underneath! Boy, did that answer my questions.On the plus side however, the boat does sail very fast and very well close to the wind with that big keel.

 

[Mark Geigel]

I was SHOCKED Also

I have hull #9. I specifically bought the boat for the 4 foot draft since my marina is 4'6" approach depth. Does anyone know how this happened? I love my boat but this was not good news. It does explain why getting in and out of my marina at near low tide is so exciting. We also intended to do a lot of cruising in the keys and that 10" makes a huge difference there.

 

[Frank Gazzano]

What About the Weight???

The 10" is one thing but do you have any idea if the weight of the keel is as advertised. If your in a light wind area dragging along an extra 500 pounds of lead may not be a good thing. I would suggest calling the factory direct and asking for a certification as to the ovrall size and weight of the keel. Any Catalina factor inquiries I have made to Woodland Hills have been promptly, proffesionally, and thoroughly answered. It would be nice to know the story behind the change, maybe it was a typo or maybe it was an engineering change to improve sailing performance.Frank