Can you flip an O'Day 23 with Swing Keel?

[OS2Dude]

QUESTION: Is the weight in a swing keel enough to prevent a 23' sailboat from being rolled over just by the wind?

I have my first 'real' sailboat, an O'Day 23 with a swing keel. It is iron encased in fibreglass and when lowered my draft goes from 2' to 6'. I've had mine out a few times in winds 10-15, with gusts to 25. It gets a little 'exciting' when it heels to 30 degrees, and a few times a gust hit and knocked me past 45.

I know the wind starts to spill and the effectiveness of the keel as a point of resistance to sideways motion declines after a certain point. However, my experience with a 'Dolphin Sr' (A glorified Sunfish) tells me a boat can be rolled over with just the wind. Granted, it was a short daggerboard, not a weighted swing keel. But it was also much easier to right if you did go over... My brother sails a Hunter 34 with a fixed wing keel and often runs it with the rails in the water, as do several folks I have spoken to whose vessels have a fixed keel. Is the same safe to do with a swing keel? Do I risk snapping it off?

Thanks!

 

[DeniseO30]

Since your post doesn't even mention the word "reefing" I can't stress kindly or strongly enough that you learn and practice reefing your main. if your out there in heavy winds with full sails and try to maintain a course, you may have the tiller ripped out of your hands as the boat tries to "round up" into the wind. (tiller or rudder could break also) In most all cases, the boat can take more then the helms person. If you reef and use common sense a swing keel boat still is a keel boat and will self right in most cases. If you did manage to get the mast and sails laying in the water the boat could fill up with water and then flip.

ps; running the rail in the water is fun but the boat really is going slower.

 

[John Stevens]

I don't know of a "swing keel" 23, it should be a shoal draft/centerboard. The board shouldn't be weighted, just enough weight to drop it into the water so that it doesn't float.

With that said, any boat can be knocked down in gust with the boat facing the wrong angle and the sails in too tight. As Denise said, you should be reefing, IMHO, in anything over 15 knots. Sailing the boat flatter is faster, about 10-15 degree heeling.

One thing that will help the heeling is to raise the centerboard a bit. It will make the boat slide a little more but keep it a little more upright.

Hope this helps,

John

 

[OS2Dude]

OK, thanks for the responses. I was told it was a 'Swing Keel', so I looked at the paperwork again and the specifications do say 'Weighted Keel, Center Board'.

This is my first 'real' boat, and I've never been on anyone else's who reefed their sails. I will try to remember to use the reefing points.

 

[HukilauMike]

OS2: the Oday 23 cannot be flipped like a Sunfish. As mentioned above, in certain conditions, it could be knocked down, but it will self-right. The Oday 23, like most trailer sailers, is a "tender" boat, that is, she will heel over fairly easily. You can bury the rail with her, and I did so on mine just the other day. However, also as noted above, it is not a very efficient way to sail, nor is it particularly comfortable. You will need two hands on the tiller, and a lot of concentration to maintain a straight course as she will desparately try to round up into the wind. On my Oday 23, I will reef the main when the wind is anywhere above 12 knots. Either that, or I will sail with just the genny (less healing, but more pitching; boat will not point as high either).

Enjoy the boat!