Center Boards

[DJW]

Am looking at a very nice Maple Leaf 42 that has a center board. We currently have a 42' Cascade that has a bulb keel that we are going to sell. I am not that familiar with center boards. The Maple Leaf drafts 6' 3" with the center board up and about 8' with it down. This boat had a complete retrofit in 95/96 and just had a new mast, boom, sails and standing rigging installed and is completely outfitted to include a dive compressor. My question is should I be concerened with it having a center board?

 

[J.B. Dyer]

Opinion

Good Morning:About the only opinion that I have on center board, swing keels, etc. is that I've seen too many references and requests for information in this forum concerning them getting stuck. I'm not too sure that I would ever consider one based on that alone. I've sailed on a few (other peoples) and other than they are a little noisy sometimes. The getting stuck issue would be the only thing that would put me off on them, although the boat you describe sounds like a nice one.You might check the archives and read some of the complaints before committing yourself. My personal preference is a fixed keel.Good luck with your decision!

 

[chris]

i would not buy a swing keel again

my previous boat was a catalina with a swing keel. I would not buy a swing keel again. Too many pieces of hardware under the salt water corroding away night and day, all I did was worry about the keel cable busting loose at the most inopportune time.*yks I do not know what hardware is exposed to the saltwater on a centerboard but just my too cents since you asked!;Dchris

 

[Peter]

Yes and no...

There is a major difference between smaller "swing keel" boats such as the Catalina 22 or 25 and MacGregors, compared to larger boats where the centerboard is fully enclosed within the keel, and where the fixed keel is where the ballast is maintained. The swing keel boats are meant for protected waters, and not ocean passages. The larger keel/centerboard boats can be very safe and unproblematical on big water crossings. I'm not specifically familiar with a Maple Leaf 42, but on most keel/centerboard boats, the potential problem area is, like the smaller boats, the cable that pulls the board up/down. On your haulout for survey, if it looks good, I would not be concerned. I'd also google "Maple Leaf 42" to see if there are any user groups or other info available that may give you hints of things to look out for. The advantage of K/CB boats is the shallow draft while still pointing high.I recently made a 130 mile passage to windward around Pt. Conception in a Tartan 37 keel/centerboard in 30 knots+, and the whole thing worked great! I wouldn't have wanted to try that in a Cat 22 or MacGregor!Good Luck!