Full Keel vs. Shoal Keel Reduction

[brooklyn3]

I currently have a 5 foot keel; I am looking to reduce the depth to the Shoal Keel, which is 4 foot because the primary area that I sail is the Great South Bay in Long Island New York.

The area is primarily useable with a 4 foot keel boat.

The first solution that I am looking at is to cut 1 foot of the lead off the bottom of the keel, however, I am not sure what effects this will do to the boat.

I enjoy the ride of the boat, both in the bay and on the ocean, I don't mind compromising somewhat. I just don't want to drastically reduce the possible resale of the boat, nor the maneuverability.

I realize that the boat is older; however I really like it as a family cruiser.

Any information would be appreciated

 

[Steve Dion]

I would not do that. You would remove about 20% of your ballast and would shurly mess up the balance of the boat.

Think about trading it for a shoal keel model.

 

[seadaddler]

ditto

How about moving to North Shore or even better Greenport,sorry I lived LI most of my life and south shore is for power boating and even than need to be careful.
I had 4' in the peconic and that was pretty good and than got H-36 5' draft and kept her in Greenport and went to heaven for sure with so much fantastic sailing places to go to.
I agree cutting the keel bad idea and will change everything unless you can add like a fin keel with the added weight that you will be removing if you cut off 1'.
Sorry but to do what you want is $$$$$,try looking for a swing keel boat,I am in Fl and see many swing keels for Fl skinny water but I do OK with my 5' most of the time.
Nick

 

[onecoolair]

I currently have a 5 foot keel; I am looking to reduce the depth to the Shoal Keel, which is 4 foot because the primary area that I sail is the Great South Bay in Long Island New York.

The area is primarily useable with a 4 foot keel boat.

The first solution that I am looking at is to cut 1 foot of the lead off the bottom of the keel, however, I am not sure what effects this will do to the boat.

I enjoy the ride of the boat, both in the bay and on the ocean, I don't mind compromising somewhat. I just don't want to drastically reduce the possible resale of the boat, nor the maneuverability.

I realize that the boat is older; however I really like it as a family cruiser.

Any information would be appreciated

If you were to check the design specs of most shoal keel boats verses there sister ship deeper keel versions you will find the lead keel wieght as been increased on the shoal keel model to make up for the difference in righting momentum or leverage.
I am an architect and sometimes my brain will just not shut up and stop thinking of ways to redesign or improve something. Or get me into trouble.
I have add 12" to a keel once. The hard part was smelting the lead safely. {LEAD FUMES / Molten Lead} Making sure to have a proper mold set up. And a safe way to do the pour. The bolting on of the new shoe was the easy part concidering after having over come the first two issuies. So I know were some of this coming from.
So unless you have the bucks to buy new keel, or the resources to have a good 2 feet of your old keel cut off. {Remember 1' less draft also means more like two feet cut off to allow for adding new shoe} Then you have to take the old lead plus add more lead to make up for loss of stability.You may need to locate between 400 to 600 hundred pounds of lead to add to new shoe? And the resources {address all saftey issuies} to smelt it down and pouring it all into a new special designed shoe mold. Torpedo shaped , Winged bulb design etc. that can then be securely bolted and bonded back on. So if your marraige is solid and she just a bit crazy like you, and you both really love this boat and can over come all these issuies? Then go for it!

 

[Claude L.-Auger]

I totally agree that it's not a good idea. If you do shorten the keel you need to add weight. Your boat is already a compromise, but doing such a drastic change also impacts the overall performance and handling of the boat much more than anticipated.

It does get done, but if you were to do it, then look for the advice of specialists such as Mars Metal. (http://www.marskeel.com/repairs-modifications/draft-reductions)

I look into it in 2000 and the cost made it a non-issue. Nowadays it is going to end up costing you over $10,000. And the boat might even loose its current value to possible buyers because of the change.

Better to sell your current boat and get a shoal draft...or move the boat to North Shore as Seadaddler says. Good luck

 

[Tally Ho]

I guess I would check to see if the boat was offered in a shoal draft model....if so, and you could get the factory-spec shoal draft keel, I would think that would be an acceptable option. I assume that the mfger would have engineered it to work.

Greg