As a new owner of a H22 I am curious as to why they are so much heavier than other 22' boats. With 1300 lbs. of ballast whew! Is that much ballast required because there is no keel weight? Perhaps for safety in wind gusts? Or is it the amount of sail area ? Has any one tried removing some of that lead from the bottom and made a swing keel that was weighted as with the Macgregor 25'(cast iron) The more weight below, the less ballast needed correct? Just curious. The lowering and raising system would have to be a winch system to handle the weight. I have not looked at the current set up ( under the drop table) What would be the ratio of weight that could be trimed if the keel were cast iron or lead weighted? Anyone ever thought of attempting this? My Macgregor 25 had I believe 650 # of cast iron keel that swung down and when retracted was almost the same distance below the bottom as the h22 keel. The Macgregor seemed to be lighter in the fiberglass construction also. Something to think about for those who are so inclined, thanks in advance for your replys. You may be wondering... why is this guy thinking of this? Easier towing, a faster boat...YES.