How tender is the swing keel?

[Lisa Woodburn]

Hi all,Just wondered on your opinions as to how tender the swing keel is. I sail my Cat 22 easy

 

[Ed P.]

Hind Sight

Hi Lisa, I've had my '85 C-22 about 4 years now, and although I thoroughly enjoy the boat, were I to do it all over again, I would hold out for a wing keel. Although through use of proper sail configuration and controls, the C-22 can be sailed very well in winds in the 15 - 25 MPH range, it does require close attention at all times to avoid an unfortuante incident. The swing keel is fine for what is was designed for; trailerability. However, you sacrifice a bit of stiffness in order to have a boat that you can haul, launch and retrieve easily. Personally, I'm looking forward to the day when I can get a bigger boat that isn't quite as suceptible to every little puff that comes across the water.

 

[Aldo]

I wouldn't trade

Lisa: About two years ago, we were motoring on the Patapsco River, the river that Baltimore is on, on our way into Rock Creek trying to get there before it got dark. Our keel was all the way down and we were motoring with the motor wide open as we usually do. We hit something hard and the boat jumped out of the water. It must have been something made from steel, or rock, because it was very loud. Later checking the chart, we did see the tiny word "obstruction" where this happened. (We now use our GPS extensively and this probably wouldn't happen again). Anyhow, when we pulled the boat out of the water at the end of the summer, there was no sign of any damage at all. I no longer worry about the strength of the keel. As to the winged keel, we sailed with one this summer, and lost sight of them. All things weren't exactly equal, but I don't think that they are as fast, can point as well, and I have seen that they pitch more than the swing keel boat. I don't think that they have enough weight deep enough. Also, I wouldn't want to put one of them onto the ground. For the way we use our boat, the swing keel is perfect, and it has been for the last 21 years. I wouldn't trade mine. Aldo

 

[Dick of Sylvan]

Knockdown

Lisa: Last August while sailing in the "Little Americas's Cup" regatta in Wyoming, a thunderstorm changed wind quickly from about 7mph to maybe 40 while shifting about 90 degrees. This was kind of a suden shock to our working jib/full main combination. Trying to keep up with the pack, I didn't release sheets quick enough so we suffered a near knockdown. Found when we heeled severely (water coming into the cockpit a little), the craft did not respond well to the tiller. Anyway, the keel held and soon we came up ok. I also wonder if one capsized if the locking bolt would really hold the keel in place, or if its mass would overcome the friction anyway? At any rate, I think it would be kind of hard to capsize, unless you fall to the low side of the boat, then crawl up on the mast. As with any small boat, if you end up in the water you should work around to the high side of the craft before putting more weight on it. Otherwise you only make matters worse. Dick