Hello; I'm not a Catalina owner but hope you'll accept this post. Having scouted dozens of 27s at boattraderonline.com, I'm discouraged to see that most have a draft of 4 feet -- slightly too deep for Leech Lake, where I'm awaiting a slip. Were, or are, any C27s being built with a swing, or wing, keel? I welcome any information you have to offer. Thanks, Reuben
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Bayard Gross
How about a C-25 Wing Keel?
If four feet is too deep, then I suspect you will need to use a smaller vessel than twenty-seven feet. A C-25 wing keel draws about three feet or so and I think the C-25 swing keel draws about three feet with its keel up. Further, is this four foot limit the minimum water depth when the lake is low as during a drought? If not, then I would consider skipping a large sailing craft and go for a vessel with a fully retractable center board and swing up keel.
If four feet is too deep, then I suspect you will need to use a smaller vessel than twenty-seven feet. A C-25 wing keel draws about three feet or so and I think the C-25 swing keel draws about three feet with its keel up. Further, is this four foot limit the minimum water depth when the lake is low as during a drought? If not, then I would consider skipping a large sailing craft and go for a vessel with a fully retractable center board and swing up keel.
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Reuben
The hunt for a shoal-draft 27
Most years Leech Lake is deep enough to be fully navigable with a 4 foot keel - there are many such boats slipped there. But the past several winters have been easy ones, with little snowmelt in the spring, and by the end of the 2003 season some of the narrows had become too shallow for the 4-footers. So I'm scouting for a family cruiser (we are two adults, two teenagers) that can cope with these varying conditions. I thought I'd seen mentions of a C27 model drawing 42", but perhaps I'm mistaken...
Most years Leech Lake is deep enough to be fully navigable with a 4 foot keel - there are many such boats slipped there. But the past several winters have been easy ones, with little snowmelt in the spring, and by the end of the 2003 season some of the narrows had become too shallow for the 4-footers. So I'm scouting for a family cruiser (we are two adults, two teenagers) that can cope with these varying conditions. I thought I'd seen mentions of a C27 model drawing 42", but perhaps I'm mistaken...
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Joe Barrett
O'Day 272
The O'Day 27's built after 1986 have a wing keel that only draws 2'11". It's a good boat, I owned one for 15 years.
The O'Day 27's built after 1986 have a wing keel that only draws 2'11". It's a good boat, I owned one for 15 years.
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RDS
Cat 27
I thought the newer Cat 27's had a 3'8" wing. You need to check the Cat 27 web page (go to Catalinayachts.com and follow the links) and look thru the brochures on that site. Rick
I thought the newer Cat 27's had a 3'8" wing. You need to check the Cat 27 web page (go to Catalinayachts.com and follow the links) and look thru the brochures on that site. Rick
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Roger
Shoal draft c27
There is a wing keel, shoal draft c27 model that draws 3'6", but they are kinda rare. I would also caution you that my standard rig C27 that is supposed to draw 4' is probabklyn closer to 4' 6". I think they lie a bit, or rather measure before ANYTHING is mon the boat! Roger C27 5012 & Mabel Cape Cod
There is a wing keel, shoal draft c27 model that draws 3'6", but they are kinda rare. I would also caution you that my standard rig C27 that is supposed to draw 4' is probabklyn closer to 4' 6". I think they lie a bit, or rather measure before ANYTHING is mon the boat! Roger C27 5012 & Mabel Cape Cod
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Randy
Catalina 27--Shoal Draft
I have an 84 Catalina 27, and it is the shoal draft model. Rated draft is 3'4", I believe. I have a standard-rig mast. These shoal models must be fairly rare, as all the publications I've seen refer to fin keel models (4'0" draft, I think), and wing keel models (3'8", I believe). But mine is neither a fin, nor a wing. It is shaped a bit like a Scheel keel (in profile view). The shoal keel is actually wider at the bottom than at the top where it meets the hull (so its center of gravity is low). Although it saves 8" in rated draft, one disadvantage from my perspective is that the draft of the rudder is nearly the same as the keel, meaning the keel offers less protection for the rudder. The advantage is in shallow water, of course. My home slip, in particular, is shallow at extreme low tide. There are many low tides at which my shoal keel just rests on the bottom, whereas an eight inch deeper fin would certainly cause the boat to lay on its side. By the way, the shoal keel is so wide across the bottom (compared to a fin) that if the tide does recede far enough, the boat rests upright, on the broad base of the keel. Sailing characteristics are just fine. It probably doesn't point as high as a fin, but most of our sailing is easy daysailing or cruising, so it is of little concern. It also offers plenty of stability. Good luck in finding one of these, as I don't think there are too many of them out there. Randy
I have an 84 Catalina 27, and it is the shoal draft model. Rated draft is 3'4", I believe. I have a standard-rig mast. These shoal models must be fairly rare, as all the publications I've seen refer to fin keel models (4'0" draft, I think), and wing keel models (3'8", I believe). But mine is neither a fin, nor a wing. It is shaped a bit like a Scheel keel (in profile view). The shoal keel is actually wider at the bottom than at the top where it meets the hull (so its center of gravity is low). Although it saves 8" in rated draft, one disadvantage from my perspective is that the draft of the rudder is nearly the same as the keel, meaning the keel offers less protection for the rudder. The advantage is in shallow water, of course. My home slip, in particular, is shallow at extreme low tide. There are many low tides at which my shoal keel just rests on the bottom, whereas an eight inch deeper fin would certainly cause the boat to lay on its side. By the way, the shoal keel is so wide across the bottom (compared to a fin) that if the tide does recede far enough, the boat rests upright, on the broad base of the keel. Sailing characteristics are just fine. It probably doesn't point as high as a fin, but most of our sailing is easy daysailing or cruising, so it is of little concern. It also offers plenty of stability. Good luck in finding one of these, as I don't think there are too many of them out there. Randy
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Reuben
Follow-up on Shoal-keel 27
Hi and thanks all, especially Randy; I've located what might be another shoal-keel 27, this one built in '86. You mention a Scheel keel to which I must admit ignorance; will try finding a pic or illustration online. My follow-up is about rated versus actual draft. If the ad specs claim 3'6", is that genuine? Sorry to be "hung up" on the question of draft, but it is indeed a major concern on the lake of my choice. Reuben.
Hi and thanks all, especially Randy; I've located what might be another shoal-keel 27, this one built in '86. You mention a Scheel keel to which I must admit ignorance; will try finding a pic or illustration online. My follow-up is about rated versus actual draft. If the ad specs claim 3'6", is that genuine? Sorry to be "hung up" on the question of draft, but it is indeed a major concern on the lake of my choice. Reuben.
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Randy
Actual draft
The only way to be certain is to actually measure the draft. This is easy if the boat has already been hauled, but is not so easy if still in the water. There can be discrepancies between rated draft and actual draft By the way, with my rated 3'4" draft, I usually call it "four feet" when navigating in skinny water. Given the extra weight of crew and gear, plus the 27's tendency to squat when motoring with a cockpit full of sailors, I'm undoubtedly running a few inches deeper than the rated draft. Randy
The only way to be certain is to actually measure the draft. This is easy if the boat has already been hauled, but is not so easy if still in the water. There can be discrepancies between rated draft and actual draft By the way, with my rated 3'4" draft, I usually call it "four feet" when navigating in skinny water. Given the extra weight of crew and gear, plus the 27's tendency to squat when motoring with a cockpit full of sailors, I'm undoubtedly running a few inches deeper than the rated draft. Randy
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