Shoal or Fin Keel?

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Ted

There was a previous post about having a Shoal or Fin Keel. My question is concerning maintenance/and or reliability. I don't really like fooling around with a centerboard but I do not want to be worried about the fin keel joint coming loose, etc. What is the better choice if all things are considered. I would appreciate everyone's help on this as I have a choice between the two boat types. Thank you.
 
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Bob

Matter of Choice

It's simply a matter of choice. Personally, my opinion is that with a C/B unit there's more to go wrong. I have a few friends who are NUTS when it comes to maintaining their boats and they all have had problems with their C/B's. These guys are even pickier than I am (if that's possible). As far as a fin keel goes, unless you totally neglect your boat I can't imagine the keel just deciding to depart. Hope this helps. Cheers, Bob 87 272LE "Lazybones" E. Greenwich, RI
 
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Russ Marcks

Matter of where you sail

I believe the shoal keel will be easier to find. There is not alot to go wrong with the centerboard though. On my 78, I did have the centerboard filled with epoxy, it started sounding hollow. I've not had to replace the line, but it is a rope to wire joint. However, I did have the centerboard 'jam' on me once, Zebra Mussels found their way in the previous year and I guess I did a poor job of powerwashing. Next season, I had to pull right after I launched to clean out the trunk. I even 'caught' two fish this year when I pulled out and dropped the centerboard to powerwash. At least the game warden was understanding :) But keeping the washed and painted with a spray-on anti-fouling solves that problem. Debatably the biggest concern is where you sail. If you have deep water, I'd try to go full keel. However, if you like gunkholing, have a shallow marina or are on a shallow lake, the shoal draft may be just the thing. At 2'8" draft with board up, you can go most anyplace. I can pretty much put mine on the beach or a sand bar if I want (as long as I don't 'ram' it there). I sail on Eake Erie, specifically Sandusky Bay. The water is low by some people's standards, right where it's suppose to be by others, but shallow none the less. I've had to pull up the centerboard to back out of my slip. The bay itself has some very shallow areas that I couldn't go into if I had a fin Keel. Of course, fin keels will perform a bit better than shoal keels; another consideration as well.
 
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Don Evans

One Further Consideration...

To Russ and Bobs' response is whether you intend to trailer it? To see how high the finkeel sits on a trailer go to: http://www.towerpromotions.com/Seasaw/seasaw2.html The stub keel/CB model will sit about 3 feet lower, will be self launching and be a heck of a lot easier to tow. The CB has been problematic to some owners, usually due to neglect. Change the pennant and clip every 5-7 years or so and there should not be too much problem. These are available from Rudy at D&R marine for about 30 bucks I believe. There is plenty of info on repair to the CB in this and other archives. Don
 
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Paul Palmer

Fin keel

This would not be a tough decision for me. My former boat had a swing keel and it was such a big hassle and I don't ever plan on having another swing anything. I know the center board is less hassle than a swing keel but still it is no match for a fixed fin keel in my estimation. I have a OD 25 fixed fin keel and a friend has the OD 25 CB and the performance difference is quite noticable. There is not even a crack to show where the keel is attached and mine is a 77 model so I don't think you you should be concerned about the keel coming loose. A fixed keel is more difficult to launch from a trailer so if you are going to trailer and launch everytime you sail then it is a totally different story. My boat goes in the water in the spring and doesn't come out until fall. There are pros and cons to everything but I would give up that extra 2ft of clearance for the fixed keel any day. Good luck with what ever you choose. Paul Palmer
 
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Mike

Fin or centerboard?

I have a '79 O'Day 23 with a keel/centerboard. The previous posts are right on; when I was looking for a boat, I wanted a keel/centerboard boat. I thought it represented the best compromise between performance, safety and convenience. I must admit, I like the idea of being able to avoid grounding by raising the board. However, after sailing her for a season, I think that advantage is not as great as I thought. The 23, and I imagine the 25 as well, is a tender boat, made more so by the keel/centerboard arrangement. Heeling doesn't bother me, but it tends to make my wife and young children a little nervous. I might be willing to trade the centerboard convenience for the additional stability of a fin keel now. As to maintenance and reliability, my centerboard stuck twice before I figured out a cheap and easy way to free it (a four foot steel rod inserted into the pennant hole). Good luck.
 
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