Swing Keels, just some general questions...

[Josh]

These are just some questions I have after reading about the lack of pointability on swing keels when racing...I don't have a swing keel, but I have an O'day 22. In looking at pictures of diffrent makes and models, it looks like the swing keel hasn't changed since its inception. Am I correct in this?As far as wing shape, is the swing keel as it always appears? It almost looks like a two by four that swings down on a rope from a pivot point in a stubby keel. If Im right most are large slabs of iron or lead filled fiberglass, correct?As far as pointability, how does this compare with the 'shoal draft' keel? For obvious reasons the best for pointing would be the full keel right?I was wondering if any company had built either an accordian style of wing? One that instead of just having the slab that drops down, where was a folding flap behind it. After thought, it dawned on me that this would be a bit flimsy and wouldn't produce the best wing shape. Then I wondered about a collapsing wing, where each peice fits inside the next when drawn up. When fully extended this should produce a fairly decent wing. Depending on the strength of the material and the method used to extend and retract it, this could create a large wing and still retain the retractability and shallow draft of a swing keel.Well, just sounding ideas...can you see I was a bit bored today? Nothing to do with the rest of the work day but think about sailing!Josh

 

[Scott]

Swing is fine in shallows

Your Oday has a good swing keel... I have one too, the centerboard is protected by our stub keel which many swing style boats do not have. For example my brothers 81 hunter 22, cousins 81 hunter 22 and my friends 83 catalina 22. Also Odays design is simple and reliable where other cable/winch designs fail repeativly like the ones mentioned above...Ask my poor brother he will tell you. We finally got a good mechanism working.Designing a different swing keel with many moving parts for better performance would only be suitable in shallow water and more prown for breakdowns. If your in deep enough waters and want performance buy a boat with a full keelScott

 

[Josh]

Just theories....

Hey Scott,This was all just theories I was postulating, nothing I had any intent of building myself. Ive actually got a shoal draft, not a swing keel. I've read a lot of complaints and problems with swing keels, as you state your family has had. Just seems that in the fourty years that they have been building fiberglass boats, I wanted to know how come it hasn't really been improved.A wing that collapsed into itself wouldn't have the same give when it hit something solid like a swing would. But if they built a swing keel that collapsed into itself would though...Josh

 

[Mike]

a series of compromises

All movable keel designs are compromises. Technically, there is a difference between a true "swing keel" and "centerboard" designs. Swing keels are designs that have the actual ballast in a movable fin. The Catalina 22 and 25 are examples of these; their entire ballast is contained in the swing keels. Because of this, they need heavy winch and cable mechanisms to raise and lower the keels. The O'days have a keel/centerboard configuration. The ballast for the boat is molded into a short, stubby shoal keel. The movable centerboard is mounted inside the keel. The centerboard is only heavy enough to swing down of its own accord and does not provide any appreciable ballast for righting the boat. Because it is so light (relatively speaking), it can be easily raised with a simple line. For the O'days, these boards are made of fiberglass, and are not filled with ballast material. Each of these designs has advantages and disadvantages, but for my money, the keel/centerboard is superior. Simplicity of design, ease of maintenance and no worries about 500 lbs. of lead swinging around under your hull.As far as pointing ability goes, so much depends on factors other than the keel configuration that it is almost impossible compare boats based just on their keels. All other things being equal, I think its fair to say that the deeper and heavier the keel, the better a boat will point.