Will I Fall Over

[Rod Hill]

Hi, I'm new to trailer sailing, I've always had a fixed fin. The fin on my 22 ft hunter floats when not pulled down. If I'm under full sail and the fin comes up, will we fall over.Thanks,Rod

 

[Ron Mehringer]

Nope

If the centerboard on the 22 floats, then the boats ballast must lie elsewhere. Ron MehringerHydro-Therapy

 

[Hayden]

I nearly always sail with the keel up to avoid

shoals i the bay. I have found the boat points better to wind with the keel down but there is little danger of going over. i've had the boat heel to 45 degrees with water at the rail but never the danger of going over. I guess if you have wave and wind action you might go over but having the keel down Vs up won't make a difference.

 

[Ron Mehringer]

Heeling, CBs and Ballast

I read heavy weighted centerboards fell out of use due to the danger they posed in very rough seas. They could swing up and then come crashing down and break the hull or cb trunk and create a leak. Ballast is not kept in the hull of centerboard boats.Most newer cb's don't act as ballast, they are just there to prevent side slip when going to weather. Oddly enough, a boat will heel less if the cb is up, since this eliminates the lateral forces against the cb which "trip" the boat. Of course the boat will slip like crazy.Ron MehringerHydro-Therapy

 

[Frank Ladd]

Ron They still make them

Ron they are still making Catalina 22's with the big heavy 500 pound steel swing keel of death and they are still a top seller. Now of course most of them come with a lock down blot that you are sopposed to insert and tighten to prevent the boly from moving. i'd prefer water ballast or a fixed shoal keel

 

[Ron Mehringer]

Cat. 22

Wow. Didn't know that the venerable Catalina 22 still came with a weighted swing keel. I thought liability issues put an end to that concept. Now that I think about it, years ago a friend of mine almost sank a Cat. 22 in the Tampa area. It started taking on water after he got caught by a squall line. Maybe the boat he was using suffered from the problem we're discussing.Ron MehringerHydro-Therapy

 

[Clark Mason]

H22 Ballast & Centerboard

Rod, The centerboard version of the H22 has its ballast deep in the bilge and won't "fall over" at all; so no worries mate!