im curious as to why catalina decided to go from a regular shoal keel on the capri 18 to a wing keel design. does it help reduce weather helm or increase upwind performance or stability?
wing keel on capri 18
- Thread starter sailorsteve1
- Start date
I believe the wing increased performance. My opinion is that the wing keeps the water flow over the keel and helps to prevent the water flow from falling off the bottom. Think of like the wingletts on the newer aircraft. I was amazed how well the boat went to windward with such a shallow draft.
LOVED our Capri-18! Best unknown small sailboat out there. Way over built, don't know why more people haven't discovered them.
Attached is our Capri-18 moored at Two Harbor's on Catalina Island.
Don
LOVED our Capri-18! Best unknown small sailboat out there. Way over built, don't know why more people haven't discovered them.
Attached is our Capri-18 moored at Two Harbor's on Catalina Island.
Don
Attachments
The effect of wings or winglets on keels has long been debated; and there is no clear consensus among designers about their positive effect on sailing (lift or drag). Most now say none. Which is why they have pretty much disappeared.
What IS a clear benefit is for any given keel material and draft, a wing keel will have a lower center of gravity (CG) which will allows the boat to have a correspondingly more powerful rig. Nowadays keels will have bulbs or foots.
What IS a clear benefit is for any given keel material and draft, a wing keel will have a lower center of gravity (CG) which will allows the boat to have a correspondingly more powerful rig. Nowadays keels will have bulbs or foots.
On the Capri-18, the wing is fiberglass, and is added to the molded keel stub,(which is filled with lead shoot and resin), and adds no substantial weight. Snake oil or not, still a great performing boat.
Don
Don
I'm sure it is. I had a wing keel boat once as well, a Beneteau First 235. It was a great sailing boat. But it was not as fast or as weatherly as its fin keeled sister. But I'm sure it would have been much better than a shoal keeled boat of the same draft.
don, appreciate your input, i figured it must have been performance. are the wing keels harder to launch i wonder
From my experience, my Capri-18 was a bit harder to raise the mast than our C-22, and to launch. My C-22 has a drop axle so it sits a little lower, both boats use the factory mast raising system, but the C-22 gin-pole naturally is longer giving a bit more leverage. Both boats have wing keels,(our MK-II has the Capri-22 wing keel). I should add that I never had any problems launching the Capri-18, but like our C-22, we always had to use the tongue extension Some photos attached for your pleasure, including the factory drawing on the keel and wing. One thing for sure, the increased angle on the leading edge of the keel and wing would shed kelp and grass, unlike the kelp-magnet our C-22 keel has. Our first crossing to Catalina Island was with our Capri-18. No better way to arrive than by a small sea-worthy boat!
Have fun with her, she's a GREAT boat!
Don
Have fun with her, she's a GREAT boat!
Don
