We are considering purchasing a 30' sloop with a wing keel. We would be sailing Lake Michigan. Other than the obvious shallow draft, what other advantages or disadvantages could we expect?
wing keel
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wink keel
The wing is also supposed to reduce the downwind drift of the boat compared to a fin keel when the boat is heeled over. A straight fin produces less resistance to drift when its at an angle in the water, compared to when it is vertical, so putting a wing on the bottom of the fin helps reduce the boat's downwind drift. The lee side of the keel goes down a bit, compensating for the reduced draft, and keeps some of the waterflow from just slipping around the bottom of the keel. This is most prominent when sailing upwind, especially when overpowered and heeled way over. A winged keel also moves more of the mass of the keel to the bottom of the lever arm, somewhat mitigating the loss of draft compared to a regular keel. If shoal draft is a concern (it is where I sail) you should know that getting unstuck from the bottom with a wing keel is different from a fin keel. You don't want to heel the boat, since that will cause the wing on the lower side to dig into the muck more.
The wing is also supposed to reduce the downwind drift of the boat compared to a fin keel when the boat is heeled over. A straight fin produces less resistance to drift when its at an angle in the water, compared to when it is vertical, so putting a wing on the bottom of the fin helps reduce the boat's downwind drift. The lee side of the keel goes down a bit, compensating for the reduced draft, and keeps some of the waterflow from just slipping around the bottom of the keel. This is most prominent when sailing upwind, especially when overpowered and heeled way over. A winged keel also moves more of the mass of the keel to the bottom of the lever arm, somewhat mitigating the loss of draft compared to a regular keel. If shoal draft is a concern (it is where I sail) you should know that getting unstuck from the bottom with a wing keel is different from a fin keel. You don't want to heel the boat, since that will cause the wing on the lower side to dig into the muck more.
Fin Keel
The model you are looking at may only have a wing keel, however if you have a choice, the deep keel will out point the wing keel up wind, and generally be faster on all points of sail as it should have less drag (less wetted surface). Note any PHRF ratings for boats with wing keels are typically 6 or more seconds higher (slower) per mile than the same model with a fin keel. The wing keel can be a problem if you ever do go aground, while the fin keel can typically be backed off or 'wiggled' out. I assume Lake Michigan is neither shallow nor subject to much (if any tidal range?) I've had both types and would not go for a shoal draft again.
The model you are looking at may only have a wing keel, however if you have a choice, the deep keel will out point the wing keel up wind, and generally be faster on all points of sail as it should have less drag (less wetted surface). Note any PHRF ratings for boats with wing keels are typically 6 or more seconds higher (slower) per mile than the same model with a fin keel. The wing keel can be a problem if you ever do go aground, while the fin keel can typically be backed off or 'wiggled' out. I assume Lake Michigan is neither shallow nor subject to much (if any tidal range?) I've had both types and would not go for a shoal draft again.
Keel Concerns
In the late 80's the boat makers jumped on the wing keel band wagon after the America's Cup. Sure they help reduce draft. Look and one of them and tell me how how would get it floating after it was grounded. I've heard they called "Danforth Keels" on more than one occasion and wouldn't own one myself because they don't help performance.
In the late 80's the boat makers jumped on the wing keel band wagon after the America's Cup. Sure they help reduce draft. Look and one of them and tell me how how would get it floating after it was grounded. I've heard they called "Danforth Keels" on more than one occasion and wouldn't own one myself because they don't help performance.
Keel Choices
I have a bulb keel and strongly recommend it(a wing keel may actually be a bulb keel, but inadvertently mislabeled). Don't hesitate to purchase the 30' sloop with a wing keel. Importantly, the speed, comfort and safety of all keel types is virtually the same. A boat with a wing keel is perfectly fine provided other features are satisfactory, too. Sure, differences exist. Most of us aren't of the caliber to appreciate finely measured differences. Ultimately, a collection of features attract us to the boats we want. Rarely is a wing keel a "deal breaker" for a prospective buyer. On the other hand, deep keels have become harder to sell in many markets. Consider resale in your area. In the past I sailed a 35' sloop on Lake Ontario where, generally speaking, ports are deep enough for any 35' boat regardless of keel depth. But, accepting that generalization as a rule will get you hard aground since plenty of ports are shallow-- for example around the Thousand Is. Know where you want to explore. It can be rewarding to enter shallow waters where other sailors must pass by. Those of us who venture to shallow waters are thrilled to reject boats with deep fins and, instead, buy shoal drafts.
I have a bulb keel and strongly recommend it(a wing keel may actually be a bulb keel, but inadvertently mislabeled). Don't hesitate to purchase the 30' sloop with a wing keel. Importantly, the speed, comfort and safety of all keel types is virtually the same. A boat with a wing keel is perfectly fine provided other features are satisfactory, too. Sure, differences exist. Most of us aren't of the caliber to appreciate finely measured differences. Ultimately, a collection of features attract us to the boats we want. Rarely is a wing keel a "deal breaker" for a prospective buyer. On the other hand, deep keels have become harder to sell in many markets. Consider resale in your area. In the past I sailed a 35' sloop on Lake Ontario where, generally speaking, ports are deep enough for any 35' boat regardless of keel depth. But, accepting that generalization as a rule will get you hard aground since plenty of ports are shallow-- for example around the Thousand Is. Know where you want to explore. It can be rewarding to enter shallow waters where other sailors must pass by. Those of us who venture to shallow waters are thrilled to reject boats with deep fins and, instead, buy shoal drafts.
Wing thing
My boat started life with a winged keel. After breaking free from her mooring and beaching, she had bent one of the wings. I took that opportunity to replace the keel with a fin. Wow, what a difference. Like I got a whole new boat. A dazzling increase in pointing, speed, loss of leeway and a stiffer boat with less weather helm. PHRF cost me 6 seconds but it was well worth the difference. My sisterships can't get near me even with the handicap change. The wing keelboats from the America's Cup have absolutely nothing in common with the so-called wings of production boats. All they do is add weight to the bottom of the keel but the price is a huge increase in wetted surface area and very poorly shaped foils. I wouldn't own a wing keelboat after I saw the changes that the fin made. If depth were an issue then the next best thing would be a shoal draft with a bulb on the bottom. Most people don’t get the opportunity to do a direct comparison they way that I was able to, and without comparing apples to apples ‘how are you to decide if it works or not’?
My boat started life with a winged keel. After breaking free from her mooring and beaching, she had bent one of the wings. I took that opportunity to replace the keel with a fin. Wow, what a difference. Like I got a whole new boat. A dazzling increase in pointing, speed, loss of leeway and a stiffer boat with less weather helm. PHRF cost me 6 seconds but it was well worth the difference. My sisterships can't get near me even with the handicap change. The wing keelboats from the America's Cup have absolutely nothing in common with the so-called wings of production boats. All they do is add weight to the bottom of the keel but the price is a huge increase in wetted surface area and very poorly shaped foils. I wouldn't own a wing keelboat after I saw the changes that the fin made. If depth were an issue then the next best thing would be a shoal draft with a bulb on the bottom. Most people don’t get the opportunity to do a direct comparison they way that I was able to, and without comparing apples to apples ‘how are you to decide if it works or not’?
For me...it is a 'no-brainer'!
It is impossible for me to get a fin keel to consistently perform better than a wing! Got your attention? Seriously, the fin version of the Cat 320 is almost a foot deeper than the wing. As it is now, I plow the bottom two out of three times leaving my slip. No fin keel stuck in the slip is ever going to outperform a wing at sail, heheheh. If you are into racing, have plenty of water depth and excellent sail trim skills, the fin is the better choice. If you are prone to pushing the limits of the bottom contour, the wing is the better choice. If your sail trim skills are only average, it makes little difference from a performance viewpoint. On soft bottoms the wing is not as difficult to get off as many would claim. The problem is the the correct 'instant' response is different for a wing than that of a fin keel boat and it takes a bit of getting used to for long time fin keel skippers. Newer designs can be heeled if hard aground (sand or mud), it just take quite a bit more angle. In most cases, if you do a quick 180 as soon as you touch, you will get off just fine. You just can't plow through sand the way you can with a fin and mud creates a tremendous suction on the bottom of a wing. Some older designs are angled in such a way as to dig you deeper if you try to reverse. A lot of the conventional wisdom concerning wing keels is pretty much myth as applied to late model designs. Wing design on production boats has evolved considerably since they first started slapping them on the bottom of shortened fins in order to have the "latest and greatest". Experience and CAD aided design has produced a series of subtle changes (and some less subtle) by the reputable builders over the last decade. The foil design is much improved over the early versions. The wetted surface is much reduced as is the grounding issue. They really could almost be termed high performance bulbs. I may be guilty of hyperbole, but I really think that it is not unfair to say that 90% of the skippers out there do not understand sail trim well enough to get a consistent performance benefit from a fin keel. If you objectively apply these principles to your particular; skills, geography, boat in question and your own standards, you will be better able to make an informed choice suitable for your needs rather than just taking the traditional litany of fin vs. wing as a pure performance issue into account.
It is impossible for me to get a fin keel to consistently perform better than a wing! Got your attention? Seriously, the fin version of the Cat 320 is almost a foot deeper than the wing. As it is now, I plow the bottom two out of three times leaving my slip. No fin keel stuck in the slip is ever going to outperform a wing at sail, heheheh. If you are into racing, have plenty of water depth and excellent sail trim skills, the fin is the better choice. If you are prone to pushing the limits of the bottom contour, the wing is the better choice. If your sail trim skills are only average, it makes little difference from a performance viewpoint. On soft bottoms the wing is not as difficult to get off as many would claim. The problem is the the correct 'instant' response is different for a wing than that of a fin keel boat and it takes a bit of getting used to for long time fin keel skippers. Newer designs can be heeled if hard aground (sand or mud), it just take quite a bit more angle. In most cases, if you do a quick 180 as soon as you touch, you will get off just fine. You just can't plow through sand the way you can with a fin and mud creates a tremendous suction on the bottom of a wing. Some older designs are angled in such a way as to dig you deeper if you try to reverse. A lot of the conventional wisdom concerning wing keels is pretty much myth as applied to late model designs. Wing design on production boats has evolved considerably since they first started slapping them on the bottom of shortened fins in order to have the "latest and greatest". Experience and CAD aided design has produced a series of subtle changes (and some less subtle) by the reputable builders over the last decade. The foil design is much improved over the early versions. The wetted surface is much reduced as is the grounding issue. They really could almost be termed high performance bulbs. I may be guilty of hyperbole, but I really think that it is not unfair to say that 90% of the skippers out there do not understand sail trim well enough to get a consistent performance benefit from a fin keel. If you objectively apply these principles to your particular; skills, geography, boat in question and your own standards, you will be better able to make an informed choice suitable for your needs rather than just taking the traditional litany of fin vs. wing as a pure performance issue into account.
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