A question I've been meaning to ask. I'll probably move up to a SJ21 in a year or two -- my first ballasted (swing) keel boat. The owner's manual says you should pin the keel in the half-up or full-up positions, don't just let it hang from the
winch cable.
Granted, I can see that shortening cable life, but.... There may be intermediate settings that are useful, and grounding on a cable-hung keel sounds better than having it bolted to the CB box. Yesno? Two other questions in this vein:
1) The SJ21 has a wee reputation as a boat that needs to be steered -- short waterline/OAL, narrow keel, flat bottom, etc. Also initially tender. Will moving the chief foil's center of mass & resistance up and back cause wicked lee helm or rolling? And if this boat requires so much tiller work, how does a singlehander leave the helm, duck into the cabin, and play with the keel?
2) I'm a windsurfer and
dinghy sailor by training; we tweak the centerboard every time we maneuver or change headings. Guess that's not so practical with a 400lb lead swing keel. So on small lakes, what to do? Set it to half depth and accept crabbing and tippiness; or to full depth, stay away from shore, and pray you don't trip over it when jibing hard?
Sorry if these are idiotic questions -- it's the one issue that kinda scares me about keelboats. (Love those sailboards -- you can curl your bare toes around the CB knob, raise it, jibe, and lower it all in one fluid move. With a rooster tail.
)
ETA: Gosh, Andy -- all that's missing from that chart is the minefields, giant whirlpool, and a kraken or two. Should keep you on your toes!