[DuaneIsing]

I think the term "shoal draft" always has to be taken relatively. Many designers will specify the keel design, size, weight they feel is optimal for the boat''s intended purpose, but also offer a keel configuration which draws less water (say, 12-14" less, as an example) for those who like the boat but can''t tolerate the standard draft.

There are a number of different designs for keel configurations, each with pros and cons in various situations. Jeff H could explain everything much better here (although he has already done that on this issue, I believe).

Keep in mind that the standard draft for a 38 footer could be less than the shoal draft for a 44 footer. There are limits to how far designers will go since lowering draft imposes sometimes difficult challenges for maintaining adequate stability, pointing ability (sailing close to the wind), and keeping wetted surface area low.

In our case, our future home port will have fairly shallow water so we have set our draft limit at 4.5'' and target boat size at 38'' LOA. While that is doable, it knocks out an awful lot of candidate boats. The compromises and tradeoffs you have to make when selecting a boat are not infinite - they just seem that way 8^D

Keep learning!

Duane