Quote:
Originally Posted by Tartan34C
If you want the best boat possible you need to design the hull keel combination together.
All the best,
Robert Gainer
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In my case the keel was originally intended to be like it is now, and both hull and keel were "matched" from start.
But on the first trials we realized that we had added too much lead, and the boat was "too stable" for what we wanted. Also weight was a factor.
We found out in early tests that the postion of the bulb in relation to the boats's CofG was not right. Since we couldn't make holes to move the mast (which affected rating), we could only work from the water line down.
Being a prototype, we had only two options:
a) Spend a fortune in water tanks modulating the keel (which we did only on the first keel)
b) Install a "1st step" keel, and based on sea trials, test the keel and use comon sense and boat feel to "trim and "shave the keel.
As a consequence, we built an easy to remove keel, that inserts in an upside down box, so we could remove ti for alterations.
We modified it 3 times, and ended up lowering it almost 1 foot, and removed 400 Kg of lead from the bulb. I now have 9,5 feet draft.
Pointing is absolutely unbelievable and the last mod, made a 50% improvement in boat handling and responsivness.
One note: We had to adapt the rudder to the new keel.
My keel is designed for what it is intended, and where I sail draft is not a problem. A good thing.
We sail without reefing in up to 30 knots, and I bet, that no matter how hard we could try, a shoal keel would be un-sailable (SP)?
Each design has its own requirments