Modern design + full keel?

[zeuss]

Hi guys,

I've been following the forum here for a while and have read a lot about the difference between full keel vs fin keel and its related (interesting) debates.
I have also been looking around for different designs of boats like bavaria, jeanneau, beteneau, hunter, etc, most of which have fin keels while most of the full-keeled boats are the heavier, older design type of boats.

This left me wondering, are there much modern design boats with full keel out there?

Thanks in advance.

[Jeff_H]

There is no such thing as a modern design with a full keel. The two terms ('modern' and 'full keel') are mutually exclusive. That said there are some companies which still build full, or nearly full keel boats. They tend to be very expensive if built properly, and not worth messing with if they are not.

Jeff

[Melrna]

Island Packets are the only ones I know that are full keel in production. I know Bob Johnson has change the design of the keel a few times over the years. Having said that I am not sure if he is building many boats these days.

[chucklesR]

Then again, one must define "Full" when it comes to full keels.

Mine is a shoal draft draft keel that is simply wider than it is deep

It's not full in that it does not extend to the rudder (I'd call it a 2/3 keel, but I'm no boat expert).

[kwaltersmi]

There's still a decent variety of newly constructed full keel boats out there for purchase, but as Jeff points out, calling them "modern designs" will likely spark debate.

In any case, these are full keelers still in production (but most are older designs):

Cape George cutters
Falmouth Cutters
Bristol Channel Cutters
Island Packets
Hans Christians (cutaway full keels)
Robinhood 36/40 (Cape Dory/Alberg designs)
Fisher Yachts (motorsailers)
Tayana 37

[Alex W]

Dana 24 should be on that list too.

Perhaps the buyer is looking for a modern interior, not a modern hull shape. The Dana 24 could arguably fit that description as well, since it doesn't have forward bulkheads and isn't full of ugly 70s/80s plaid.

[zeuss]

Thanks for the comments.

I'm sorry I didn't make myself very clear perhaps, or at least could have been more specific. I actually mean the hull shape as opposed to the interior.

Most of the full keel boats I see on the internet look to me like those very old fisherman boats one sees so now and then.

I'm trying to find out if there is anything that resembles what we see in a modern sailboat of the manufacturers I mentioned above. For me that would mean a smaller cockpit area, a flatter hull, not so many big windows, etc.

Anyways, something that looks more like a bavaria 42 than a tayana 37.

I understand that perhaps I what I'm after is just impossible or unthinkable in boat design, if that is the case then I just want to know that and ideally why if someone can help.

Hope this makes it more clear.

[souljour2000]

Interesting question.... a wide flat hull (like offshore 40-class) with a plumb-stem faired into a cut-a-way forefoot and a long but shallow and narrow keel similar to say ...some of the old Viking longships ?...IMHO there would be of course a sharp increase in tracking ability at the expense of some speed with that extra surface area/drag, but the right design certainly might retain a respectable degree of the high-speed "skimmer" qualities of a 40-class type design. However, lacking the deep ballast "bullet keel" it would offer less far stability in heavy air even if the shallow keel was ballasted with expensive lead...It it would be quite practical in terms of access into shallows and far less susceptible to keel damage...I doubt it would improve some of the pounding tendencies of the wide flat modern boats...

Interesting concept Zeuss...You could conceivably have an auxiliary deep "emergency" swing keel " or even canting swing keel I suppose that could be deployed in heavy air...but the rest of the time stay in "up" position in it's nice hydro-dynamic C/B trunk or or slot as integral section of the overall "full keel" concept...a hybrid from the hybrids...but for the cruising public or the beercan racer/cruiser crowd

[capttb]

I don't understand at all, a full keel Bavaria without big cabin lights (windows) and a small cockpit would look like a Tayana wouldn't it?

[MarkofSeaLife]

Originally Posted by zeuss;

This left me wondering, are there much modern design boats with full keel out there?

Thanks in advance.

There are no new Ferarris where they have removed the engine and added a horse, either.

Or Fords.

Or even Hyundais.

I wonder why?