Keel/ballast Question?? Plus Extra Credit Question ;)

[stephenronning]

Hello: I have a question. I have a Cal 2 25 that I recently bought. It has 2000 lbs of ballast and a fin keel. Is the keel 2000lbs?? Or is the ballast in the bottom of the boat or is there like 1500lbs of lead in the bottom of the boat and the keel is 500 lbs?? I've owned several boats and always just figured that the keel was ll the ballast but now It just hit me that I really don't know...ANY INPUT APPRECIATED.
Thanks,
Stephen
EXTRA CREDIT QUESTION: WHY DOES LBS MEAN POUNDS??? WHAT ABOUT THE LETTERS L B S = POUNDS?????

[KeelHaulin]

First, the extra credit:

Originally Posted by wikipedia

The abbreviation lb comes from the Latin word libra, meaning "scales, balances",^[1] which also described a Roman unit similar to the pound.

In regards to your question; ballast in a lead keel boat is the weight of the keel. In boats with water or movable ballast systems it may be a combination of ballast types but in terms of specs for a Cal 2-25 it is simply the mass of lead.

If you add lots of "stuff" low in the boat (water, batteries, fuel, provisions) it also adds a bit to the "ballast" but not nearly as much righting moment as the keel itself).

What did I win??

[lgherb]

The word pound is derived from the Latin word 'pondus', which means weight. The abbreviation comes from the Latin word 'libra', which is the word for a scale (as in the one I stand on every morning when I am on a diet.)