How fast is to fast

[eric97217]

I saw a 25-27 foot sail boat yesterday motoring up the river going so fast that it was planing all the way back to the keel. I guess if you have a motor big enough to push it you could go fast but doesn''t that put so much stress on the hull and keel that you could rip the keel right off of it.

[Jeff_H]

If a boat is properly designed pushing the boat to the point of planning should not harm the keel connection. Boats like a Melges 24 routinely plane at higher than hull speed without any kind of strength problem. That said few older boats are designed with a transom strong enough to take the stress of carrying a motor large enough to push the boat up onto a plane.

Jeff

[maestro]

could''ve been a MacGregor with a 50hp outboard??? I know someone who uses their Mac to pull waterskiers

[capttb]

There is someone in my marina with a Mac that motors out on plane with the sails up. I can only conclude he does it for effect on spectators, I know I did a double take first time I saw him.

[eric97217]

If the Mac in on the Columbia River in Portland, then that might be the same one. I am not sure what kind of boat it was. So were does hull speed come into play??

[Jeff_H]

Hull speed does not come into play when the boat is under power. The Mac in question has a planning powerboat hull and so is planing under power. Unfortunately that is not a good hull form for a sailboat.

Jeff