Hello Tomaz, how is Europe? I miss home.
Tomaz, lets do some thinking here, shall we?
In reference to the "stress caused by the keel being suspended and not supported", when the boat is in the water, is the sea bed that supports it??
If the boat is floating, the stress is the same as if the boat is in the dry, isn't it? Yes it is!!
Now, the reason it is not supported on the bottom when dry, and suspended, is so that it does not stress!!! What???? yes!!!
If I supported the keel, it would be pushing upwards into the hull would it not?
Remeber my keel is not attached to the hull (well, it is but not as normal boats do), my keel is attached to an upside down box, inside the hull, and that box is surrounded by beams, logitudinal and lateral, that create a crib for the keel, and the keel is crossed by 2 studs along the lateral axis, and bolted with 3 bolts to the top of the box, so it is water tight and yet flexible enough to move sideways as we sail. My keel moves slightly, it is not fixed 100%.
The keel protrudes the hull into that box. So if I support the keel, the stress inside the hull, would be trying to rip the box and keel cradle from the inser skin of the hull inside. Makes sense?
If my boat is supported by the keel, the keel will want to enter the salon.
I may have to draw a sketch for you, if I can't explain it, but let me know.
So, for this reason, my boat is allways in a cradle when dry, so I don't stress the hull.
As far as the dents, or deformation, remember, my boat is Divinycell core, at a thickness of 30mm or more depending of the areas.
Its CF outside and Kevlar inside with very strong reinforcments in the keel area and along the sides, so it can sail in harder conditions, that cradle was made so that the supports are undernath the forward bulkhead, and rear bulkheads area.
Nothing was forgotten and all details have been well studied.
This boat could spend years on the dry and nothing would deform much. But again, this is no ordinary boat, it is MY boat...rememeber??eheheheheh
Answered your question?
Alex