What happens if you remove the keel from a sailboat

Navigator_Victory

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Apr 3, 2011
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I have a feeling bullets are going to start flying or I will be totally ignored but, here goes....I bought a 1972 Gulf Coast 18 and I want to make a fishing boat out of it.....I like the cabin and john boats just do not have this option.....well I actually thought I might sail it but,,,,I just do not have the motivation to learn.....and I would probably hurt myself

What will happen if I remove the keel? I do not plan on running sales at most I would have a 10hp motor but that is probably a stretch for what it would need to move around.....then again what size motor would be good to move around.

Are there any safety issues to what I am doing? I always wear a life jacket in small craft and it will be used in lake small enough I could swim to shore in twenty/thirty minutes but,,,,,,I would rather not sink and swim if that can be avoided....looking for advice and thoughts....I have searched and have not found anyone else to do this on these boards
 

ralphl

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Jun 2, 2010
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Re: What happens if you remove the keel from a sailboat

what kind of a keel does it have............ ok just saw your picks.. Thats a low shoal keel. just leave it and pull thre sail rigging 9.9 is about all the transom is designed for
 
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Re: What happens if you remove the keel from a sailboat

so here my opinion. the keel keeps the boat tracking straight when under sail. you shouldn't need it if you put a motor on it. And that keel might have all the weight in it so be careful if it does because than you messing with the wait balance of the boat.
 

beason

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Mar 15, 2011
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Re: What happens if you remove the keel from a sailboat

from what i understand the keel is there to counter the weight of the mast, sail, and rigging. if you remove all that, you dont need the keel.
 

Navigator_Victory

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Re: What happens if you remove the keel from a sailboat

right it is retractable and I could keep part of it if needed for weight
 

ralphl

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Re: What happens if you remove the keel from a sailboat

the keel is whwt enables a sailboat to point(sail into the wind)as well as counter the rigging weight. Even with an outboard, it will travel much better if you leave the keel and strip everything else
 

SolingSailor

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Re: What happens if you remove the keel from a sailboat

That keel contributes over 33% of the total displacement of the boat. Without it, the boat's motion may be too quick (as in bobbing around like a cork), and you will not be able to steer with the rudder at all. The boat will be almost as happy to go sideways as forward. The mast would have to be removed.
See how it works with the keel mostly retracted. That will substanitially reduce the drag through the water.
 

Navigator_Victory

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Re: What happens if you remove the keel from a sailboat

The keel is retractable so inside the hull of the boat it sticks up about two feet and this is the part I would like to get out of the way.....maybe I can cut it in half and still get some performance. I have been doing a lot of reading and it seems keeping at least some portion of the keel is important......I am thinking it should act like a canoe almost same hull shape?
 

gatorcrock

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Apr 7, 2011
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Re: What happens if you remove the keel from a sailboat

Soling Sailor explained it the best probally, and of course it depends on the size, weight, draft, etc., i would leave the keel intact, and lower it according to water depth, etc., if that don't work, try a 16' jon boat with a 1/4 inch plywood cabin, but they use 24'ers here in se texas for camping w/ no mast, or enough mast for lighting, radio, etc., and in s. fla. for dive boats, they do have planeing problems, under say 25'er a 5-8 hp would push well, but no skiers. good luck.
 

Navigator_Victory

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Re: What happens if you remove the keel from a sailboat

Thank You for all your thoughts.....I think what I am going to do is cut it in half and lower the bottom half when under way.....that is if the water does not come back up through the keel? I am assuming the keel as it is above the water line has water in it?
 

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Navigator_Victory

Petty Officer 1st Class
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Apr 3, 2011
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Re: What happens if you remove the keel from a sailboat

I found this in another forum.....think I will send my teenage son out first

I am a c22 owner, my pin failed, keel went to bottom of lake, boat immediately rolled over with mast pointing straight down. Not something you want take a chance with.
 

T S N

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Sep 4, 2003
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Re: What happens if you remove the keel from a sailboat

I have a 17' siren sailboat. I sail it and motor it, When motoring I lower the keel about one foot. This helps the boat track. If I don't have it down, it is very hard to control.
Many sailboats are displacement hulls, and will not get on plane without lots of power.
 
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