centerboard vs keel sailboat

Choosing a Centerboard or Fixed Keel Sailboat

• Snowboarding
• Scuba Diving & Snorkeling

Centerboard or Fixed Keel?

You need to consider many different questions when deciding what kind of sailboat is best for you .

Depending on the general size range of the sailboats you may be interested in, you may need to choose between fixed-keel boats and centerboard (or swing keel or daggerboard) boats. This article will help you choose which is best for your needs.

As only a very general rule, most sailboats over 20-something feet have fixed keels. Most sailboats under 15 feet or so have centerboards. But there is a wide range of boats from 12 to about 25 feet with either a fixed keel or a centerboard. For example, in this photo, ​the boat on the left has a fixed keel, while the boat on the right, of about the same size, has a centerboard.

If you are shopping for a sailboat in this range, you should understand the differences between these fundamental types of keels.

Fixed Keel Sailboats

Virtually all large racing and cruising sailboats have a fixed keel. A keel is needed to keep the boat from being blown sideways at all points of sail except downwind. A keel also provides weight low under the water to lower the boat’s center of gravity below the waterline, which is needed so that the boat bobs back upright if knocked over by wind or waves.

Sailboats have many different types of fixed keels , such as full keels (see photo) and fin keels. If you decide a fixed keel boat is best for your sailing purposes, consider also which type keel best meets your needs.

Centerboard Sailboats

On centerboard sailboats, the centerboard functions like a keel to keep the boat from being blown sideways. (All sailboats need a keel of the board for this reason: the narrow, flat surface of the board or keel produces little drag when the boat moves forward but resists motion sideways.)

The centerboard usually hangs down below the hull from a pivot at one end. It can be raised by pulling a line that swings the centerboard up into a centerboard trunk along the center of the boat, as shown in the photo.

Some small boats, like a Sunfish, have a removable daggerboard rather than a centerboard. The daggerboard has the same function, but rather than swinging down, it is inserted like a blade down through a slot in the hull to protrude like a thin keel below the hull. A swing keel is another term used for a type of keel that like a centerboard can be raised.

A centerboard may or may not be weighted. If the centerboard is weighted, then it also provides weight low in the water, like a keel, to help keep the boat upright (although not as much weight as a fixed keel can supply). If the centerboard is not weighted, like the fiberglass centerboards of many small sailboats, then sailors must keep the boat upright by positioning their own weight on the upwind side of the boat. 

Benefits and Disadvantages of Fixed Keel and Centerboard Sailboats

Fixed keels and centerboards each have their own benefits but also disadvantages. When deciding what type of boat to buy, be sure you have considered these differences:

Advantages of a Fixed Keel:

• Provides the most ballast to resist capsizing and ensure recovery from a capsize
• More effective at preventing leeway (sideways movement of the boat)
• Crew do not have to position body weight to prevent capsizing (see photo)
• No centerboard moving parts to break or jam

Disadvantages of a Fixed Keel:

• With deeper displacement, the boat cannot enter shallow water
• The boat is heavier for its size (usually an issue only when trailering)
• With deeply fixed keels, the boat may not fit on a trailer at all (25 feet is typically the largest trailerable fixed keel sailboat) - requiring the inconvenience and expense of a boatyard for launching, haulout, and storage

Advantages of a Centerboard:

• The centerboard can be raised to decrease displacement to allow the boat into shallower water – and it should swing up and back if it hits the bottom when sailing with it down
• The centerboard can be raised for faster downwind sailing
• The centerboard can be partially raised if needed to provide better boat balance
• Most centerboard boats can be trailered and easily launched and hauled out on boat ramps (larger centerboard boats may require deeper ramps)

A popular trailerable centerboard sailboat is the MacGregor 26 , which with its water ballast has the advantages of centerboard boats but not all the disadvantages.

Disadvantages of a Centerboard:

• Provides no (unweighted board) or less (weighted board) ballast, compared to a fixed keel, to resist capsizing and ensure recovery from a capsize
• Less effective than a larger fixed keel at preventing leeway (sideways movement of the boat)
• The centerboard trunk takes up space in the boat’s cockpit or cabin
• The centerboard pivot and control line involve moving parts and can jam or break

Finally, some historic crafts have leeboards instead of centerboards; these boards, mounted outside the hull on both sides, can be pivoted down like a centerboard to resist leeward motion. And some sailboats have fixed keel-centerboard combinations, which provide ballast and prevent leeward motion even when the centerboard is up but also provide the option to attain less leeward motion sailing upwind when the board is down.e a centerboard to resist leeward motion. And some sailboats have fixed keel-centerboard combinations, which provide ballast and prevent leeward motion even when the centerboard is up but also provide the option to attain less leeward motion sailing upwind when the board is down.

• Choosing an Inboard or Outboard Engine
• Learn How to Sail a Small Sailboat – 1. The Parts of the Boat
• The Sunfish: A Perfect Lake or Urban Sailboat
• The Types of Sailboat Rudders
• How to Tow a Dinghy Behind a Sailboat
• How to Anchor a Sailboat
• How to Tack a Sailboat
• How to Use a Mainsheet Traveler
• How to Gybe a Sailboat
• Do It Yourself Boat Trailer Tongue Extension
• Simple Reefing System for Sailors
• How to Raise the Mainsail
• How to Rig a Preventer Line
• Control Your Tiller Without a Tiller-Tamer
• How to Use a Topping Lift
• Interesting Facts About Navy Submarines

What’s the deal with Centerboards?

Most of you who have followed our journey for some time are familiar with our somewhat infamous centerboard issue, where we ran aground in the Illinois river in 8′ of water when our boat should only draw 4′ .  This was the most dramatic and expensive example of the issues we’ve had with the centerboard thus far, but that’s not to say it’s been the only trouble our centerboard has caused us.

In this week’s video, This Little Thing could SINK our Boat , we’re highlighting another pain point and some of the additional maintenance that comes along with having a pivoting centerboard. We’d like to take this opportunity to talk a little bit about the pros and cons of the centerboard system and shed some light on how we’ve been using it with real life examples.

Sailors love to talk shop. It seems everyone has an opinion when it comes to boats, and if you’re not too careful, it can lead lead to hours upon hours of enjoyable and sometimes educational discussion. Invariably anytime we get beyond the general pleasantries of “She’s a beaut!” or “What’s the length?” we know with more and more certainty that we’re talking with a sailor. As the questions get more specific e.g. “How much fuel do you carry?” or “How tall is the mast?” we will eventually hit this question: “What’s the draft?”

Up until this point, it’s only a Q&A session, but as soon as we divulge the boat has a centerboard — and that with the board up we draw between 4-4.5′ but when it’s down closer to 8′ — the discussion will turn one of three ways:

• The questioner wasn’t quite prepared for that answer and is dumbstruck because they didn’t know as much about boats as they thought they did, and were unaware of the centerboard concept or are unaware a boat of our size could have a centerboard.
• The questioner’s face lights up with a twinkle in their eye and responds with something like: “A perfect Bahamas boat, nice!”
• The questioner’s face scrunches up with terror in their eyes: “Why on god’s green earth would you want to maintain a system like that!”

And after three years of owning, maintaining and traveling aboard a boat with a centerboard, we’ve been in each of these 3 camps at one point or another. Let’s dive in and tackle each point of view.

What is a centerboard on a sailboat?

A centerboard is a retractable appendage that pivots in and out of a slot (centerboard trunk) in the hull/keel of a sailboat. Having the ability to raise and lower the centerboard allows the the boat to operate in shallow waters when lifted, while maintaining good upwind sailing characteristics with the centerboard down. Similarly, lifting the centerboard reduces the wetted surface area, resulting in lower drag while sailing downwind. This combination of characteristics makes it possible to build a safe, seaworthy boat, capable of easily sailing upwind off a lee shore, while still allowing the boat to tuck way up into shallow anchorages when necessary.

When first looking for our sailboat , weren’t specifically looking for a boat with a centerboard. It wasn’t on any “avoid ” list of ours either; it just wasn’t on our radar. So when we first saw the boat online and noticed it had a centerboard, we were pretty ambivalent about it.

Is that like a Swing Keel?

Many people have incorrectly referred to our boat as having a swing keel, and for good reason as they are quite similar on the surface. Before finding our boat, we were aware of other boats with swing keels (specifically Southerly Yachts  popularized by “ Distant Shores “) and some of their unique benefits. While the swing keel is similar on the surface, it’s an entirely different animal from our centerboard. They both feature large underwater wing-shaped appendages that pivot from underneath the boat to provide additional wetted surface area to reduce leeway and increase lift for sailing upwind. The main difference is that in a swing keel boat the pivoting appendage is actually the keel. In cruising boats, swing keels weigh several thousand pounds, while centerboards weigh a couple hundred. Thus, a swing keel also contains a large part of the boat’s ballast, so the position of the keel can have a substantial effect on the stability and motion of the boat. Additionally, when retracted all the way up into the hull, the boat can be left to dry out while sitting upright in the sand — pretty cool.

Distant Shores II, a Southerly 480

The flip side is this: In the fully retracted position, the keel needs somewhere to go — which takes up interior volume of the boat. Additionally, moving an extremely large and heavily ballasted keel up and down requires some serious mechanical gear, and unless the swing keel is lowered to some extent, there is nothing counteracting the force of the sails to prevent leeway and the boat will not sail to windward.

Whereas with our boat, in addition to the centerboard, we have a shoal draft keel (which actually doubles as a housing for the centerboard). Even without the centerboard down the boat will still sail to windward. Dropping the centerboard only serves to increase the pointing ability and windward performance. The centerboard does not contribute meaningfully to the ballast of the boat (as it weighs about 200lbs), so its effects on stability in the up or down position are muted. It is designed primarily as a hydrofoil to prevent leeway when sailing upwind and is significantly lighter than its swing keel cousin. Lastly, by retracting into the keel instead of all the way into the hull it does not have any negative effect on the interior volume of the boat.

What are the benefits of having a centerboard on a sailboat?

Besides increased upwind sailing performance, the major benefit of a boat with a centerboard is a shallow draft. For our needs navigating the inland river system, sailing the notoriously shallow Gulf of Mexico , and cruising Bahamaian waters, these are fantastic qualities to have in a boat.

The inland river system has a controlled depth of no less than 9′ in the channel from Chicago to Mobile, Alabama, but most of the channel is significantly deeper than that. However , s earching for marinas and anchorages for the night where you have to exit the channel means the depths start changing quickly. With our shoal draft keel we were able to sneak into a number of marinas with sub 5′ depth at their entrance or at the dock that would’ve been impossible in many other sailboats of our size. Even in Mobile we ran aground twice while moving through the marina to get to our dock.

In the Bahamas we find ourselves anchoring way up towards shore with the catamarans instead of much further out near the monohulls. Yet when it comes time to sail to windward, we’re able to drop the board and point much higher than we otherwise would’ve been able to with the shoal draft keel alone. This can shave miles off long passages and minimizes the number of tacks required in a tight channel.

Additionally, dropping the centerboard just a little bit can give us much better handling in tight quarters, as it prevents the bow from falling off downwind when trying to dock in strong crosswinds.

This all sounds pretty good, right? Why would you not want a boat with a centerboard?

What are the issues with centerboards?

With all the apparent benefits, you’d think the centerboard would be a no-brainer. And if you’re purely concerned with performance, then absolutely, it is. However, the centerboard represents an added layer of complexity that just isn’t absolutely necessary for the operation of the boat. Along with this added complexity comes additional maintenance to ensure the system continues operating normally, and even then, when everything is operating correctly, the maintenance itself can create some stressful situations. Below are a few of the negatives of having a centerboard we’ve discovered so far:

General Maintenance

Our centerboard is raised and lowered via a control line, or centerboard pennant. The line is always underwater inside the centerboard trunk, and is incredibly difficult to inspect. The line exits the boat below the waterline meaning we have an unprotected thru-hull without a seacock to close, should there be a leak. The through-hull is connected to a hose and the hose connects to a conduit in the mast that rises well above the waterline.

The centerboard line runs through this conduit and then exits the mast through a sheave at the deck level. It then runs through a turning block and clutch/winch to lock it off. Each of these items require some level of maintenance and/or at least inspection on a regular basis. These are all fairly simple parts, and the system is quite well-designed. However you can probably already imagine some of the issues…

Stepping & unstepping the mast is more difficult

Because the line runs through the mast, stepping and unstepping the mast requires a few more steps to ensure everything goes smoothly. When unstepping our mast, we need to temporarily slacken the centerboard pennant to allow the mast to be raised out of the boat. To ensure we can run the line back through the mast we need to run a messenger line in the mast to be able to retrieve it again when re-stepping.

When re-stepping the mast, extra care needs to be taken to ensure the mast doesn’t get hung up on the centerboard pennant or the conduit it runs through. We’ve heard of other boats stepping their mast only to realize later that they pinched their centerboard control line.

Naturally (or accidentally) slackening the centerboard pennant allows the centerboard to drop, increasing our draft to 8′, unless it’s secured in some other way. We did this at the start of our river trip by securing a line athwartship from each of the midship cleats to act as a set of suspenders to keep the centerboard pinned up inside the trunk. Unfortunately this wasn’t tight enough and slipped off the centerboard allowing it to drop into the fully-down position. This set us back a few days as we fabricated a much stronger system to secure the centerboard line using an exit sheave at the mast partners.

The centerboard trunk is difficult to clean & paint

While our boat was hauled out, we repainted the bottom with CopperCoat . However we were unable to paint the centerboard or the trunk with the same. Had we known better, we would’ve pulled the centerboard immediately after hoisting the boat out of the water with the travel lift. But since it was our first time hauling the boat for storage, we didn’t realize that once we were moved to the hydraulic trailer which the yard used to position boats, we would not be able to get enough height to drop the board and remove it.

We did hang in the slings over the weekend prior to splashing, which gave us time to get underneath the boat with the board down to clean the centerboard trunk and repaint the board and trunk with ablative bottom paint. But we couldn’t repaint with CopperCoat because of how long it needs to dry before being splashed.

The centerboard pivot point is difficult to inspect

The centerboard pivots on a large stainless steel hinge. This plate is bolted into the keel of the boat and has a large pin that runs through the centerboard allowing it to pivot around this point. There is also a heavy duty stainless eye on the backside of the centerboard that the pennant line connects to. Both of which are always submerged in water, and while they are stainless, stainless corrodes in environments lacking oxygen. So these parts need to be inspected on a regular basis, and this means removal of the entire board, which is easier said than done.

The centerboard can get stuck in the up or down position

The centerboard is designed to pivot up and down in the trunk with fairly small tolerances on either side. Any more space than what is needed to get the board out, and it will interfere with the flow of water over the hull, increasing water resistance and drag. Any extra space will also allow sea life to make its way up into the trunk.  Thankfully it’s very dark up in there, there isn’t much water flow carrying nutrients into that space, and we have been diligent about keeping it clean. While we haven’t run into this particular issue yet, we’ve heard of some boats that have had so much growth in the trunk that they can’t get the board to move.

While, we haven’t had our board stuck in the up position, but we have had the board stuck down. The centerboard is a hydrofoil, so the leading edge is a bit wider than the trailing edge, much like an airplane wing. And whereas dagger board trunks (where the board drops in vertically) can be contoured to follow the shape of the board almost exactly, our centerboard trunk is rectangular, as it needs to accomodate the width of the leading edge moving all the way through it. This means the trailing edge of the board (which is on the top when in the retracted position) leaves a lot of extra space between it and the trunk, creating a wedge shape… Maybe you can see where I’m going with this…

A perfect storm scenario can brew under just the right conditions. Imagine for a moment you are loosening the centerboard pennant line to drop the board down, but for one reason or another, the sideways pressure of the water against the board when sailing upwind, growth in the centerboard trunk, stops or slows the dropping motion of board — perhaps it even gets pushed back up slightly as the boat pitches forward and backward in a large wave. You, as the unsuspecting crewman, continue to slacken the line thinking the board is dropping, but in reality what is happening is the line comes to rest on the top of the board, and because of the wedge-shaped trailing edge, the line slips down ever so slightly between the board and the trunk, and gets trapped .  Once there it wedges in between the board and the trunk making it extremely difficult to move.

This has happened to us twice. The first was an easy fix, which occurred during a daysail after purchasing the boat. We could’ve easily addressed it without getting into the water, but it was hot, the water was clear, and despite being warned about this particular scenario, I didn’t have a good visualization of what was happening and wanted to see it for myself.

There is actually a built-in mediator of this problem which saved us considerable effort: A short section of exhaust hose with a diameter that almost exactly matches the width of the centerboard trunk serves as a conduit for the last 18″ of line of the centerboard. This prevents the slacked line from getting wedged in too tightly and allowed us to break it free with a tiny bit of force.

The second time however, was much worse, and is covered in detail in Episode 24 . We were in the Illinois Sanitary & Ship Canal, in incredibly disgusting water with no visibility, and because we hadn’t secured the centerboard line properly, the board unbeknownst to us dropped all the way down, and under zero tension actually hung forward of its pivot point. In this position, the geometry for pulling it back up is all out of whack.  With the protective hose completely out of the trunk, pulling the control line, only wedging it further in between the trunk and the centerboard.

So is a centerboard actually worth it?

While we’ve been both super happy we have a centerboard and a shallow draft, we have also been exasperated by the extra maintenance, sometimes wishing we had a “normal keel.” But at this point we’ve circled back around to mostly ambivalent.  The maintenance while sometimes stressful is all part of owning a boat and the benefit of having a shallow draft when needed are immeasurable.

In reality, we probably only use the centerboard 15-20% of the time we’re actually sailing. If you think about the benefits discussed above, it’s really only necessary in moderate upwind scenarios, which we often avoid anyway. It’s just way more comfortable sailing downwind! We’ve also found in light wind conditions the extra drag created by the centerboard outweighs the pointing ability it generates, so we leave the board up. To top it all off, when we’re not actually sailing (which is most of the time when the boat is at the dock, at anchor, or hauled out for storage) the centerboard is always in the retracted position. For the actual lifespan of the boat, the centerboard is in the down position much less than 10% of the time.

On more than one occasion I’ve thought that I’d rather have a keel full of lead where the centerboard trunk exists now. It would give us added stability 100% of the time, we’d have no additional maintenance, and we’d only miss out on the benefits 10% of the time. However that 10% of the time could potentially make all the difference if we really needed to get off a lee shore. Whenever we are using the board — i.e. upwind especially in a narrow channel or maneuvering under power in tight quarters — we’re often saying to each other “Thank goodness for the centerboard!”

In the end, as with everything on a boat, it’s a trade-off.  There’ll always be pros and cons of every design decision. There isn’t one right design for every boat or every boat owner. Overall, we’re happy with our Tartan37c  and would not pretend to know more than the S&S design team who dedicated their lives to designing these spectacular boats.

Let us know what you think!

Do you have any experience with a centerboard? Did we miss anything? We’d love your feedback.

This ONE LITTLE THING could SINK our Boat

How to Run Aground in 8’ of Water When You Only Draw 4’

About the Author: Kirk

Related Posts

Building a Sailrite 3-Bow Bimini

Coppercoat as a DIY Project

Is Coppercoat the Best Antifouling for Your Boat?

21 comments.

We had a centerboard on our very first keelboat, a William Tripp designed Polaris 26. Sailing in Michigan on Lake St. Clair, it was a great feature as we could gunk-hole into all kinds of places. Our horror story was that we once forgot we had it down when sailing into a shallow bay and we touched and pivoted under a pretty brisk wind. That was enough to slightly torque and twist the centerboard foil such that it would only retract about 1/3 the way up before getting jammed in the trunk. We had to sail the rest of the season that way until we were hauled out for winter and the yard could bend it back flat. Our subsequent three boats have all been shoal draft versions, which opens up a whole ‘nother discussion of the merits of shoal keel versus deep keel on the same boat model. Fortunately, we switched our home port to Charlevoix 20 years ago, where sailing depths are almost never an issue on Lake Charlevoix/Lake Michigan/Lake Huron. As you said, everything is a compromise with sailboat design. We were glad we had the shoal draft when we delivered our current boat from Annapolis to Charlevoix last year. We draw 6′-6″ and we bottomed out three or four times in the Erie Canal (supposedly a 9′ controlling depth, but who’s counting?). The deep keel version of our boat draws 7′-6″, so we would have never made it back to the Great Lakes. We are eventually going to be bringing this boat back out to the Atlantic permanently when we retire and plan to cruise the Bahamas and the Caribbean, so even the 6’-6″ shoal draft is going to be less than ideal. But hey, if Delos can do it, hopefully we can. Best to you and Lauren.

Jeff W SV Échappé Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 54DS Charlevoix, MI

Thanks Jeff, 6’6″ is the shoal draft?! We were so thankful for our 4’6″ draft in the Abacos. We could anchor in so many great places!

Yeah as usual your videos and blogs are so helpfull to use on my tartan too, you guys are my teachers, when I bought the boat I had the problem with growth inside the trunk, I left the line loose by unexperience and in a sail trip it went down with the shocking waves, I didn’t know it happened and then on another short trip we ran aground because I didn’t know the keel was down. But after that it got cleaned and all works perfect, thanks!!!

Good to hear! Rest assured, if you’ve done it, we probably have as well!

I had many maintenance issues with the centerboard system on my T 37. I managed to drift into shoal water while anchored with the centerboard half down – a position I often used to reduce roll. This resulted in breaking the lower 3/4 of the centerboard off. I recovered it and on next haul out, epoxied it back together and reinstalled it. Next haul out, the SS pivot assembly had a problem in the flange that received the pin – had to be re-fabricated. A couple of years later (I went way too long without a haul out from this point) the bolts holding the pivot assembly became loose and I was unable to lower the centerboard as the pennant was the only thing keeping it in the boat. Sailing with it up didn’t seem problematic.

It all sounds pretty familiar. I think we have a love/hate relationship with ours. 😉

Hello and love your information, site, etc. Your trips are completely unique to me and the blogs and video are welcome adventures. Keep on cruising and writing. Please.

Centerboards: I was raised sailing all manner of boats with them. We had a 48 Alden yawl with a centerboard. I think it went down twice! We cruised Cape Cod, the US East Coast into the Keys, and Bahamas in that boat and all the reasons to have a board were apparent. I was a kid then and wondered why anyone would build a boat without a centerboard.

Then, I started racing and fell in love with deep draft. Our boat now is 32 feet long and draws 6 feet. Oh my, do we go to windward! We have raced a T37 (same handicap) and we out point him but he out foots us and usually finishes ahead. Cruising is not about hours of close hauled sailing. I get it now!

In our harbor and on the next mooring is the referenced T37 that I am coming to love. Pretty boat and shallow draft. Back to my youthful exuberance for a centerboard. If you guys find you way up to the Cape, I hope we see you. Look into Stage Harbor.

Norm Martin Averisera

Hi Norm, thank you for sharing your story. It’s interesting how some boats just reach out and speak to certain people. All the best!

I have a membership in a sailing club with a collection of Capri 22’s that are not all identical. We have weekly races with them, where you show up and draw boat names out of a hat. One of them has a shoal draft keel, it is always the least favorite draw. Typically, while you might be able to point the bow upwind, it’s moving sideways far more than they other boats (regular keel versions of the same boat). But every now and then the wind is just right, and she’ll clean up, just own every race, but this is rare, relies on just right wind (5-10 knots) and tide conditions that allow her to get speed without being pushed leeward. Downwind, she also has a slightly shorter mast (several others also have shorter masts), but still usually keeps up. Possibly an advantage, but not sure. A centerboard would clearly help her upwind in some conditions. But it’s often going to be hard to really see those conditions without head to head comparisons and if your not caring you can just start the engine.

Sounds about right. That shoal draft boat likely does well on downwind legs given there is less surface area under the water.

We’re definitely not the fastest boat to windward, but we’re not racing. There some shoal draft boats that simply can’t sail upwind at all when the wind picks up. They have too much windage and not enough leverage on the water. We will hit hull speed at 30 degrees apparent in 15 knots apparent wind, which I’m quite happy with 🙂 All the best!

A daggerboard is a centerboard, just as one is an integer and a whole number. If the daggerboard is off center it is a leeboard.

Is that so? I always heard it as a centerboard pivots and a daggerboard slides up and down. But I suppose your explanation makes sense!

You guy’s are such centerboard rookies, but then again, most sailors are. I cruise the extremely shallow waters of the Southeast coast of the US and have always sailed centerboard boats for over 40 years, In fact my present boat is a Presto 36, a 18,000 displacement, ketch rigged, true or pure centerboarder, designed in 1884 by Ralph Middleton Munroe. I have no external keel at all, except for a 9″ X 6″X 12′ long lead grounding shoe, designed for “taking the Ground upright”. My draft, board up is 2′-6″ and approx.. 5′-6″ ” board down. The board weights approx. 400 lbs. My centerboard pendant, a 3/8″ super synthetic line runs upwards from the aft end of the centerboard trunk, to the cabin top via 1-1/4″ SS tube and is attached when it exits the top of the cabin, to a simple 6 to 1 tackle to help raise and lower the board. My centerboard trunk runs almost the entire length of the main cabin and has a 2″ dia. hole in it’s aft end. That hole and a short length of broom handle are extremely helpful for for coaxing a resistant board into going down as needed. I have spent many days pleasantly aground on a convenient sand bar, for recreation or maintenance needs and many a night secure in the knowledge, that no matter how busy the surrounding water are, I’m freed from the worries of getting “run” down in the night. Incidentally, I oft use the board along with my mizzen in assisting in self-steering. Never needed any auto-pilot. Up wind, she’s a drag, but any other course, with her sheets eased, she simply can’t be caught..

My wife and I have a Bristol 35.5 with a centerboard. Our installation is much simpler than the one Tartan came up with – I was very surprised when I saw that yours comes up though your mast. Ours is on a wire winch on the cabin house that runs through sealed pipes over sheaves to the board. I’d say that the vast majority of the issues you’ve had with your board are due to that somewhat quirky design. That said, I’ve always loved the look of the Tartan, and you guys have definitely made fantastic improvements.

My wife and I thoroughly enjoy your channel and following your adventures. Keep them coming!

It is a bit of a quirky system, but running it through the mast is kind of a neat way to hide the control line, which needs to enter and exit the hull and deck. It does present some challenges, but it’s neat out of the box thinking. As you know everything on the boat is a tradeoff, and overall we’re extremely happy with the boat. Thank you for watching!

Hi, how confident are you with the centre board in heavy weather … blue water … hove-to? We are going to look at a 47′ sloop with one tomorrow. I love our current smaller steel boat with a full keel but who knows …

Hi Melissa, Tartan 37s have sailed in every ocean on the planet, there have been multiple circumnavigations. As long as we keep the boat properly maintained, I have confidence in it. I don’t know what type of boat you’re looking at or what type of sailing it was designed for, but I don’t think there is anything fundamentally wrong with a centerboard. Good luck!

We have a 79 Irwin 39 with shoal draft an centerboard, the pennant is mid deck and runs through the sole to cabin top” stripper pole” that is attached to the galley and also serves as handhold under way, the pivot is a SS pin that runs abeam and is puttied over, I need to remove this soon as there is a bit more play in this joint than I’m comfortable with, The boat is very tender and we are contemplating the best way to add ballast to the keel as it heels very quickly and carries a lot of sail. The centerboard isn’t very effective when she’s on her ear for limiting leeway losses . She draws 4’3″ up and 9’6″ down, I never thought about partially dropping to improve turning so am excited to try that when maneuvering around docks. I’m hoping adding some lead will make it less tender and will be pursuing this after haulout.

Peter, sounds like you’re at the beginning of a fun adventure learning more about your centerboard and how it can improve the handling of your boat. It was a fun learning journey for us, and we really began to respect the purpose and design of the CB.

I have a 1966 Morgan 34. The bronze centerboard has deteriatiated beyond repair. Especially in the hinge pin and pennant attachment area Draft board up 3 1/2 ft, board down about 7 ft. Bronze board is at least 250 lbs, about 5 ft long, and is a great template

1..Any guidance on where I can get a replacement , perhaps Foss Foam?

2. Is the weight important to proper deployment. Sure cranks hard..a challenge for an old fart to raise

Hi Capt Ron, sorry to hear of your CB woes. Unfortunately I don’t have any sources for replacement. Weight is important, the heavier the better, to an extent. You obviously want to be able to lift/lower it under your own power. At a minimum you need some weight at the bottom of the CB to prevent it from floating and get it to drop down and stay down while underway. But the more weight you can drop down there the better.

Leave A Comment Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

My Cruiser Life Magazine

What is a Swing Keel? Advantages & Vs Centerboards, Lifting Keel, Canting Keels

Swing keels are an often misunderstood sailboat feature. They stand unique as a capable offshore sailboat with good windward performance – but they also can provide access to places that few other sailboats can venture.

What is a swing keel, and what makes it so unique? Let’s look at a few examples and weigh the pros and cons.

Table of Contents

Swing keels versus centerboards, swing keel versus lifting keel, swing keels versus canting keels, bilge keels, shoal draft cruisers, daggerboards, advantages of swing keel yachts, disadvantages of swing keels, is a swing keel right for you, faq – questions about swing keel sailboats.

What Exactly are Swing Keels? And What Are They Not?

There’s a lot of misinformation out there about what a “swing keel” is—so let’s start by clearing a few things up. Swing keels are a rare feature found on larger cruising boats. It’s an expensive and specialized item that a boat buyer has to seek out if they want one!

A swing keel is a weighted fin keel that pivots up into the hull of the boat. It can be adjusted from a deep-keel design for optimum sailing performance to a flat-bottomed boat with no keel at all for “drying out” on a sandbar or motoring in extremely shallow water.

In short, a swing keel sailboat gives you the best of all worlds—excellent sailing performance, even upwind, and shallow water access to get in and out of virtually any anchorage or marina in the world.

To be effective, these yachts have very heavy keels. You cannot lift them manually—a proper swing keel requires an electric or hydraulic lifting mechanism. The keel is shaped like an airfoil for maximum performance and is cast out of lead or iron. They usually weigh as much as a couple of automobiles.

Swing keels are effective for two reasons. First, they are ballasted, so they provide righting momentum and stability for the yacht. Secondly, they are shaped like an airfoil, so the water moving over them creates a hydrodynamic force like a regular fin keel does.

There are currently only two major manufacturers of true swing keel yachts— Southerly (now owned by Discovery Shipyards in the UK) and Sirius Yachts from Germany. In 2020, Jeanneau announced a new swing keel version of their Sun Odyssey 410. However, it’s unclear as to precisely what type of keel it features.

The confusion isn’t helped by many sailors using multiple terms interchangeably. The truth is, swing keel sailboats are so rare that most sailors have never even seen one in person! Additionally, some manufacturers use many terms to misdescribe their products as swing keels, adding confusion and taking advantage of the ill-informed.

First, and perhaps most importantly, a swing keel is not a centerboard. The two may look similar, but their likeness ends there.

Centerboards are extremely common on small sailboats, especially trailerable sailboats . A centerboard sailboat has a flat bottom and a simple board that pivots back into the hull.

The centerboard itself is usually lightweight and lifted with a simple cable and winch system. More often than not, it’s a flat board made of fiberglass. The effectiveness of a centerboard comes entirely from the pressure of the water moving over it since its light design does not provide any righting momentum of its own.

Some larger and very capable cruising boats do have centerboards. However, these boats are usually fitted with internal ballast to improve the boat’s stability beyond what only the centerboard could provide.

There are many monohull fiberglass boats with centerboards, some of 40 feet or more. Usually, the centerboard option is a less common option from the factory for people who want to use the boat in very shallow water. On bigger boats, the board is usually retracted into a ballasted stub keel that doubles as the centerboard trunk.

The Gemini 105MC Catamaran has a pair of centerboards, each of which can be lifted with its own winch. This setup enables Geminis to operate in shallow waters, even by catamaran standards. The Gemini is a lightly-built coastal cruiser from the US.

Some other interesting examples are the Alubat Ovni and Allures aluminum sailboats made in France. These two companies produce different takes on the rugged “go anywhere” sailboat. To that end, they focus on using a centerboard to reduce the draft to make beaching the boat easy. Both of these boats are capable world cruisers.

Lifting keels look like a conventional fin, bulb, or even wing keel, but they have one significant design difference. Using a high-power motor, they can lift vertically up into the hull. This allows the yacht to have a conventional ballasted fin keel that adjusts in draft.

With this arrangement, the yacht can squeeze into shallow slips or even shoaly anchorages. But, with the keel fully extended, it has upwind sailing performance similar to a full keel version.

Lifting keels are very rare since the cost of manufacturing the lifting mechanism is so expensive. Plus, the interior of the boat must be designed to accommodate the trunk the keels lift into.

Compared to swing keels, lifting keels are more susceptible to damage from a hard grounding. A swing keel will simply pivot and retract partially. A lifting keel, in contrast, can easily damage the tracks and lifting mechanisms.

Another term that is often batted around is “canting keel.” A canting keel is found only on the most cutting-edge ocean racing boats. They swing not aftward, like a swing keel, but instead side to side.

Why would you ever want your keel to swing to the side? Their purpose is to flatten out the boat when sailing upwind. By getting a flat-hulled racing yacht to sail level, its hull will perform better and overall speed will be increased.

Other Shallow-Draft Designs to Consider

The list above is just a few ways that boat builders have found to reduce the draft of a sailboat. Depending on the purpose, there are other ways to do the job.

Bilge keels boats are most common in the UK. They are sometimes called twin keels because they feature two shorter keels mounted at slight angles below the hull. The main advantage of a bilge keel is that the boat can be allowed to “dry out” in areas of big tidal swings. In other words, the boat can stand on its own after the tide goes out.

Boat design is all about the give and take. While one buyer might want the ultimate in offshore performance, another might say they want a decent sailing boat that can fit into their slip—which only has four feet of water on the approach. What to do?

If yacht designers were allowed to draw their boats without considering shallow areas, most would attach deep, high-aspect-ratio fin keels. Then the boat would be limited to areas with seven or more feet of water. In some parts of the world, like The Bahamas or the Chesapeake Bay, that limits the number of places they can visit.

So boat builders often make at least two conventional keel versions of a boat. One has the best performance characteristics and a deep draft. The other has a slightly reduced draft and a few design tweaks to make it work. Often, the amount of ballast will be increased to compensate for the change in lateral resistance.

A fixed keel shoal-draft version of a sailboat does have a few advantages over other options. It is just as sturdy as any other keel design and has no moving parts or expensive lifting mechanisms.

Small boats that use centerboards have a few other options. Leeboards are a traditional design that uses pivoting boards mounted on each side of the boat. The classic Herreshoff Meadowlark is a good example.

Daggerboards are similar to centerboards, but instead of pivoting, the boards move directly up and down. Also, like centerboards, the daggers are not ballasted.

This arrangement is used on many sailing dinghies, like the Sunfish. For bigger cruising boats, they are popular on performance cruising catamarans like the Maine Cats, Outreamers, and Catanas.

Simply put, a swing keel yacht will allow you to go places that nothing else will. If you eliminated lightweight centerboard designs from your list of options, there are very few shoal-draft ocean-going sailboats to choose from.

Most centerboard designs are inadequately designed for bluewater sailing. Those built heavier and mounted on larger vessels tend to be mounted in stub keels. While they certainly have a shallower draft than other similar-sized vessels, they are still a far cry from “shoal-draft.” As a result, the list of true bluewater centerboard boats is extremely short.

Swing keels are robustly designed, heavy enough, and stable enough to handle ocean crossings. At the same time, they fold up to access very shallow water. That allows the skipper to get into pretty much any anchorage or marina—even places that other sailboats can’t get into.

There are also times when sailing that the variable draft feature will have its plusses. When sailing downwind, for example, having the keel in the fully lowered position makes little sense. By reducing draft slightly, you might be able to sail fast under spinnaker.

It also enables some swing keel sailboats to be dried out. This is standard practice in some harbors with big tide swings. In other places, it means that you can perform maintenance on a sandbar in the right conditions. And that means fewer trips to the boatyard!

Maybe one of the neatest tricks that will make those with fixed keels jealous is what happens if you run aground in one of these boats. First off, bumps are unlikely to damage the keel. The keel swings on its pivot point. The skipper can then just reduce draft a little, and carefully proceed.

It’s not all good news, of course. If swing keels didn’t have some minuses, chances are there would be a lot more of them out there.

While sailing performance is very good on these boats, it does not match a hull with a full-depth fixed fin keel. The design of the swinging keel does not allow for the same distribution of weight, so the balance of the boat will always be a bit different.

The system required to raise and lower an enormous and heavy keel is not trivial. It is a complex system made up of expensive parts. Experienced boaters will immediately understand the problem with this. It means that it will break one day, and when it does, it will be difficult and expensive to repair.

Routine maintenance is not a burden, however. Beyond checking the hydraulic level, keel threads, and swing keel cables occasionally, there is little to do.

The other significant disadvantage of this system is the initial purchase cost. These boats target a very niche market and only sell a few boats a year. As a result, they’re hard to find, which means that good examples are expensive to purchase. If you’re building a new yacht, then a swing keel system is a costly option.

There are also slight day-to-day considerations with a swing keel. As with any complicated boat system, the keel lifting mechanism will require occasional maintenance. The entire system will likely need to be overhauled by the yard every 20 or 30 years.

Finally, the interior of the yacht must be designed to accommodate the lifted keel. Southerly often solves this by featuring a raised salon area where the central dinette sits higher, on top of the keel enclosure.

While swing keel sailboats are pretty rare, this is no lack of information available about them. The trick is to make sure that the boat you are looking at and talking about is indeed a swing keel and not something else.

Luckily, one of today’s most experienced and knowledgeable cruising couples has several decades of experience on Southerly swing keel sailboats . Paul and Sheryl Shard of the Distant Shores television show have documented their experiences extensively. They have cruised Europe, the Caribbean, and North America and made at least five Atlantic crossings various Southerly sailboats.

Clearly, these boats are not for everyone. Most people don’t need the extra expense or complexity of a swing keel. But if you want a boat that can access shallow water while at the same time not sacrificing offshore or sailing performance, then swing keels should be on your shortlist.

Are swing keels good?

As with all things boating, the answer is, “It depends.” Swing keels are an expensive feature to add to any boat, and as such only well-built boats will bother putting it in.

A swing keel is a good option if you’re looking for a shallow-draft sailboat that does not sacrifice sailing performance. And unlike most centerboard-equipped designs, these boats are bluewater-capable and very robustly built.

Matt has been boating around Florida for over 25 years in everything from small powerboats to large cruising catamarans. He currently lives aboard a 38-foot Cabo Rico sailboat with his wife Lucy and adventure dog Chelsea. Together, they cruise between winters in The Bahamas and summers in the Chesapeake Bay.

Sailboat Keel Types: Illustrated Guide (Bilge, Fin, Full)

The keel type is one of the most important features of your boat. But the different designs can be confusing, so I've set out to create a very clear guide that will help you understand sailboat keels once and for all.

What are the most common sailboat keel types? The most common sailboat keel types are full-length keels, fin keels, bulb keels, wing keels, bilge keels, and lifting keels. Full keels are popular among cruisers, while fin keels are generally used for racing. Bilge keels and lifting keels are typically used in tidal waters, on small fishing boats for example.

In this article, we'll explore the most common keel types together. I'll use diagrams to really hit home the differences of all these keel types, and we'll discuss what keel types are best for liveaboard, ocean cruising, and lake weekend trips. After reading this article, you'll know what to choose - and why.

Sailboat Keels Explained

On this page:

Overview of sailboat keel types, keel types: fundamentals, modified full keel, centerboard.

If you just want a quick overview, here's a list with the most common keel types and a short description. More detail will follow below.

The most common keel types

• Full keels run from front to aft and are the most stable keel type, making them the most popular cruising keel.
• Fin keels offer the best performance but are less comfortable. This makes them popular for racing. Fin keels are bolted on to the hull and generally run deep and thin.
• Bulb and wing keels are both variants on the fin keel.
• Bulb keels carry additional ballast in the tip, making them more stable.
• Wing keels have two tips at the end of the keel, which reduces crossflow, improving directional stability.
• Bilge keels are double fin or double full kees, which allows the boat to be beached, making them the most popular keel for tidal waters.
• Lifting keels are moveable keels that can be lowered and raised, allowing the boat to enter shallow waters as well.
• Centerboard keels are a pivoting lifting keel, allowing to sail both coastal and inland waters.
• Leeboards are fins on the sides of flat-bottomed hulls boats, making a keel unnecessary.

Properties of each keel type

What does a keel do?

What does the keel do? A keel is a vertical blade running down from the hull. It is weighted and acts as a ballast, countering the boat's tendency to heel and preventing it from tipping over. The wetted surface under the waterline reduces slippage to leeward by creating a track, which counters the sideway force of the wind on the sails.

The reason sailboats don't tip over is that the weight of the keel counters the buoyancy of the hull, which means it will pull the boat downward. This downward force reduces heel and prevents the boat from rolling.

A canoe doesn't have a keel. Try stepping into that: it will want to roll.

It counters the horizontal force the wind puts on the sails. Whenever the force on the sails increases, the resistance of the water on the keel increases proportionally.

The heavier the keel, the less heel you'll get.

A keel reduces slippage to leeward. Slippage is simply the amount you fall off course because of the direction of the wind and current. Leeward is the side of the boat behind the wind.

So if you don't have a keel, you will fall off course quite a lot because the wind will push you over the water surface.

You will also heel quite a lot since there is nothing beneath the water surface to counter the force of the wind high up in your sails.

A keel fixes both of these issues and makes sailboats one of the most reliable boats in heavy winds and storms.

You can read on about how keels work here.

Keels can be classified by multiple dimensions. You can look at them from the side or the front. You can also classify them based on properties.

Before I dive into each keel type in-depth and show examples, let's make sure we have the same starting point.

There are essentially two sorts of keels:

Fixed keels

Movable keels.

Fixed keels are keels that are integrated into the hull or bolted on. They can't be moved or lifted.

When looking at fixed keels, you can divide them up further based on the side view. There are three main categories:

Bilge keels

Full keels are more comfortable, provide better stability and protection, but are also slower than fin keels.

Fin keels are less comfortable, provide less stability, are more vulnerable, but they're also a lot faster than full keels.

Bilge keels are double keels: one on each side of the hull. This allows them to be beached, which comes in handy in tidal waters. They are generally a lot slower and less maneuverable compared to fin keels.

Movable keels can be lifted from the water, creating a shoal (shallow) draft, allowing the boat to enter both shallow waters and coastal waters. This makes it a very versatile keel type. There are two main designs:

Lifting keels

Lifting keels can be lowered and raised through a slit in the hull. Examples of lifting keels are the daggerboard and centerboard.

Leeboards are wooden swords attached to the side of the hull and prevent slippage to leeward, but they don't stabilize the boat, nor counter heel by adding ballast.

With fin keels, there are different tip designs available. The most common two tip designs are:

These are both variants of the fin keel. Generally, these keel designs are mentioned in one breath with full keels and fin keels, creating confusion on what kind of keel they are. But it's important to understand that they are a sub-category of fin keels.

Rudder design

As with the tip of the fin, there are different rudder designs that may apply to both fin and full keels. The two most common rudder designs are:

Skeg rudder

Spade rudder.

A skeg is a structural part of the keel in front of the rudder that protects the rudder. The keel encompasses the rudder, preventing any rogue ropes, weeds, or rocks from damaging the rudder.

A spade rudder is an unprotected rudder: it doesn't have any structural protection from the keel design. It is simply attached to the hull. This design is very common.

Alright, we understand the big picture. Let's dive into more detail for each keel type and discuss the pros and cons.

Fixed keel Good for cruising and liveaboards Comfortable

What is a full keel? A full keel runs from front to aft for at least 50% of the hull and is fully integrated into the hull. It has the largest wetted surface of any keel type, and it is also the heaviest. This results in directional stability and reduced heeling, providing the most comfortable ride, but also the slowest.

The wetted surface simply means the amount of water contact area. With such a large wetted surface, it decreases slippage to leeward the most of all keel types, while it counters heeling the most as well.

The full keel is the most comfortable and stable keel type available. However, comfort comes at a price. It delivers the worst performance due to this large wetted area. It is the slowest of the keel types, and it has the worst windward performance.

This makes full keels particularly great for longtime cruisers or liveaboards who prefer comfort over speed, but less ideal for daysailers who need to navigate in and out of slips regularly.

Since it runs for at least 50% of the hull, it doesn't need to run as deep as a fin keel, resulting in a more shoal draft.

Heavier keels result in increased displacement, so a full keel boat will need a larger sail area to compensate for its weight.

For a more detailed discussion on full keel advantages, I recommend reading William's excellent article 5 Surprising Advantages of a Full Keel Sailboat here.

Example sailboats with a full keel:

• Nicholson 22
• Island Packet 380
• Beneteau Oceanis 411 Clipper
• Beneteau First 50
• Jeanneau Sun Shine 38
• Dufour 455 Grand Large

There are a lot of great cruising boats with full keel designs , some of them considered classics.

Full Keel with skeg rudder

Full keels with a skeg rudder design have a protected rudder, thanks to putting a structural part of the keel directly in front of the rudder. This helps with fending off any hazards to the rudder, like floating pieces of rope, rocks, or garbage, and protects it in case of running aground. The skeg design ensures the rudder is nearly impossible to break off.

Fixed keel Good for cruising and liveaboards Faster than a regular full keel

What is a modified full keel? A modified full keel is a full keel with a cutout at the front, reducing the wetted surface slightly, which increases performance without sacrificing too much comfort and stability. After the full keel, it has the best directional stability and the least amount of heel.

The modified full keel is popular among (bluewater) cruisers, thanks to its increased handling and performance. Most modified full keels have a skeg rudder, ensuring it is well-protected.

The slightly reduced weight and wetted surface improve windward performance quite a lot, but it is still one of the most stable keel designs out there.

Example sailboats with a modified full keel:

• Hallberg-Rassy HR 40
• Dufour Arpege 30
• Beneteau Oceanis Clipper 281
• Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 37.2

Fixed keel Good for racing Fast

What is a fin keel? A fin keel is a long, weighted blade attached to the bottom of the hull. It is lighter, faster, and more maneuverable than a full keel, but also more vulnerable. The increased distance between ballast and sails provides a lever, reducing the need for a large wetted surface or additional ballast.

Fin keels are generally bolted onto the hull and run deeper and thinner than a full keel. They are also lighter. This helps increasing performance (a lot), making fin keels a lot faster in all situations.

There are some major disadvantages to fin keels, however. Fin keels are a lot less comfortable than full keels and allow for more heel and a less solid track, so less directional stability. Fin keels are also a lot more vulnerable than full keels. They can break off when running aground, or get damaged.

They are very popular among racers and perform better when maneuvering in tight spots, like getting in and out of slips.

Example sailboats with a fin keel:

• Catalina 30
• Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 36.2

Fin keel with skeg rudder

Fin keels with a skeg rudder use a small structural part in front of the rudder to protect it. This design is mostly integrated into the hull, making it less vulnerable, and a great compromise between speed and safety.

Fin keel with spade rudder

Fin keels with a spade rudder have a completely exposed rudder, and typically a fin that is simply bolted on. The keel isn't integrated into the hull, making it more vulnerable and less comfortable.

Fin keel variant Good for cruising Less crossflow

What is a wing keel? A wing keel is a fin keel with a horizontal foil at the tip, which is wing-shaped and generally weighted. Its shape reduces crossflow, improving directional stability, and its ballast decreases heel, resulting in a more comfortable ride. The addition of a wingtip allows for a shorter fin, reducing draft.

Wing keels are good for cruising since this design improves directional stability compared to a regular fin keel or a bulb keel.

We'll discuss the wing keel's advantages and disadvantages in more detail in this article.

Fin keel variant Good for cruising Stability

What is a bulb keel? A bulb keel is a high-aspect-ratio fin keel with additional ballast at the end, which generally has a bulb or teardrop shape. This ballast improves stability and utilizes the distance between force and counterforce as a lever. This design reduces the need for a deep fin, resulting in a shoal draft.

By placing the weight at the largest possible distance from the force on the sails, you need relatively little extra weight for the same reduction in heel, making bulb keels very effective for cruising.

This design reduces the wetted area while increasing the weight of the keel just slightly, which increases sailing comfort big time.

Example sailboats with a bulb keel:

• Bavaria B/One
• Beneteau First 24

Fixed keel Good for racing Can be beached

What is a bilge keel? A bilge keel is a twin keel which uses double fins, allowing the boat to be beached and rest on its keel upright. Bilge keels have double the wetted surface, which increases comfort and directional stability while decreasing heel. Modern bilge keels often provide decent windward performance, thanks to better design.

The bilge keel does sacrifice speed compared to the fin keel but doesn't necessarily offer worse performance overall. Older designs performed considerably worse than other keels and were especially slow.

Bilge keels have some major advantages over full keels and fin keels. The most important is that the boat can be beached, making it a popular design in tidal waters. Bilge keels are especially common along the British coastline, where fishermen keep their boats in tidal harbors.

Another major advantage is that the boat can be stored resting on its keels, making dry storage and maintenance a lot easier.

Of course, there are many more pros and cons to the bilge keel , which we go into here.

Example sailboats with a bilge keel:

• Dufour Dynamique 62
• Hunter Duette
• Patagonia Patago 39
• Macwester 27

Lifting keel Good for daysailers Versatile

What is a centerboard? A centerboard is a type of retractable keel that rests on a hinge and can be lowered through a slot in the hull. It folds out like a pocket knife and allows you to increase or reduce the draft of the boat. Centerboards are mostly used on small fishing boats.

The centerboard is a very versatile keel type, allowing you to have both a very shoal draft for inland waters, as well as steadying the boat and reducing heel for larger bodies of water, or even oceans.

I've sailed a Cornish Crabber with a centerboard for a week, and while we stayed inland, having the option to increase the keel depth really came in handy when crossing the IJsselmeer (a former sea in The Netherlands).

There's more to the center

Olaf Roethele

https://www.theyachtmarket.com/en/new-boats/cornish-crabbers/adventure-17/218/

My name is Olaf and I am the owner of a Cornish Crabber 17 Adventure boat.

I would like to ask you if you can imagine to install on this boat a Torqeedo 2.0 Pod motor? Therefore i guess a modification of the keel/skeg is necessary ?!

Best regards from Uruguay,

You completely missed the hybrid planing/water-ballast keel of the Macgregor range

Thanks a lot for this explanation

Roger Bannon

Very well written article which provides an excellent guide for us small wooden boat builders. Thanks.

Leave a comment

What is a Sailboat Centerboard?

Last Updated by

Daniel Wade

June 15, 2022

A sailboat centerboard is a retractable fin that protrudes from the bottom of the hull. The centerboard keeps the boat stable and on course.

Centerboards are an important and often overlooked part of a sailboat, but they're essential to stability and effective navigation. Centerboards perform the function of a keel and keep the boat on course regardless of wind direction. Centerboards are primarily found on small trailerable vessels, which vary in length from 12 to 25 feet.

Table of contents

How a Centerboard Works

Centerboards look similar to fin keels, but they have one notable difference: they're retractable. Small sailboats use centerboards for stability and to keep a straight course, especially when sailing windward .

Technically speaking, a centerboard is a rudimentary form of a hydrofoil. In practicality, it's like a rudder that always stays amidships. This is beneficial, as it forces the boat to track a straight course regardless of what direction the wind is blowing.

Without the centerboard, the wind would push the sailboat in whatever direction it was blowing. Tacking would be nearly impossible, and attempting to sail windward could simply knock down the boat. In this sense, the centerboard performs the same function as a fixed-keel.

Centerboard Sailboat Characteristics

Centerboard sailboats are typically less than 25 feet in length and designed for shallow water. In fact, centerboard boats are perfect for shallow water. Cruising in lakes and rivers is a joy with a centerboard boat, as the board can be retracted for towing, beaching, or skimming over shallow water. Centerboard sailboats are the ultimate shoal-draft vessels.

Centerboards descend from a hollow cavity in the center of the boat. This cavity is called the centerboard trunk. Some centerboards are removable and slide vertically into the centerboard trunk. Others are hinged or enclosed, allowing them to be raised and lowered from inside the cabin without removal.

Removable Centerboards

Removable centerboards are usually found on the smallest sailboats. These blades tend to be roughly twice the length of how they look from under the boat. This is because the centerboard trunk has to be above the waterline. Remember, the centerboard trunk is effectively a hole in the boat, so it can't be the same height as the water.

Enclosed Centerboards

Enclosed centerboards are common on mid-sized and larger 'small' boats. They're especially common on vessels equipped with cabins. The primary benefit of an enclosed centerboard is water tightness, as the board is housed within a sealed centerboard trunk.

Enclosed centerboards can be raised and lowered from inside the cabin and never needs to be removed from the boat. They're also shorter (overall) than removable centerboards, as they don't mount to the very top of the high centerboard trunk.

The primary drawback of enclosed centerboards is increased complexity and access issues. But in most cases, small centerboard craft are not usually in the water long enough for severe growth issues. Additionally, retracting the board can protect it from excessive marine gunk.

Hinged Centerboards

Hinged centerboards (or 'swing keel' centerboards) are the most common enclosed variety. Hinged centerboards pivot on a forward hinge. They're long and thin and sometimes stow in a hidden centerboard trunk that's mounted to the bottom of the hull.

These 'stealth' centerboard trunks free up cabin space at the expense of a few inches of draft. Hinged centerboards offer an increased level of grounding safety, as they retract on their own if they hit the ground (instead of shearing off). It's the collapsing steering column of sailboat keels .

Advantages of Centerboard Sailboats

The primary advantage of a centerboard boat is its inherent shoal-draft capability. That means centerboard boats can go a lot closer to shore than fixed-keel vessels. They can even go on shore, and drying out during low tide is rarely hazardous. They sit upright on dry land, and they're easy to trailer around.

The cost to construct, own, and maintain a centerboard cruiser is often far less than a traditional fixed- keel sailboat . This is primarily because you usually don't need a crane to pull it out of the water. Centerboard boats are often small and light enough to leave on a trailer, and their small size avoids excessive marina fees.

Disadvantages of Centerboard Sailboats

Can you cross an ocean in a centerboard sailboat? Most would caution against it. Some would say, "absolutely not," but it has happened a time or two. The issues with centerboard sailboats are size, displacement, draft, and stability, which cause problems in rough weather.

Most centerboard sailboats are only comfortable in calm coastal and inland waters. Conditions aboard a shoal-draft sailboat in foul weather range from uncomfortable to downright perilous, which is a major tradeoff. Additionally, small centerboard sailboats typically lack the cabin and storage space necessary for seagoing provisions.

Also, most small centerboard sailboats simply aren't designed for extended cruising. Things like generators, VHF radios, large freshwater tanks, and bathroom facilities usually aren't up to the task on small boats.

Centerboard Sailboat Propulsion

The smallest centerboard sailboats, such as Sunfish and Laser racers, have no propulsion system other than the sail itself. However, anything beyond 15 feet in length will probably have some alternative propulsion. Small boats have an oar or two on board, but most utilize a 5 to 10-horsepower outboard motor.

Inboard motors are rare, but a one or two-cylinder marine diesel can sometimes be found below the cockpit of a centerboard cruiser. Some small 'motor-sailer' boats have inboard engines and a centerboard for sailing.

Best Centerboard Sailboats for Cruising

Centerboard sailboats are ideal for coastal and inland cruising, and many of these pocket-sized vessels include surprisingly comfortable accommodations. These aren't dinghies or converted rowboats; they're serious sailing vessels in a compact package. Here are a few of the best 'all-around' centerboard sailboats available today.

Catalina 22

The Catalina 22 is one of the most popular sailboats ever built. It has the profile of its larger cousins (like the Catalina 27) but features a compact swing keel centerboard instead of a fin keel . At 22 feet long, the Catalina 22 is about as hardy as centerboard cruisers get.

And thanks to its retractable hinged centerboard, there's enough cabin space for a V-berth, porta-potty, stove, sink, settee, and a convertible dining area berth. The trailerable Catalina 22 is widely available on the used market, often for entry-level pricing.

West Wight Potter 19

The West Wight Potter 19 is a small centerboard pocket cruiser with a cult following. It's a fiberglass V-bottom trailer sailboat with a spacious cabin, retractable centerboard, and foldable mast. This little cruiser is capable and convenient, and it's still produced today.

West Wight Potter sailboats are famous for being (quite literally) unsinkable. They're loaded with flotation foam and stay afloat even when completely flooded. Plus, they're easy to sail, and they have an enormous amount of natural stability.

The Hunter 22 is a remarkably well-balanced centerboard cruising boat. Like the Catalina 22, this Hunter sailboat features a compact swing-type retractable centerboard. It has a spacious cabin with room to accommodate the whole family on short voyages.

Hunter designed this compact cruising sloop with a masthead rig, which is simple to operate and robust. These vessels were only produced for a few years in the 80s, but variants are plentiful, and they're plenty of fun to sail.

Centerboard Vs. Fixed Keel

Are you interested in buying a sailboat ? Deciding between a centerboard and a fixed keel is an important decision that shouldn't be overlooked. If you're looking for a trailerable weekender for short voyages and an occasional offshore run, then consider a centerboard. They're cheap and easy to store in or out of the water.

Centerboard sailboats are also ideal for island hopping, as long as the islands aren't too far from your homeport. Florida to the Bahamas is a common and manageable journey for cruising centerboard boats.

And since centerboard sailboats tend to be smaller, it's important to consider how much provision storage you'll need for the journey. Running out of food or fresh water isn't much fun in the middle of the ocean.

Fixed keelboats are ideal for extended offshore voyages and coastal cruising, especially in choppy waters. A fixed keel cruising boat offers superior roll comfort, stability, and handling in a wide range of weather conditions. They're safer in storms as well. For serious sailing, it's difficult to find an ideal alternative.

Related Articles

I've personally had thousands of questions about sailing and sailboats over the years. As I learn and experience sailing, and the community, I share the answers that work and make sense to me, here on Life of Sailing.

by this author

Sailboat Parts

Learn About Sailboats

Most Recent

What Does "Sailing By The Lee" Mean?

October 3, 2023

The Best Sailing Schools And Programs: Reviews & Ratings

September 26, 2023

Important Legal Info

Lifeofsailing.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. This site also participates in other affiliate programs and is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies.

Similar Posts

Affordable Sailboats You Can Build at Home

September 13, 2023

Best Small Sailboat Ornaments

September 12, 2023

Discover the Magic of Hydrofoil Sailboats

December 11, 2023

Popular Posts

Best Liveaboard Catamaran Sailboats

December 28, 2023

Can a Novice Sail Around the World?

Elizabeth O'Malley

4 Best Electric Outboard Motors

How Long Did It Take The Vikings To Sail To England?

10 Best Sailboat Brands (And Why)

December 20, 2023

7 Best Places To Liveaboard A Sailboat

Get the best sailing content.

Top Rated Posts

Lifeofsailing.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. This site also participates in other affiliate programs and is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. (866) 342-SAIL

© 2024 Life of Sailing Email: [email protected] Address: 11816 Inwood Rd #3024 Dallas, TX 75244 Disclaimer Privacy Policy

• New Sailboats
• Sailboats 21-30ft
• Sailboats 31-35ft
• Sailboats 36-40ft
• Sailboats Over 40ft
• Sailboats Under 21feet
• used_sailboats
• Apps and Computer Programs
• Communications
• Fishfinders
• Handheld Electronics
• Plotters MFDS Rradar
• Wind, Speed & Depth Instruments
• Anchoring Mooring
• Running Rigging
• Sails Canvas
• Standing Rigging
• Diesel Engines
• Off Grid Energy
• Cleaning Waxing
• DIY Projects
• Repair, Tools & Materials
• Spare Parts
• Tools & Gadgets
• Cabin Comfort
• Ventilation
• Footwear Apparel
• Foul Weather Gear
• Mailport & PS Advisor
• Inside Practical Sailor Blog
• Activate My Web Access
• Reset Password
• Customer Service

• Free Newsletter

Marshall Sanderling 18: Used Boat Review

Affordable Cruising Sailboats, Continued

Maine Cat 41 Used Boat Review

CS 30 Used Boat Review

Best Crimpers and Strippers for Fixing Marine Electrical Connectors

Thinking Through a Solar Power Installation

How Does the Gulf Stream Influence our Weather?

Can You Run a Marine Air-Conditioner on Battery Power?

Need a New Headsail Furler? Here’s What’s Involved

Master the Sailing Basics: Never Stop Learning the Little Things

How to Mount Your Camera on Deck: Record Your Adventures with…

Un-Stepping the Mast for America’s Great Loop

Sinking? Check Your Stuffing Box

The Rain Catcher’s Guide

How to Change Your Engine Mounts

Keeping Water Clean and Fresh

Vinyl Boat Lettering DIY Application and Repair

Those Extras you Don’t Need But Love to Have

Three-Model BBQ Test

Alcohol Stoves— Swan Song or Rebirth?

UV Clothing: Is It Worth the Hype?

Preparing Yourself for Solo Sailing

How to Select Crew for a Passage or Delivery

Preparing A Boat to Sail Solo

Dear Readers

Chafe Protection for Dock Lines

Waxing and Polishing Your Boat

Reducing Engine Room Noise

Tricks and Tips to Forming Do-it-yourself Rigging Terminals

• Safety & Seamanship

Making the Most of Centerboards

Understanding how centers of effort shift can help make you a better sailor and reduce loads..

A deep, ballasted keel does a lot of good things. It lowers the center of gravity, provides lift to windward, and stabilizes the boat. It can add great strength if integrated into the construction of the hull, allowing the boat to sniff soft bottoms without damage.

There are downsides. Trailering is impractical. Countless shallow creeks and snug harbors become inaccessible. Docking is more expensive.

A centerboard is one solution, but there are differences. You probably read something about raising and lowering the centerboard or daggerboard in a book on dinghy sailing years ago, and unless you’ve been racing centerboard boats all these years, you’ve probably forgotten the details. Here’s a little refresher.

Even for the cruising sailor, centerboard position is as vital an adjustment, as sail balance and trim.

Balance. On a poorly trimmed boat, one of the largest sources of drag is often excessive rudder angle. Assuming you have the typical rudder profile (NACA 0021), the optimal helm range is generally 2-4 degrees when close hauled. A few degrees helps it share the work of the keel, providing lift to windward. More rudder angle and you are increasing drag, and if the angle exceeds 6 degrees, you are courting a stall when a strong turn to leeward is needed.

What causes excessive load on the rudder?

• Too much sail area aft. Sailing with main-only or a partially rolled-up genoa can do this.
• Over-trimmed mainsail.
• Excessive mast rake. Check the manual. Beach cats and planing skiffs have very specific reasons for radical mast rake. It only translates into more speed or better handling if the boat was designed for it.
• Excessive heel or bow-down trim. The hull form itself can force a turn to windward. A deeply buried bow can act like a forward rudder.

Centerboard trim

There are ways to fix these tendencies. Ease the main or lower the traveler. Reef the main and the headsail in balance. When sailing off the wind, it is often better to reef the main before the jib, to help keep her head down. Rake the mast to spec. Sail the boat flat. Bear away in the puffs when sailing deep, before the boat begins to heel excessively. Always steer for balance.

However, a centerboard or daggerboard adds an additional trim tool that is often forgotten. When the centerboard first begins to swing up, it moves more aft than up. In fact, a centerboard that is half up has typically lost only 20 percent of its draft and 15 percent of its projected area. On the other hand, the center of lateral resistance (CLR) on a 4-foot centerboard has moved aft about 1½ feet.

What about the change in righting moment of a weighted board? You have lifted it no more than 15 percent of the distance to the waterline, and depending on the board’s maximum depth, you’ve probably lost no more than 10 percent of the board’s contribution to righting moment. Don’t lift a weighted board more than this under sail, but experiment with how a slight movement aft changes things. Always mark the pendant so you know how far you have lifted the board.

Rising windspeeds

Consider the case of our Corsair F-24 test boat. As the wind rises, we might furl the jib for easier sailing. Reefing the main gives better balance, but rolling up the jib is easy and eliminates handling a whole set of sheets. Unfortunately, the sail center of effort (COE) then moves aft three feet, badly overloading the rudder.

In this situation, sailing becomes sluggish and we get trapped in irons every single time we try to tack. And there is no escape from irons, because even when we back the boat out as far as possible by reversing the rudder and fully easing the main sail—as deep as a beam reach—the moment we attempt to sheet in to make way, the bow swings right back into the wind.

However, if we lift the centerboard halfway, the center of lateral resistance moves aft about 1½-feet with very little change in area. We have less sail up, so the loss in area does not significantly increase leeway. The rudder will still be slightly overloaded and successful tacking requires easing the mainsheet as the boat comes through the wind, but you won’t be trapped in irons and the boat  accelerates well as the main is slowly brought in. The rudder angle remains a little higher than normal, but it isn’t a brake.

Reaching in Strong winds

Strong reaching conditions are another time when centerboard adjustments help. When the wind gusts, the boat heels, and the resulting submerged hull form wants to turn to windward. In the case of a multihull, the lee bow digs in, acting as a forward rudder. The helmsman tries to bear off, but the rudder stalls and the boat swerves to windward anyway. Apparent wind accelerates, flow over the sails becomes better attached (reaching sails are often partially stalled, so rounding up attaches the flow), apparent wind increases, and power increases dramatically, just when you don’t want it. Centrifugal force from the rapid turn adds to the mess. A monohull will broach. A multihull can capsize.

The solution? First there are the standard solutions. Reef the mainsail early and fly more headsail; this will help keep her head down. Bear off early and smoothly before the boat heels excessively rather than waiting until the need is urgent. The earlier correction is actually faster, because the rudder angle relative to the water stays low, keeping drag low.

But also consider lifting the centerboard halfway or a bit more. Because there is little side force from the sails when reaching deep, you don’t need as much area. The boat will probably be moving faster through the water relative to the side force, generating more lift with less area. But don’t lift it all the way up unless the boat has a stub keel; you still want some board down as a leverage point for steering. The goal is to move the center of effort aft, so that the boat doesn’t want to round up.

You cannot adjust a board under load. If you apply enough force, you will only break something or hurt your back. Even if there are slides and a sturdy tackle, only adjust the board when traveling straight upwind or downwind, slowly if possible. This will reduce the load. Sometimes shooting straight into the wind for just a few moments is enough; quickly make the adjustment and then return to your original course.

Centerboard adjustments are not just for racers. It is a cruiser adjustment, just like reefing, for those who value good handling and safety. It’s all about balance, and by swinging the board aft just a little bit, you can cure certain handling problems.

RELATED ARTICLES MORE FROM AUTHOR

Electric Winch and Windlass Safety

Severed Anchor in the Bahamas: Seven Lessons Learned

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Log in to leave a comment

Latest Videos

Pearson 37 & 37-2 – Behind the Curtain

How To Test a Boat Engine

Hunter Legend 35.5 – Behind the Curtain

Whipping Line On Your Sailboat

Latest sailboat review.

• Privacy Policy
• Do Not Sell My Personal Information
• Online Account Activation
• Privacy Manager

Centerboard VS Daggerboard The Differences Explained

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. We may also earn commissions if you purchase products from other retailers after clicking on a link from our site.

Sailing life entails many words that at first make no sense; in this article, I will explain the difference between two types of underwater foils, centerboards and daggerboards.

On a sailboat, the difference between a daggerboard and a centerboard is how they are moved into position. A daggerboard is lifted and raised vertically (up and down) through a slot in the hull; a centerboard, on the other hand, pivots or swings into place.

That was the short answer. There are many more commonalities and differences worth discussing, such as the differences in performance and what happens if your daggerboard hits a reef? Will it break your hull?

Keep reading to understand all you need to know about daggerboards and centerboards!

Table of Contents

Centerboard

The centerboard is mounted horizontally on a rotating bolt at the foremost part of the foil (keep reading to understand what a foil is). It folds into a comparatively much longer slot in the hull than a daggerboard.

A centerboard comes in many different shapes and sizes, it can be combined with an already existing keel, or it can be larger and be more of a stand-alone type.

How is a centerboard operated?

The centerboard is operated through a lifting line fastened at the end of the centerboard fin(board); this line is manipulated either by hand or by a winch and, once fully retracted, will be tied to a cleat.

Daggerboard

The daggerboard, on the other hand, is mounted vertically inside a sliding slot in the hull, it gets it name from the movement, much like the stabbing motion of a dagger.

The board is stopped from moving too far and falling out because the top part is wider than the lower part.

How is a daggerboard operated?

It is manipulated much like the centerboard, through a lifting line and a winch. But instead of being attached through a bolt and swung into position, it is lowered down into place.

What are the differences?

Performance.

Since the differences mainly lie in the way of deployment, there are not that many big difference, but some smaller once worth noticing are;

The daggerboard doesnt have to be either fully up or fully down; this means the sailor can adjust the depth and effects to his or her needs. To low and there will be unnecessary drag, to high and there will be too little lift and too much drift to windward.

On the other hand, the centerboard pivots into position and is only really efficient as a foil once fully deployed.

Reducing the draft of a boat is very important if you want to sail in very shallow waters such as the Bahamas or if you want to beach your cat.

What is beaching a cat?

Once retracted, there is also a decreased chance of getting stuck or tangled up in a fishing net or other semi-floating objects and sometimes hard to see.

On boats where the keel is the lowest point on the boat, the propeller will be protected, but on ships where the center or daggerboard is the lowest spot, then retracting it will make it vulnerable to damage from whales, fishing nets, or coral. You will also not be able to beach your cat since the weight of the ship will be loaded on top of your prop shaft and most certainly will break it.

Once the boards are in a fully lifted position, there is an argument to be made that the centerboard, which has a much larger slot, will have higher drag. This is true, but only if the slot is poorly design and not hydrodynamically smooth, causing underwater turbulence.

A well-designed centerboard should be able to reduce the amount of drag to the same as a daggerboard.

What are the similarities?

Both systems can be mounted in pairs and at an angle; this makes the boards work much as an airplane wing does. Once the water starts passing around it, it will create higher water speeds on the upper side, lowering the pressure and increasing lift.

This makes for less underwater surface, decreases drag, increases speed, and fuel efficiency.

One issue often discussed on forums and with boat people is that a centerboard is safer since if an underwater object hits it, it will fold back into its slot, and no damage will be done. This is true to a degree but worthy of some explanation.

Firstly this is mainly a theoretical argument since an object is not certain to hit the board from straight on; this means that the idea of folding is no longer possible. The next thing to understand is that daggerboards are made to break; this is a safety aspect and makes sure that the hulls stay intact and that the boat will stay afloat.

This is similar to modern mini keels on catamarans; they too are constructed to detach if hit hard enough, the keels fall off, but the hull stays intact.

Both systems offer a risk of getting stuck; some say this is a bigger issue with daggerboards, and they more often fail than the centerboard style. This is not something that I have been able to confirm through any data, and looking at the design of newer daggerboards; there is no real reason to think that this should be the case.

There are many different systems on a sailboat, and everything that can move will sooner or later stop moving due to rust or being filled up with salt and sand. So will too these boards; this means extra time for maintenance and extra money to be spent keeping the systems in good shape.

Compared to each other many would argue that the centerboard is a somewhat simpler system and that they need less maintenance; I would say it is more up to the specific design than whether or not it is a centerboard.

Catamarans and Monohulls

The basic function of a foil is the same whether you’re on a catamaran or a monohull, although some aspect is specific for a cat.

A catamaran will always have two boards; these can be used together or separately. Since a catamaran behaves very differently in big seas than a monohull, the use of foils, especially during heavy weather, is essential to understand if wanting to stay safe.

One situation when catamarans can capsize is while being pushed horizontally by a big breaking wave hitting it from the side. If both boards are down, this will decrease the possible sliding motion and therefore increase the likelihood of capsizing.

This is a complex issue and if you want to undestand capsizing in detail i suggest you read this article;

Why do catamarans capsize

Owner of CatamaranFreedom.com. A minimalist that has lived in a caravan in Sweden, 35ft Monohull in the Bahamas, and right now in his self-built Van. He just started the next adventure, to circumnavigate the world on a Catamaran!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name and email in this browser for the next time I comment.

Recent Posts

Must-Have Boat Gear for Catamaran Sailors!

Sailing is probably the most gear-intensive activity I've ever done; there are so many decisions to be made about what gear to buy now, for tomorrow, and what to definitely never buy. The gear on...

6 Best Trailerable Trimarans For Bluewater and Coastal Sailing

Having a boat costs a lot of money, even when you are not using it, marina fees, etc. And once it is in the water most sailors never go very far from their "home marina" and sailing will be somewhat...

• Forum Listing
• Marketplace
• Advanced Search
• All Topics Sailing
• Cruising Under Sail
• SailNet is a forum community dedicated to Sailing enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about sailing, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, repairs, reviews, maintenance, and more!

Centreboard vs keel

• Add to quote

I realise this has probably been done to death, but I'd like to get the opinions of more experienced sailors than myself. If you could choose between a centreboard or keel for the same boat, which would you choose and why? Most of my sailing will likely be short, trailered trips in our local lake system, but I also have desires to take her offshore for coastal cruising. I will be building this boat, not buying, so a consideration must be given to simplicity of design, reduced materials cost, ease of construction, etc. The boat in question is a Grey Seal by Iain Oughtred:  

Attachments

We love our centerboard. We use it almost every day, at anchor and underway. At anchor, it minimizes roll in an anchorage and also underway, but it also can be used to reduce weather or lee helm by having it partially or all the way down.  

I would choose the centerboard boat. I like the ability to get into shallow water to anchor and even sail through. If the boat is intended to be trailerable then all the more the centerboard draft for increasing places you can haul and launch. Ratings of the same boat with shoal vs deep keels allow about 3 to 5 seconds per mile. That's important to racers I suppose but has no relevance to me, a coastal sailor. The Seal design, very beautiful, looks like a perfect keel centerboard. I doubt there is much performance difference between the two drafts.  

If you're going to be trailering the boat then centerboard. Absolutely. The shallower draft simplifies trailer design, making for a less expensive trailer. It also makes it easier to get on and off the trailer, and opens up more ramps that you are able to use. Having owned a number of trailer boats over the years, for me this would be a no-brainer. Good luck, whatever your choice.  

I would be wary if the design was for a fixed-keel yacht and the manufacturer offered a centerboard version as an option. But I think there are real advantages if the design was centerboard from the start. The Ted Hood-designed Bristols are a good example of this, or so I'm told.  

To begin with, I would suggest that this is a very poor choice to build if your goals are lake sailing. Lake sailing tends to be a mix of extremely light air, and comparatively heavy air with relatively few medium days in between. This design would do poorly at either end of the wind range being obscenely heavy for a boat with this short a waterline length and being really short on sail area for lake sailing. Normally, for all of the reasons mentioned above, I would agree 100% that the centerboard boat should be a more practical design for trailering. I typically am a fan of well designed keel centerboard boats. But in this case, given your goals for the boat, I am not so sure that the centerboard version does make sense. Both versions of this design are severely short on sail area as compared to its drag, initial stability, and displacement. In the case of the centerboard version, there is less stability and so the sail area has been reduced as well. That would be okay if you normally sail in an area where the winds are rarely any more or less than 10 to 15 knots. But you are talking about both lake and ocean sailing and that requires a boat that is good at both ends of the wind range, which neither version would be, but the centerboard version with its smaller sail plan and stability would be much worse to the point of saying either change your sailing objectives or change your choice of design. I would respectfully disagree with the statement "I would be wary if the design was for a fixed-keel yacht and the manufacturer offered a centerboard version as an option." since has been routinely done on boats with longer keels, and produced successful equally successful designs. Jeff  

For trailering, centre board for sure. And the mast would ideally be in a tabernacle. A boat you can not easily rig and launch solo, you won't use. An alternative design I might consider for the kind of mixed usage coastal/inland trailering I might consider the B & B Core Sound 20 Mark 3. Water ballast cat ketch. Fast, light, easy to launch and can take some weather. I have been aboard these boats. They are pretty sweet. Core Sound 20 Mark 3 | B&B Yacht Designs  

I have been impressed with the B&B designs too especially considering how well they have performed in the Gulf of Mexico in some fairly grueling seas that have caused others to call for assistance. The Belhaven design with its bilge keel/centerboard design which give a more open cockpit and cabin and is based a bit on the CoreSound is another one that appeals to me. Belhaven 19 | B&B Yacht Designs  

There are builders and there are sailors. If you are a sailor and want a very small boat which will be safe in the ocean would get a Flicka or something similar. By the time your done building and outfitting not much difference in cost. The difference between 2 1/2’ and 3 1/2’ is meaningless as to where you can go when sailing. Yes it’s a bit more of a headache when launching. But that additional foot is meaningful as regards righting arm. So decide Build or buy Ocean or lake Daysail or cruise There are many great small centerboard day sailor designs. None are seaboats. There are a few very small ocean boats but the spectrum is large from minitransats to full keelers. The demands for an ocean v lake trailer boat are so different it’s hard to image a design satisfying such diverse requirements. If you’re ocean sailing you’d likely launch and leave in the water for days and cruise. If you’re lake sailing probably don’t even need bottom paint. If ocean you’d want something stout with a good avs. If lake something fast and fun. I think you will need to make up your mind. It’s sounds like you’d get more use out of a good centerboarder but don’t expect to cruise in open waters. I don’t get why people think coastal hops don’t require a substantial good boat. You can get into a lot of trouble within sight of land. If you go lake would get a more modern design. Something with a better performance envelope. I’d get a folding tri but that’s my 2 cents. I say so as those are good bay and protected waters boats so quite safe for coastal cruising with a bit of common sense.  

I'm certainly not building the boat just to get on the water, I'd be mad to do that. The boat itself is the aim of the game, but when it's done I'd like to have some options with it. We have a substantial lake system (The Gippsland Lakes) on our doorstep, forecast winds for the rest of the week in the 10-20 knot range and I'd like to be able to use the boat there when finished, but we're also (relatively) local to places like Eden/Twofold Bay and I'm not opposed to the idea of driving up to the great barrier reef and pottering around the whitsunday islands, or putting in at one location and spending a couple of weeks sailing down to a pick-up point further down the coast in Queensland. So ideally I'd like a boat that can do both. Like anything boat-building or sailing related, everything is a compromise and in an ideal world I'd have a dedicated boat for both goals, but the Grey Seal is described by the designer as being slightly over-powered in terms of sailing in order to perform well in light winds, and all reports I've read from owners/builders describe her as handling extremely well in more powerful winds as well. Plus it's just a downright beautiful boat, I love her lines and her traditional look, I think it falls within my capabilities as a builder and is the right size for one or two people to spend an extended amount of time on. Maybe in the future I might look at a second hand folkboat or something similar for extended coastal cruising, but time and money only permit one project at the moment!  

There is an ongoing discussion about Gray Seal building on Wooden Boat forum. https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?ur...share_tid=236486&share_fid=23945&share_type=t Two very simple statements I would ask you to give lots of thought over. "Sail, then build" vs "build to sail". Without knowing your actual sailing experience and abilities and just looking at the choice you're making, clearly you need two different boats. I feel strongly about sailing then building because the boat you build will be strongly affected by the kind of sailing you do. and almost guaranteed, the boat you have or build will be too small too soon. Also, it's pretty well-established that: it is not cheaper to build a boat than it is to buy one. Most often the Builder seriously and religiously builds a beautiful hull before they lose interest or run out of money because they didn't allow for the fitting out of the craft which is often another two thirds more in costs. I often see new discussions on the Wooden Boat Forum about a boat someone just picked up from someone else that was building! so if you still want to build a boat I would suggest looking for a project that someone lost interest or ran out of money,. These are usually new builds.  

I had centerboard boats for 25 years and then got my swing keel boat 27 years ago. We are able to keep such boats in the shallow (2.5’ MLW) area in front of our house, which was a primary reason for buying them. However, we quickly found that variable draft allowed us to take shortcuts and to anchor in shallower water than a keel variant of the same boat. Being able to anchor in the fringes of a crowded harbor can be a real advantage. Extending navigation time in shallow tidal waters can also be an advantage. Being able to reduce draft is also an advantage in a soft grounding situation. Bottom line: it would be real hard for us to switch to a keel boat when a swing keel/centerboard version is available.  

Fallard physics is undeniable. Each sailor needs to decide which boat is right depending upon how they intend to use the boat. For you and where and how you use a boat you made a great decision. But for someone else it maybe a poor one. For me the extra few degrees to windward, the slightly better avs, the decrease in complexity and maintenance, the slightly better ride are more important than draft. My problem isn’t getting into a nook or cranny but rather having enough chain. The OP seems to like classic designs. He is building the boat himself. There is a significant increase in skills required to build a centerboarder and a significant increase in expense. Perhaps that’s worth it as there’s no question launching a boat with less draft off a ramp is much easier. Perhaps that’s the key thing in his decision and more important than gunkholing ability. The size he is contemplating is just large enough that centerboard maintenance isn’t him just rolling the boat on its side and working on the centerboard. He’ll need help and some ingenuity.i helped a friend do this. He dumped his boat off the trailer near a tree on his lawn. We rigged a block and tackle and lifted the boat to get to the centerboard. He replaced the pin , wire and pulley. This was done after the boat was placed in a cradle he constructed so it was elevated enough to work on. The board had a weighted shoe and was awkward. Was a two person job. I think he understands there’s a difference between a lake boat and an ocean one. If I truly wanted a coastal and lake boat as said would go with a Corsair or Dragonfly like design. If I wanted an easy lake boat with a classic appearance would go with a smaller centerboarder so less HAs with maintenance and give up on the idea of open waiter sailing. People think about sailing but often not enough about owning a boat.  

outbound said: Fallard physics is undeniable. Each sailor needs to decide which boat is right depending upon how they intend to use the boat. For you and where and how you use a boat you made a great decision. But for someone else it maybe a poor one. For me the extra few degrees to windward, the slightly better avs, the decrease in complexity and maintenance, the slightly better ride are more important than draft. My problem isn't getting into a nook or cranny but rather having enough chain. The OP seems to like classic designs. He is building the boat himself. There is a significant increase in skills required to build a centerboarder and a significant increase in expense. Click to expand...

I took a screenshot of the Gippsland Lakes on google maps. It looks nice, but challenging sailing on nearly any boat. A series of medium sized lakes connected by narrows, canals and wetlands. The OP is likely to be motoring a fair bit in nearly any boat except a specialised beach boat or cruising dinghy in this area. So if you like Grey Seal, go for it, but I would say get the centre board with all the shallows. Get a good engine for getting through the shallows, narrows and canals. If you really do want to trailer it, then see what options the designer has for solo mast raising systems. *Or, you could just stick to the main bodies of water and you could probably sail just about any boat.  

Centerboards are useful for cruising in shallow water, but you do want something fairly sturdy for taking on ocean swells, even if it's just sailing coastwise. The design you suggest looks like it would be up for the task, but also looks like it would take a long time to build. Bruce Kirby has a design that might provide more performance in light air, looks good, and would be easier and quicker to build: Norwalk Island Sharpie Sail Boats by Bruce Kirby Marine | Sailboat and Yacht Designer of Laser, Sonar, Ideal 18, San Juan 24, Canada 1 and others It appears the design is robust and stable enough for heavier weather too: http://www.nisboats.com/pdfs/Charlie Fisher Bass Strait 1.pdf They're sold as kits or you can purchase plans: http://www.nisboats.com I contemplated building a 29' one, but we ended up buying a used production boat because we wanted to spend more time sailing than building.  

Fallard don’t want to get into a pissing war. Especially as this is thread drift. Yes you have a wonderful boat. Yes, all boats have warts including mine which JeffH has pointed out. Yes, I think ( as does others) i have a damn good boat for a cruising couple crossing oceans but not perfect. If I had infinite sums I’d call BobP, or perhaps one of several European houses then NEB to watch a perfect boat for cruising being built. Yes, there are good centerboard boats for ocean work. Boreal or one of the Ed Joy boats come to mind. Still a 35’ weighted centerboard is at a disadvantage c/w bulbed, high aspect fin keel. Yes, it is the physics. Naval architecture has moved on as well. They are very skilled and smarter with this stuff than me or you. There’s a reason that even in the one off market where money isn’t limiting folks have moved on and similar designs as yours are no longer in production.  

outbound said: Fallard don't want to get into a pissing war. Especially as this is thread drift. Yes you have a wonderful boat. Yes, all boats have warts including mine which JeffH has pointed out. Yes, I think ( as does others) i have a damn good boat for a cruising couple crossing oceans but not perfect. If I had infinite sums I'd call BobP, or perhaps one of several European houses then NEB to watch a perfect boat for cruising being built. Yes, there are good centerboard boats for ocean work. Boreal or one of the Ed Joy boats come to mind. Still a 35' weighted centerboard is at a disadvantage c/w bulbed, high aspect fin keel. Yes, it is the physics. Naval architecture has moved on as well. They are very skilled and smarter with this stuff than me or you. There's a reason that even in the one off market where money isn't limiting folks have moved on and similar designs as yours are no longer in production. Click to expand...

I know and like Southerlies. A nicely made and thought through craft. Think it quite a different design however. Still think putting a whole lot of weight a distance down on a more effective foil simplifies the physics while allowing a better polar. Believe that’s why in spite of the complexity lifting keels have gotten more popular. We now can engineer and have the materials to do so so do so. I was not being presumptuous rather humble. Had an NA as crew it was amazing to learn how much is involved. I’m in awe by how complex this has become. I thought there were geniuses like the wizard of Bristol who just saw boats and ships whole in theirs mind eye and put down their vision. Yes there are still extraordinarily gifted people but they see it more like a complex vector diagram and it’s a team that creates these wonders. I’m sorry if I got your hackles up.  

outbound said: I know and like Southerlies. A nicely made and thought through craft. Think it quite a different design however. Still think putting a whole lot of weight a distance down on a more effective foil simplifies the physics while allowing a better polar. Believe that's why in spite of the complexity lifting keels have gotten more popular. We now can engineer and have the materials to do so so do so. I was not being presumptuous rather humble. Had an NA as crew it was amazing to learn how much is involved. I'm in awe by how complex this has become. I thought there were geniuses like the wizard of Bristol who just saw boats and ships whole in theirs mind eye and put down their vision. Yes there are still extraordinarily gifted people but they see it more like a complex vector diagram and it's a team that creates these wonders. I'm sorry if I got your hackles up. Click to expand...

Thanks for all the great responses! I have a vehicle suited to towing the Grey Seal and local cruising grounds within a 60 minute drive in several directions, so I would really like to be able to trailer her and not have something bigger which really needs to be craned into the water and permanently moored. What I'm balancing this against is perhaps a slightly less seaworthy boat if I get caught out and need to heave to in heavy weather, and (more pressing to my mind at the moment) is the added complexity during the build and for maintenance. And of course the added difficulty of launching a boat with a deeper draught. I'm building the boat more to have the boat, than to go sailing, if that makes sense. I have no illusions that building will be cheaper than buying, and certainly not quicker! It's a project I expect to take two to three years, which I think falls within my capabilities but will also teach me new skills and challenge me. I'm also planning to use it as a way to spend some more time with my old man, as I have no doubt he will be spending as much time working on it as I will! My sailing experience isn't extensive, although I know the basics and have been out fairly often in my younger years. Time, money, and weather permitting I will be taking some classes and sailing on other peoples boats in the meantime while building the boat. I've picked this design not because it's the best boat (although all reports I've read from other owner/builders is that she handles very well) but because I think it looks beautiful and for the challenge of building it. I'm aware that the cabin is comparatively cramped and there are easier and faster boat designs available, but none of them give me a longing feeling like the Grey Seal does. The designer also has plans for a longer, 24'7" version of the same boat which would no doubt be roomier, faster and have better sea-keeping abilities, and I may look into that version, but I also feel like I'd be giving myself further problems when it comes to trailering and launching/recovering. One piece of knowledge I haven't actually looked into yet is how easy it will be to launch a boat of that size at the local marinas. Cranes are available so if worse comes to worst I would always be able to get the larger boat into the water, but I'd really like the process to be as painless as possible. Interestingly Iain doesn't offer a keeled version of the larger boat, only an offset centreboard, which would definitely be easier to construct than having to put the centreboard through the keel, and the draught is listed as no more than the smaller version of the boat. However, the longer boat means many more scarph joints for the planking and an increased materials cost. Food for thought. Thankyou so much for the Charlie Fisher read! That was excellent! What an amazing trip!  

• ?            
• 175.5K members

Top Contributors this Month

Daggerboard vs Centerboard: Choosing the Right Option for Your Sailboat

by Emma Sullivan | Aug 7, 2023 | Sailboat Maintenance

Short answer daggerboard vs centerboard:

A daggerboard is a retractable keel that can be raised or lowered vertically, providing stability and reducing sideways drift. On the other hand, a centerboard is also a retractable keel but pivots horizontally instead of vertically. While both serve similar purposes, their designs and mechanisms differ in terms of usage and effectiveness depending on the type and size of vessels they are used for.

Comparing Daggerboard vs Centerboard: What You Need to Know

Introduction:

When it comes to sailing, understanding the different types of boards used in sailboats is essential. Two commonly used boards are the daggerboard and centerboard . While both serve a similar purpose of providing stability and preventing lateral movement, there are a few key differences between these two options. So, let’s dive deeper into comparing daggerboards versus centerboards to shed some light on what you need to know.

1. Definition:

To start with, let’s define each board type. A daggerboard is a retractable keel that can be raised or lowered vertically through a slot in the hull of a sailboat. On the other hand, a centerboard is also an adjustable keel-like appendage but pivots around a single point when lifted out of the water .

2. Functionality:

The primary function of both boards is to counteract the sideways forces generated by wind acting on the sails and maintain stability in the water. However, they achieve this goal using slightly different mechanisms.

With a daggerboard, sailors have more control over adjusting its depth as it can be raised or lowered at will. This allows them to fine-tune their boat’s performance according to wind conditions and desired speed.

On the contrary, centerboards offer less adjustability and usually have set positions determined by design. Nevertheless, they still provide adequate lift and resistance against sideways drift while sailing close-hauled or upwind.

3. Performance:

When it comes to performance comparison between these two options, both have their pros and cons depending on factors such as boat size, sail plan, and intended use.

Daggerboards generally provide superior upwind performance due to their ability to be adjusted for various wind angles precisely. They allow sailors to optimize for maximum lift while minimizing drag in challenging conditions like gusty winds.

Centerboards excel in downwind sailing situations where maintaining optimal balance becomes critical. Their fixed position contributes additional stability during fast runs or when navigating waves, making them a favorable choice for racing scenarios or larger sailboats .

4. Construction and Maintenance:

Another aspect to consider is the construction and maintenance of these boards. Daggerboards are often made from materials such as fiberglass, carbon fiber, or wood laminates, requiring periodic inspection for wear and tear. However, they can be easily removed during maintenance or storage.

Centerboards are commonly built using similar materials but differ in their pivot point mechanism. The pivot offers simplicity and fewer moving parts that could potentially fail over time. Nonetheless, periodic inspections are still recommended to ensure the board remains secure within its casing.

5. Adaptability:

For sailors who enjoy exploring various water conditions, adaptability becomes a significant factor when comparing daggerboards and centerboards.

Daggerboards prove to be more versatile in this regard as their adjustability allows for experimentation with different sailing techniques on changing water types. This attribute makes them particularly suitable for sailors looking to venture into both shallow waters and deeper offshore locations while keeping their vessel stable.

Centerboards, although limited in terms of adjustability, offer reliability and ease of use across a wide range of sailing environments. They work exceptionally well for recreational sailors who primarily navigate deepwater areas without the need for frequent adjustments.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, understanding the differences between daggerboards and centerboards is crucial when considering which option best suits your sailing needs. While daggerboards provide greater performance optimization capabilities across wind angles and various conditions, centerboards offer stability and reliability in both recreational cruising and racing scenarios.

Ultimately, it’s essential to carefully evaluate your requirements based on boat type, desired performance characteristics under specific weather conditions, as well as personal preferences before making a decision between these two distinct but equally valuable options: the versatile daggerboard or steadfast centerboard.

Understanding the Difference: A Step-by-Step Guide to Daggerboards and Centerboards

If you’re passionate about sailing or have recently taken up the sport, you might have come across the terms “daggerboard” and “centerboard.” While these two components are integral to a sailboat ‘s performance, their roles and characteristics can sometimes be confusing. In this comprehensive guide, we will take you step-by-step through everything you need to know about daggerboards and centerboards – shedding light on their differences and helping you make informed decisions for your own sailing adventures.

First things first, let’s define both daggerboards and centerboards. Both of these structures are essentially appendages that extend from the hull beneath a sailboat. They serve a shared purpose: providing lateral resistance against the force of the wind, preventing the boat from being blown sideways while allowing it to move forward effectively. However, there are distinct variations in design, functionality, and usage between them.

Let’s start with daggerboards. As their name suggests, these boards resemble daggers due to their shape – long and narrow blades that slide vertically into slots in a boat’s hull. Typically located amidships or towards the stern of a vessel, daggerboards are commonly used in high-performance racing yachts or catamarans . Their primary function is to counteract the sideways force generated by wind acting on sails positioned away from where they attach to the mast – an effect known as “lee helm.” By adjusting or deploying multiple daggerboards asymmetrically, sailors can optimize their boats’ performance by minimizing drag while maximizing lift.

On the other hand, centerboards serve a similar purpose but differ significantly in design and usage compared to daggerboards. Unlike fixed daggerboads that slide vertically into slots within a hull structure permanently mounted on a boat’s keel or inside its hull at centreline position (often hollow), centerboard systems rely on pivoting mechanics and vertical movement.

To put it simply, centerboards pivot around a fulcrum or a pin attached to the hull, allowing them to be raised or lowered as needed. They are often found in sailboats designed for recreational purposes – such as small dinghies, daysailers, or even some keelboats. Centerboards can be retracted fully into the hull for shallow-water sailing and ease of launching or landing – an especially useful feature when dealing with beach landings. When lowered into position, they provide similar lateral resistance as daggerboards but typically offer less efficiency due to their simplified shape and lesser surface area.

Now that you understand the basic concepts behind daggerboards and centerboards, let’s explore their advantages and considerations. Daggerboards excel in providing substantial lateral resistance and increased lift capability due to their more refined shape and positioning options. The ability to adjust multiple daggerboards asymmetrically can lead to improved performance under varying wind conditions, making these boards indispensable for competitive sailors seeking optimal speed.

In contrast, centerboards are known for their versatility and convenience. Their pivoting mechanism enables them to be easily raised or lowered while on the water – a valuable asset when navigating shallow waters without risking damage or grounding the boat. Moreover, many small sailboats with centerboard designs also benefit from enhanced stability since the board’s weight aids in counteracting heeling forces acting on the sails.

When choosing between a daggerboard setup or a boat equipped with a centerboard system, several factors come into play. Firstly, consider your sailing intentions: are you primarily interested in casual cruising, racing competitively with precise maneuvering requirements or something in-between? Secondly, assess your local sailing conditions: do you frequently encounter challenging wind patterns or navigate areas with shallow waters ? These aspects will help steer you towards the most suitable option for your needs.

Ultimately, whether you opt for a sailboat equipped with a daggerboard system or one featuring a centerboard mechanism depends on various factors, including performance goals, sailing preferences, and intended use. Don’t hesitate to consult with experienced sailors, boat designers, or reputable manufacturers to ensure you make the right choice.

In conclusion, understanding the key differences between daggerboards and centerboards empowers sailors to select the appropriate configuration for their specific needs while navigating diverse sailing environments. Both appendages play crucial roles in enhancing sailboat stability and maneuverability, but their designs and functionalities vary significantly. Take into account your sailing aspirations and local conditions when making a decision – ensuring an enjoyable and successful experience on the water !

FAQ: Decoding the Pros and Cons of Daggerboards vs Centerboards

Title: FAQ: Decoding the Pros and Cons of Daggerboards vs Centerboards for Smooth Sailing

Introduction: Ahoy, fellow boating enthusiasts ! As you venture into the exciting world of sailing, one critical decision awaits you on your quest to harness the wind’s power. Today, we dive deep into deciphering the age-old conundrum—daggerboards or centerboards? Strap on your life vests as we embark on a journey to unravel the pros and cons of these two remarkable appendages that determine our vessel’s stability and maneuverability.

1. Understanding Daggerboards: Daggerboards, like stealthy underwater swords, elegantly slice through waters beneath our hulls. These vertically retractable boards are typically found in high-performance sailboats, optimized for speed and agility. But what makes daggerboards such an enticing choice?

Advantages of Daggerboards: a) Enhanced Speed: When engaged correctly, daggerboards create less drag compared to fixed keels or centerboards while maintaining lateral resistance. This enables your vessel to cut through water with minimal resistance, giving you a serious edge in speed races. b) Improved Upwind Performance: Daggerboards lend invaluable assistance in maximizing upwind sailing angles by resisting leeway—a fantastic asset when navigating against adverse currents or winds . c) Advanced Maneuverability: The ability to raise and lower these boards allows for easy adaptation to different sailing conditions without limiting boat movement possibilities.

Disadvantages of Daggerboards: a) Costly Investment: Opting for daggerboard-equipped vessels may lead to a higher upfront investment due to their intricate design and construction. b) Maintenance Complexities: Attending to daggerboard mechanisms demands regular inspection and occasional repairs; proper care is essential for long-term performance . c) Limited Draft Range: Some sailors argue that daggerboards hinder access to shallow waters due to their deeper draft range compared to centerboards.

2. Unveiling Centerboards’ Secrets: Now, let’s dive into the undeniable allure of centerboards—a versatile alternative that has carved its place in the sailing community. Positioned within a sailboat’s hull, these retractable appendages offer unique advantages worth considering.

Advantages of Centerboards: a) Versatility: The retractable nature of centerboards allows for easy maneuvering in shallow waters or when navigating close to shore. No more worrying about running aground! b) Cost-efficiency: Boats with centerboards tend to be more affordable compared to their daggerboard-equipped counterparts, making them an attractive choice for budget-conscious sailors . c) Simplicity in Maintenance: With fewer moving parts and mechanisms, the maintenance requirements for centerboards are often less complex and demanding.

Disadvantages of Centerboards: a) Compromised Performance: Sailing aficionados argue that centerboards might sacrifice performance compared to daggerboards due to increased drag and reduced lateral resistance. b) Limited Upwind Performance: When faced with strong winds or currents pushing against your vessel, centerboards may struggle to maintain course stability effectively.

Conclusion: Now that we’ve embarked on this quest through the pros and cons of daggerboards versus centerboards, it’s time for you to weigh your options carefully. Consider factors like your desired sailing style, local water conditions, budget constraints, and long-term maintenance commitments. Remember, whether you opt for the sleek agility of daggerboards or the versatile adaptability of centerboards—safe voyages and thrilling adventures await as you navigate through uncharted waters!

Exploring the Advantages of Daggerboards and Centerboards in Sailing

Are you an avid sailor or someone looking to dip their toes into the exhilarating world of sailing ? If so, understanding the advantages that daggerboards and centerboards provide can significantly enhance your sailing experience. These essential components are not only cleverly designed but also play a paramount role in improving a sailboat’s performance on the water . In this blog post, we will delve into the details of these devices, uncovering their remarkable benefits.

Firstly, let’s start by demystifying what daggerboards and centerboards actually are. Both of these apparatuses serve the same purpose – they stabilize a sailboat by providing lateral resistance, preventing it from drifting sideways due to wind pressure. However, they accomplish this task through different mechanisms.

Daggerboards are retractable foils that typically slide vertically from within the hull. These appendages are often found on high-performance racing boats as they offer numerous advantages. One notable advantage is their ability to maximize speed by minimizing hydrodynamic drag. When deployed correctly, daggerboards reduce sideways drift and lift the boat out of the water slightly, reducing wetted surface area and frictional resistance – resulting in enhanced speed through the water .

Additionally, daggerboards have another trick up their sleeve – adjustable angle-of-attack. Sailors can fine-tune these boards to suit different wind conditions, allowing for optimal performance based on variable factors such as wind strength or direction. This adaptability ensures that you are always at an advantage when facing changing weather conditions during races or leisurely sails.

On the other side of things, centerboards – unlike daggerboards – pivot horizontally from within the hull towards the boat’s midline. Although they lack some of the advantages provided by daggerboards regarding drag reduction and adjustment capabilities, centerboards excel in versatility and accessibility.

One significant advantage that centerboards offer is their ability to navigate shallow waters easily. You’ll find these boats cruising close to shorelines and in areas where draft limitations exist, such as lakes, rivers, or even windy coastal havens with numerous sandbanks. The retractable nature of centerboards allows sailors to raise them fully when entering shallow waters, minimizing the risk of grounding the boat while still maintaining excellent balance and control .

Furthermore, the positioning of a centerboard closer to the boat’s center of mass assists in preventing excessive heeling (tilting) during sailing . For those new to sailing or those who prefer a more stable ride, this can provide a greater sense of safety and security on the water.

In conclusion, both daggerboards and centerboards bring distinct advantages to sailboat enthusiasts. Daggerboards offer improved hydrodynamics for speed enthusiasts while providing adjustability for varying wind conditions – perfect for competitive racing or achieving top-notch performance. On the other hand, centerboards excel in versatility by allowing sailors access to shallow waters without sacrificing stability.

Whether you’re aiming for podium finishes in a regatta or simply seeking an invigorating recreational experience on the water, having a good understanding of these vital components will undoubtedly elevate your sailing adventures . So next time you hoist those sails and feel the saltwater spray on your face, appreciate how these cleverly designed daggerboards and centerboards optimize your vessel’s performance, granting you unparalleled control and enjoyment throughout every voyage.

How to Choose Between a Daggerboard and a Centerboard for Your Sailboat

Choosing the right type of board for your sailboat is a crucial decision that can greatly impact your sailing experience. Two popular options are the daggerboard and the centerboard , each with its own unique advantages and considerations. In this blog post, we will delve into the intricacies of these two board types to help you make an informed choice for your vessel.

Let’s start by understanding what a daggerboard and a centerboard actually are. Both are vertical boards positioned in the keel to provide stability and prevent sideways drift. The primary difference lies in their configuration and functionality.

1. Daggerboards: Imagine a dagger slicing through water with precision – that’s precisely how daggerboards operate! These long, narrow boards are fully retractable, typically made from high-strength materials like fiberglass or carbon fiber. They offer excellent hydrodynamic efficiency, leading to enhanced upwind performance and minimizing leeway (sideways drift) during sailing .

Why opt for a daggerboard? Well, if you’re passionate about racing or want to explore faster sailing speeds, daggerboards should top your list. With their ability to be raised or lowered at will, they allow countless adjustment possibilities while on the water – from optimizing your boat ‘s balance based on wind conditions to maneuvering through shallow waters without worrying about grounding.

However, there are some drawbacks worth considering before committing to a daggerboard. Due to their intricate design and construction, they tend to be more expensive than centerboards. Additionally, retracting them may require physical effort or even hydraulic assistance on larger vessels.

2. Centerboards: Centerboards share similar functionality as daggerboards but differ in construction and operation. Unlike daggerboards that slide vertically within casing built into the hull of the sailboat, centerboards pivot horizontally from its midpoint inside the hull itself.

So why go for a centerboard instead? Primarily known for their versatility and adaptability across various boat types – dinghies, daysailers, or cruisers – centerboards provide easy access to shallow waters. As they pivot up into the hull, the sailboat’s draft decreases, allowing you to explore areas that would otherwise remain inaccessible.

If budget constraints are a concern, opting for a centerboard might be more economical compared to a daggerboard . They are generally simpler in design and easier to maintain due to their horizontal movement mechanism.

Nevertheless, keep in mind that centerboards may compromise your sailing performance slightly. Although they perform reasonably well upwind and allow sailing closer to the wind than boats without any keel at all (known as leeboards), they are not as efficient as daggerboards when it comes to performance-oriented sailing.

In conclusion, choosing between a daggerboard and a centerboard ultimately depends on your specific requirements and intended use of the sailboat. If you crave exhilarating speeds, impeccable upwind capabilities, and have room in your budget for a high-performance board, go for a daggerboard without hesitation. On the other hand, if versatility, cost-effectiveness, and shallow-water exploration take precedence over pure speed obsession, opt for a centerboard.

Remember that regardless of which board you choose; practice and experience will play crucial roles in mastering its deployment and optimizing its effect on your sailing adventures . Happy cruising!

Going Beyond Basics: Mastering the Use of Daggerboards vs Centerboards

Title: Going Beyond Basics: Mastering the Art of Daggerboards vs Centerboards

Introduction: When it comes to sailing, achieving optimum performance requires more than just a basic understanding of the equipment. To truly excel in this beautiful sport, sailors need to delve deeper into the intricacies of their vessel’s components. One such critical component is the choice between daggerboards and centerboards. In this blog post, we will explore these options in detail, shedding light on their characteristics, benefits, and how mastering their use can take your sailing skills to new heights.

The Difference Between Daggerboards and Centerboards: Before we dive into their nuances, let’s begin by understanding the fundamental difference between daggerboards and centerboards. Both are retractable fins intended to prevent leeway (sideways drift) when sailing against the wind . The primary variation lies in their location on the hull. Daggerboards are inserted vertically through slots located towards the middle of each hull side on catamarans or near the keel area on monohulls. Conversely, centerboards are mounted on pivots below the hull at its central point.

Daggerboard Dominance: 1. Performance Advantages: Daggerboards provide sailors with remarkable advantages when it comes to sailboat performance. Their vertical positioning allows for reduced drag and enhanced lift characteristics compared to centerboards. 2. Upwind Sailing Power: Due to their dynamic design, daggerboards enable better upwind sailing as they can be further extended downwards into deeper water when necessary – increasing resistance against being pushed sideways by wind pressure. 3. Higher Speed Potential: By reducing leeway during upwind maneuvers, daggerboard-equipped boats experience less resistance and consequently achieve higher speeds. 4. Enhanced Steering Control: Another noteworthy benefit of daggerboard usage is improved steering control under demanding conditions like strong winds or rough seas.

Centerboard Superiority: 1. Versatility across Depths: Compared to daggerboards that require specific water depths, centerboards allow sailors to venture into shallower waters. The ability to raise the centerboard partially or completely reduces grounding risks and grants access to areas otherwise inaccessible. 2. Simplified Maneuverability: With a fixed pivot point across all wind conditions, centerboards are more straightforward and hassle-free to operate. Their stability provides consistent performance, making sailing a breeze for beginners and less experienced crews. 3. Safety in Grounding Situations: In the unfortunate event of running aground, a centerboard is designed to kick up easily upon contact with solid objects, minimizing potential damage to both the board and the hull.

Mastering Daggerboards vs Centerboards: 1. Understanding Conditions: To make an informed choice between daggerboards and centerboards, it’s crucial to assess the predominant sailing conditions you encounter. For open-water excursions where speed reigns supreme, daggerboards are often favored. Conversely, if your voyages take you through varied depths or potentially shallow areas, a centerboard may be more advantageous. 2. Gradual Familiarization & Practice: Like any skill in sailing, mastering the use of daggerboards or centerboards necessitates practice and experimentation. Sailors who wish to truly harness these components should gradually familiarize themselves with how they influence the boat’s performance by adjusting their depth according to wind strength and direction. 3. Seek Expert Guidance: Advanced sailors seeking technical expertise can benefit from reaching out to experienced professionals or participating in sailing clinics focused on advanced techniques involving daggerboard or centerboard utilization.

Conclusion: In summary, going beyond the basics of sailing involves mastering intricate aspects such as choosing between daggerboards and centerboards. Each has unique advantages catering to different sailing scenarios and personal preferences. By honing your understanding of these components’ functionality along with practice at utilizing them optimally under varying conditions enable sailors to unlock remarkable improvements in speed, maneuverability, and control – elevating their overall proficiency in the art of sailing.

Recent Posts

• Sailboat Gear and Equipment
• Sailboat Lifestyle
• Sailboat Maintenance
• Sailboat Racing
• Sailboat Tips and Tricks
• Sailboat Types
• Sailing Adventures
• Sailing Destinations
• Sailing Safety
• Sailing Techniques

• Forums New posts Unanswered threads Register Top Posts Email
• What's new New posts New Posts (legacy) Latest activity New media
• Media New media New comments
• Boat Info Downloads Weekly Quiz Topic FAQ 10000boatnames.com
• Classifieds Sell Your Boat Used Gear for Sale
• Parts General Marine Parts Hunter Beneteau Catalina MacGregor Oday
• Help Terms of Use Monday Mail Subscribe Monday Mail Unsubscribe

Shoal with Centerboard VS. fixed fin keel

• Thread starter jeepmark
• Start date Feb 25, 2006
• Forums for All Owners
• Ask All Sailors

Wondering what everybody's thoughts were on a shoal VS. fin keel setup. I did a search and didnt find anything effectively helping me. I'm looking at a Pearson 33 shoal draft with the centerboard, it seems like a great boat but what are the advantages and disadvantages of having this setup? I have a Tanzer 22 with a fixed fin keel and its great with no issues. thanksmark  

can have problems Years ago I had two friends with Irwin 25's with centerboards. Both had problems with the lanyard breaking. Maybe other/newer boats have solved this problem. There are a lot of Catalina 22's in our area and I've not heard of problems with their lanyards. Not sure lanyard is the right term, but I am referring to the line that raises the centerboard.  

center board I have an O'day 32 center cockpit which was made by Pearson. The boat has a fixed keel of 3.5 ft with a centerboard increasing depth to 7 ft. With all the sandbars in the area, the centerboard is great. benifits:  I can get into waist deep water. I can change the center of effort on the boat by adjusting the angle of the board. This adjusts weather helm.The boat is .5 kts faster with the keel up. I only need to drop the keel when winds exceed 15 kts so I can point better. Boat is more stable in high waves with keel down. The reel for the raising of the keel is easy to use (Wife can do it) and because it does not have "rods", it will raise if it takes a strike. The biggest advantage was during Hurricane Ivan when the boat washed up in someone's backyard, it stood on the keel (box wide at bottom) and did not flip over when the water went back out. This happened to both O'Day 32's that were at the same marina while others fell on thier side. Keel does slap side to side slightly in swells during off shore sailing. v/r Walt Schumann  

I recently purchased a Pearson P36-2 with a shoal draft and centerboard-4'2" to 8'. I sailed the boat only once during the sea trial and had the centerboard up the entire time due to shallow waters (south shore of Long Island). However, where I keep my boat on the north shore (deep water) an aquantance has a P39-2 that has the same set-up and he loves it. Performance wise, he says the boat is great and when he drops the centerboard, it points very well. On a reach he keeps the board up as it goes faster with less wetted area in the water. I have heard the same from others I have talked with prior to purchasing my new boat.I previously had a full keel (Cal 34 III) and was worried, however from all that I have talked with, I think I will be happy.Greg1986 P36-2 #101Four the Soul  

Centerboard performance We sailed for many years with a friend on his centerboard Bristol 40. Once for fun, we 'match raced' against a fixed keel version, even switching boats for a second match race.The centerboard version was probably a little better maintained, had a racing bottom finish and won both contests, though the fixed keel PHRF was faster 'on paper'.It's also a good point, sometimes not recognized, that one of the plus features of a centerboard boat is being able to swing the board up and adjust for weather helm.  

thanks Thanks for the input, the boat is too good of a deal to pass up now!  

Keel/centerboard I am awaiting delivery of a new Beneteau 323 with a lifting keel (technically not a centerboard because in addition to the lateral resistance it has a lot of weight to it that gives additional righting moment). I went for this setup because i need to clear a shallow sandbar to get to my dock and have plenty of water once past the bar. As with any additional mechanism, the centerboard does mean one more thing to go wrong, but if you sail in waters that make the shallow draft an advantage or a necessity, there is a lot to be said for it. Some of the greatest boats ever made were centerboard, like Hinckley's Bermuda 40. In a used boat just be very careful to inspect everything and make sure it freely operates.  

Dick Straubel

CB/Swing keel vs. fixed keel I haved owned fixed keel boats (Pearson Ariel), swing keel boats (Chrysler 22), and shoal draft/CB boats (O'Day 23, Montgomery 17, and O'Day 25). The Alberg designed Ariel was the best sailor of the lot -- greatest security in open water heavy weather, and greatest general sailing performance. In a perfect world I would own another Ariel. Since the world is not perfect and is filled with reefs and shallow water, the next best compromise is the shallow draft centerboard option. The ballast in internal and, as with a swing keel, not swinging from a vulnerable stainless pin. The light centerboard is externally hinged and provides lateral resistance when needed in open, deeper water.The O'Day shallow draft keel/CB compromise offers a safe, economical, trailerable configuration.  

heard bad things about center boards center boards have moving parts should inspect the pins/ wire every time you haul boat. I have heard of boards swinging down and cracking fiberglass trunks when something breaks.Also hear of the boards banging around when your trying to sleep.  

Really like mine The boat I have came in both centerboard and fixed keel versions, and I was looking for the FK, but found a nice CB version first and bought it with some misgivings. Now I really like it, though it was necessary to do some repairs to the board the first year. I pull the boat every year and check the cable and pin closely - in fact, the first year I made a replacement pin that has worked well. There is lead ballast in the shoal keel, so if you don't know the boat real well, you can't tell if the board is up or down. The only time I can really tell much difference is pointing, and even then the difference isn't too great. The benefits of being able to sail into shoaling water or to take her in waist deep for a bottom cleaning make it well worth the added complexity, and it's fun to have an extra tweak for trimming helm balance. But the biggie for me is being able to pull her relatively easily and bring her home - sure is nice to have her 100 ft from the back door.  

Ted Nice boat! I charted one in Belize. Twin rudders and twin bilge keels in addition to the lifting keel. We never had to work upwind, so I never lowered the keel, but what a nice boat.  

C/B fan centerboards are better than shoal draught keels. You can modify the lateral plane to balance the boat, board down draught can be very deep and if the board is properly shaped (like a spitfire's wing) upwind performance can be very good. the helm can be balanced easily by adjusting the board. when you need shallow you have it - along with most of the disadvantages of shallow draught but when you can be deep you have almost as good performance as with a deep fin.generally... some C/B boats are real dogs - but if done right you get the best of both worlds - oh BTW you do have to pay attention to them and service them occasionaly.  

• This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies. Accept Learn more…