Idea on custom non swing keel for V21

[stone_love]

at first i had the idea of a short stub fixed keel on the bottom of my v21....1 because i hate cranking the keel up and down when i'm in my current lake and 2 because winching the keel up and down requires lots of servicable moving parts that i just don't want to worry about.

The more i pondered about making a 2-2.5ft fixed keel with a bulb on it the more I started thinking of isses with "crabbing". and issue that i'm not currently having with my custom swing keel. My custom made swing keel starts off at stock with dimensions but I made her wider the last 5 ft to add a little additional weight making her more function more like a full keel in a fully retracted position. (keep in mind my V-21 is actually an old W/21 so the keel doesn't retract into a trunk, the keel looks more like a q shape and only the round part pivots inside a small trunk.

So the idea hit me...make about a 6ft shoal keel with it's deepest point being about 2...maybe 2.5 ft below the hull of the boat, keeping 85-90% of the weight directly under the mast and the rest of the keel filled with concrete....thus keeping the weight the same as well as retaining as much of the counter weight as possible in case of a roll over.

Depinding on your model V21 the weights i've been told of the OEM keels were between 400-450, mine was 350...and with no keel lock bolt...also the pivot bolt was only 3/8


so...forgive my really awful ms paint skills, but this is my general idea of what the keel i want will look like

[stone_love]

I'll be anchoring the main portion of the keel inside the keel trunk using 2 high grade 5/8 stainless bolts.


as for the rear I will be using the keel winch cable to hold up the rear so i'll still have a few items that will need serviced on a regular basis.


any pointers/advice on shaping keel or how to make molding for it would be appreciated.

I'm thinking maybe 3" wide, about 6ft long.

make the fiberglass outer shell one piece with the top left open, I will use a 1/2 steel plate to run as a skeleton inside keel in U shape from the support for the keel winch cable and then going forward where it raises up from the keel and into the keel trunk housing.

Then it will be filled in with a mixture of concrete and recoverd (recycled) lead shot.

all metal will be por-15 treated then epoxied before being installed inside keel.


once inside is poured i can then fill in the top of the fiberglass with epoxy and more fiberglass as well as fiberglassing in the the shell with will be inserted up inside the keel trunk housing.

I'm thinking of making the molding for the keel shape using wood and metal porch screen to i can get a descent foil shape at the front and rear of the keel but any other ideas/recomendations will be appreciated.

[RobertB]

Do you ever intend to trailer the boat? If not, a fixed keel could work. Second, how do you intend to mount the fixed keel? Are you going to pull the floor and beef up the hull to create robust attachment points? Have read recent articles in either Practical Sailor or Wooden Boat discussing changes required when changing the type of keel (most often this relates to changing the type of fixed keel) and how you need to be able to not only mount the keel but be able to withstand grounding/collisions without loosing the keel or damaging the hull. Just because you can mount a keel does not mean the hull structure can support and distribute the load in a collision.

Caution, a fixed keel is very different than a swing keel and I would strongly caution about trying to use the same mount points.

[stone_love]

after another try with ms paint...this is more the shape i want

[stone_love]

With the keel having its lowest point at 2-3 ft it will fit on my trailer with only raising the bunks a few inches. as for launching i launch with a lifted fj40..
I can back until the tthe front bumper is in the water.


i won't be adding weight to the keel above what i have now. The weight of about 400 pounds is still distributed between the same two oemlocations so i hope this is not an issue.

[DanInCanton]

Old Mac's are famous for developing deformed hulls around the trailer bunks if the centerboard isn't lowered to rest on the trailer frame--the hull is just too flexible to support the full weight of boat and ballast resting only on the bunks for a prolonged period of time. Also, the factory literature clearly states that the boat is not considered self-righting unless the centerboard is down all the way and locked in place. While I love insanely ambitious mods, I think you're looking at a project with too many downsides. Just sayin'.

If you're looking for a shoal draft keel boat, take a look at the O'Day 22 and 23. I had one for a few years and loved the sailing characteristics and balance. I'll bet you could pick one up for less than you'd spend modifying your Venture.

[stone_love]

the mods are not all that pricey unless you count your labor...about 50 bucks worth of concrete...i already have the epoxy resin left over from building my first keel and fiberglass material is pretty cheap. I'll have maybe 200 bucks in it before it's said and done with the purchase of scrap lead for the weight.

As for the trailer...the trailer was built for a tri hull power boat now modified for my sailboat....a little modification to support the keel weight will be the least of my worries!!!


I don't trailer much. I keep her moored on the lake.

It's just an idea i'm tossing around.

To be honest with you, in case of a knock down, i'm not sure that even with a fully locked keel she would self right. The hatch does not form any kind of an air tight seal. Once upside down she would immediatly take in water, not having a keel stepped mast i also wonder if the force of a roll over would not also de-mast a venture with fiber glass some 40+ years of age.

Either way...i'm looking for cheap alternatives for those of use with really nice boats that suffer from a less than ideally designed keel that usually lands some really great sailboats in scrap yards. Some sailboat owners will have to pay more for a custom keel, not everyone can work with fiberglass or has the facilities to build molds for this type of work. So costs will vary greatly on these mods.