Choosing and buying a sailboat, whether for cruising or racing, requires selecting the type of appendage that will equip your boat. This means choosing between a keelboat and a dinghy, as well as a twin-keel or other options. The type of keel or centerboard you choose will impact your sailing program, boat storage, marina berth, maintenance, and comfort at sea.
Choosing a sailboat also means choosing the type of ballast and appendage. You won’t be able to do the same things with a deep-draft keelboat (2m draft) as you would with a full centerboard sailboat that can motor in just 50cm of water. You can run aground with a twin-keel or swing keel boat, which isn’t possible with a fixed keelboat or even a lifting keel.
At the same time, whether you choose a keelboat, a dinghy, or any other type of appendage, it will also have an impact on your sailing. The heavier and lower the ballast, the stiffer the boat will be under sail. This results in greater comfort at sea and better speed. That’s why a deep keel, also known as a GTE (Grand Tirant d’Eau) version, will perform better than its shallow draft (PTE) counterpart. It’s also why a sailboat with a lifting keel will outperform a ballasted dinghy.
To make your choice, you need to consider all possible situations, both at sea and at anchor. Since choosing a boat is always about compromise, you’ll have to balance speed, comfort, and versatility. You’ll also need to consider your mooring or marina berth, as some moorings have restrictions. To help you decide which type of ballast is best suited to your sailing program, let’s explore the different options below.
Full Centerboard for Grounding or Transport
For long cruises, this type of appendage is often sought after. Indeed, at anchor, a full centerboard allows you to get as close as possible to the shore, anchor in shallow waters, run aground on a flat surface, easily step ashore, or beach on a sandy shore, etc.
At the same time, the full centerboard is an excellent choice for a small trailerable sailboat. It makes launching easier by sliding more smoothly on the trailer.
While sailing, its performance, especially upwind, will be less efficient compared to a keelboat (fixed or lifting), as the ballast is higher, making it less stiff under sail. Currently, the market offers various types of full centerboard sailboats (Feeling, Ovni, etc.).
Ballasted Dinghy, the Compromise for Tidal Ports
If you opt for a dinghy, you can choose between a full centerboard or a ballasted dinghy. The ballasted dinghy is a compromise between a keelboat and a full centerboard. It offers a movable anti-drift plane while keeping the ballast relatively low. However, in my opinion, the ballasted dinghy hasn’t proven its worth in sailing. Its lower performance compared to a keelboat and the inability to run aground flat make it far from my first choice.
Additionally, the ballast is located quite high in the keel, which doesn’t help maintain stiffness under sail. Jeanneau has built many ballasted dinghy sailboats, as have other series based on specific designs.
Keelboat, for Simplicity
The keelboat is the type of appendage that generally offers the best performance. Its advantages include stability, upwind capability, and ease of navigation. While movable ballasts require additional mechanical checks, a fixed keel only needs its bolts inspected occasionally.
However, a fixed keel with a draft of 2m or even 2.50m can quickly become a handicap in areas with strong tidal ranges or for those seeking remote anchorages.
There are several types of keelboats, and thus several types of keels for boats. In addition to traditional cast iron straight keels found on most sailboats, some keels are ballasted with a bulb. This design lowers the center of gravity, improves course stability, and enhances overall stability.
This bulb can come in two different shapes: a classic shape, oriented backward, or a torpedo shape used on racing sailboats, which is the most efficient.
Lifting Keel, Reduced Draft and Performance
A sailboat with a lifting keel is an increasingly popular solution among shipyards aiming to meet the demand for shallow drafts while maintaining performance. It is indeed an excellent alternative to a fixed keel. Lifting keels are appreciated for their performance: well-ballasted sailboats with profiles that can be used to balance the boat.
The downside of this type of ballast is mainly in the event of grounding. While a centerboard will retract on its own, a lifting keel risks breaking or at least damaging its mechanism. This mechanism often consists of a screw or hydraulic system for a pivoting or daggerboard keel. Currently, sailboats with lifting keels are often offered by shipyards like Structure with its Pogos or the new Djangos from Marée Haute. Bénéteau has been offering this option on its First range for 40 years.
Swing Keel, for Racing Enthusiasts
The swing keel is a solution used on some sailboats as an alternative to the lifting keel. It has the advantage of retaining a bulb, thus lowering the center of gravity. At the same time, its mechanism is simpler than that of a lifting keel.
However, on smaller sailboats, it has the disadvantage of splitting the saloon in two when raised, as is the case with the First 27.7. Additionally, grounding is riskier than with a full centerboard.
Twin Keel, Star of the English Channel
The twin keel became popular in Brittany, the English Channel, and Great Britain in the 1980s. It allowed boats to run aground flat with a relatively shallow draft and without a keel mechanism. The most renowned French shipyard was Wrighton with its Biloup, but Bénéteau also offered twin-keel fishing-cruising boats with its Evasion range.
However, it must be acknowledged that the performance of twin-keel boats was very limited, and their upwind capability was poor. Things have changed in recent years with the arrival of much more efficient twin-keel boats like the Django or the RM 800. Shipyards have succeeded in this challenge with architects like Marc Lombard or Pierre Rolland.
The English went even further in the 1970s by offering sailboats with three keels. The central keel was accompanied by two side keels to improve grounding stability and seaworthiness. This was not a great success.
Winged Keel, to Minimize Draft
The first sailboats equipped with a winged keel appeared in the 1980s. The goal was to minimize the draft of sailboats. To achieve this, the keel profile was modified by adding two small wings on each side. It was also thought that this new profile could improve the boat’s performance, especially when heeling. The system was tried in racing, without much success.
On the other hand, for cruising, this choice is quite relevant. A sailboat with a winged keel will perform better than a ballasted dinghy or a full centerboard while offering a reduced draft at anchor and during navigation. French shipyards like Bénéteau or Jeanneau offer a few models equipped with this keel. For example, the Oceanis 320. Another example is the Feeling 286, which offers a draft of 1.10m for an 8.40m sailboat.
Canting Keel
The canting keel is not the most common type of ballast found on pleasure boats. This type of ballast is mainly intended for racing boats. Canting keels are often found on sailboats in the IMOCA class, for example.
The principle is to optimize the boat’s torque and trim by moving the keel to the side opposite the heel. At the same time, the canting keel saves time when reducing sail area.