[C320-list] Cracking in sump area and the Wing Keel debate

[Warren Updike]

Wing keels don't point so well.  45-50 deg. is about the best I can do.  Perhaps if the rig were tuned better or I had a back stay adjuster I might do better.  Also, newer sails might perform better upwind.  However, the boat makes up for it's upwind issues when running.  

Here on the Chesapeake Bay where there are lots of shallows, the wing keel is the best bet.  There was a full keel in Annapolis that an ex-Californian was trying to sell for nearly two years.  6 foot drafts are hard to sell here.  That being the case, it is said there are only two kinds of sailors on the Chesapeake: Those who have run aground, and those waiting to go aground.  Fortunately, most bottoms here are soft to firm mud (read goo.)  Rarely will one bottom out on rocks.  I have never had a hard ground under full sail.  It's usually when motoring in an anchoring situation.  So, I have no real experience to offer other than to say that I've not heard of any complaints or issues with the wing keel or it's hull joint.  It's been a great boat for us.

Warren & Pattie Updike
C320, #62, 1994, "Warr De Mar"
Frog Mortar Creek, Middle River
Chesapeake Bay