[C320-list] fin vs. wing keel

[David Swanson]

We currently have the fin keel C320.

Before our C320, we had a wing keel Hunter 30.  We sailed our H30 throughout Puget Sound, the Sand Juan and Canadian Gulf Islands and Desolation Sound.  It had a 4-'3" draft.  We never really needed it as many of the anchorages that we used had plenty of water.  Even with a 12+ foot tidal range, if a  gunkholes was that shallow at low tide, it wasn't worth the hassle considering all of other choices for deeper water anchorage.

After we purchased our C320 several years ago, we sailed our C320 out of San Diego for 2 years and now sail her in the PNW.  Shallow keel not needed for SoCal.  It is not needed in the Puget Sound either.  Our fin keel C320 points much better compared to our wing keel H30.  

I like the summary about getting a deep draft fin keel for the west coast and a wing keel for the east coast where there are shallower water cruising grounds like the Chesapeake.  


For my money, it is a fin keel.  We love our C320 and her fin keel.

Dave

David Swanson
S/V Emily Ann
2007 C320 MK II, No. 1107
Mukilteo, WA 


On Oct 28, 2011, at 9:58 AM, Gene Helfman wrote:

> Dear all: In our ongoing search for a 320 (ca. 2000 +/-), we've run into a
> mixture of opinions on the qualities of the shallow vs. deep draft boats.
> We have a harbor and hoist situation in our home port that makes 6 ft draft
> problematic but not impossible.  Would anyone like to chime in on the costs
> and benefits of the wing keel boats (of which fewer were produced and are
> harder to find) vs. the deeper-draft fin keel boats?  We intend to cruise
> not race so faster turning isn't much of an issue.
> 
> thanks,
> gene
> -- 
> Gene Helfman, Professor Emeritus
> Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia
> PERMANENT address:
>    498 Shoreland Dr., Lopez Is., WA 98261
>    (360) 468-2136
>    genehelfman at gmail.com
> 
> "Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day,
> Teach a man to fish and he'll deplete the
>      oceans."
> 
> The Book of Bob, Ironies 24:7

David Swanson
kswanson123 at comcast.net