[C320-list] fin vs. wing keel

[BAdams3491 at aol.com]

I've been aground once in my C320.  The boat was in forward,  at an idle 
with the sails down.  Put it in reverse immediately and powered  off...bottom 
was hard.
 
Bert
At Ease
#442
 
 
In a message dated 10/29/2011 10:15:38 A.M. Central Daylight Time,  
lou at flyingmonkey.im writes:

I'd like  to hear from those who have actually experienced a grounding with 
the wing  keel. This is my first wing keel vessel and I'd like to know what 
to expect  when it happens. I'm a realist when it comes to these things. 
There are those  who have run aground and those who have not "yet" run 
aground.  

Thanks,
Lou Hodac
S/V Blue Moon
Hull#702

Sent from my  iPhone

On Oct 29, 2011, at 11:00 AM, Andrew Santangelo  
<andrew_santangelo at mac.com> wrote:

> Hello All,  
>  
> I would also add the fin keel works for most of the great  lakes.  We had 
some close calls in the Kalamazoo River in Saugatuck off  Lake Michigan, 
otherwise the fin keel also works great in this region.   
> 
> The big issue is if you plan to race your vessel at all and  want a 
chance to place you really need to go to the fin keel - the pointing  ability and 
carrying less mass is a huge difference.  Now I cruised  extensively all 
over the great lakes before racing and I still cruise quite a  bit and I have 
to say pointing better towards my destination and going a tad  faster to 
beat some coming weather is an added boost I love. I have also see a  few wing 
keels run aground.  It is not pretty getting off vs. a fin  keel.    When 
sailing in shallow water, I really try to avoid  cutting it close regardless 
of fin or wing keel.  Of course that is what  GPS, chart plotters and tide 
charts are for.
> 
> Regarding west  coast sailing since I did the massive move/shipping of 
Dawn Treader to SFO -  lots of wind, you fly with the tides (weather you want 
to or not), and a fin  keel is totally fine.
> 
> Best Regards,
> Andrew 
>  
> C320
> "Dawn Treader"
> #333
> San  Francisco
> 
> 
> 
> On Oct 29, 2011, at 9:03 AM, Brad  Kuether wrote:
> 
>> If you can sail comfortably in your waters  without worrying about going 
aground get the fin.  The performace  difference is remarkable.   But if 
you have any doubt on depth, you  open up a LOT of options with the wing.  And 
to be honest, I move along  OK.  (folding prop really helps here...) 
Pointing is a different  matter.  I find with the 150 up front and sheeted in 
tight, I do better,  but nothing great.
>> 
>> My prior C&C had a 5'4" fin,  and that was boarderline.  I did OK in the 
upper Chesapeake.  Some  anchorages were out of scope.
>> 
>> 6 feet plus under a  Catalina 320?  No way.  Not here.
>> 
>> -Brad,  Mary, Monica, and Jarod
>> "Independence"
>> 2004 Catalina  320 Hull 1006
>> Middle River, MD
>> 
>> PS - First  snowfall of the season has begun in earnest.  Its supposed 
to be bright  and sunny with highs still in the low 60s!!!!!!
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Chris Burti"  <clburti at gmail.com>
>> To:  <C320-List at catalina320.com>
>> Sent: Friday, October 28, 2011  1:15 PM
>> Subject: Re: [C320-list] fin vs. wing keel
>>  
>> 
>> The simplest rule of thumb is for East Coast  cruising...get a wing
>> keel...West Coast, a fin is  fine.
>> 
>> There is simply too much thin water South of  Norfolk not to take
>> advantage of the extra foot of  clearance..
>> 
>> On Fri, Oct 28, 2011 at 12:58 PM, Gene  Helfman <genehelfman at gmail.com> 
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."
>>>