[C320-list] fin vs. wing keel

[Allan S. Field]

It really depends what the bottom is and how hard you go in.  With 20 knots
of wind on the stern and motoring at 6 knots, we went into mud.  The wing in
this case acts like a sucking anchor; the boat was stuck until we got a tow.
Even tried kedging with an anchor and the boat never budged.  And you really
need to be careful trying to power off as all the muck the prop stirs up
comes up through the engine seawater intake and can foul things from there.
We have gone aground several other times but in soft stuff at lower speeds
and were able to get off, once with putting 6 of us leaning as far out as we
could to port to pop one side of the wing out of the mud.  For the
Chesapeake Bay, I think that a wing is the way to go, try to be careful, and
know you may need help if you do go in.  A fin on the Bay, at a 6-foot
draft, would further limit where we could get into.  On my previous boat, I
had a 4-foot draft with a fin and was able to use a spinnaker pole to push
off; there is no way I could do that with this heavier boat with a wing
keel.

And now the fun starts - why does Allan go aground so much?  Because he
sails a lot?!

Hope this helps.

Allan S. Field
Sea Shadow - #808
Columbia, MD

-----Original Message-----
From: c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com
[mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com] On Behalf Of Flyingmonkey
Sent: Saturday, October 29, 2011 11:15 AM
To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
Subject: Re: [C320-list] fin vs. wing keel

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."
>>>