KEELS

1. No moving parts. One less

thing to operate or break. 2. If you ground the keels they’re easily – and usually inexpensively – repaired. 3. You can chock the boat more easily on the hard and it is easier to beach in some circumstances. 4. They cost less to fabricate. 5. You get more room midships for additional cabinetry. 6. The keels add a bit of buoyancy. On a 526 the keels are large and mostly hollow. 7. Daggerboards are typically a bit heavier. On the 526 each board and trunk weigh about 25kg more than a keel. 8. When not under load, poorly-designed boards and trunks may rattle. Keels don’t rattle.

ABOVE The Laggon 42 is typical of a production cat equipped with keels. RIGHT A pair of Balance 526 cats was used for the comparison study. BELOW One disadvantage of the daggerboard – it may rattle in its trunk.