One of the things I’ve been contemplating, is whether a bolted on keel is preferable or whether one that is molded in to the hull would be the best. When I first started thinking about this I immediately came to the conclusion that a molded in version would be safer and easier to maintain. My rationale was that if there are no bolts, than there is nothing to go wrong, say when you’re cruising along at seven knots on a moonless night over three miles of Pacific Ocean and some dumb whale didn’t bother to check your chart plotter before settling down for his evening nap! Now I realize that there may still be the chance of some hull damage when my 10 ton boat hits a 200 ton blue whale, but at least my keel would still keep the sailboat mostly upright while we check out the situation. The other thing happening that I could envision is the rusty bolts turning to dust over the previously mentioned three miles of sea. Not getting warm, fuzzies here.
But alas nothing in life is free. Upon further research, I’ve discovered that there are some problems that can occur with a molded-in ballasted keel as well. The main thing is that the ballast material, say lead, can become separated from the hull material. So far, I haven’t found out what calamity this can cause, but I am quite positive it isn’t good. One thing I have found out is that repairing it would be a big job. I read this to mean expensive and I’m still waiting to hit the lotto. Expensive does beat sinking into the abyss, but one has to be practical as well. I mean, you can inspect the keel bolts regularly and make the necessary repairs as needed, while still not a cheap option, it should be more manageable. And, I’ve not run across one whale incident on Lake Pepin on the upper Mississippi where I hope to be sailing my next perfect sailboat. At least, that is, till we retire and move on to the bigger, whale infested waters of our dreams.
So for now, I am of the opinion that each one has benefits and liabilities and as long as you become familiar with the idiosyncrasies of the keel your boat has, and perform regular checks and maintenance, then that is the best you can do.
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