> Hi Judy et al:
> First of all, condolences on your recent mishap. As an accomplished oyster
> bar basher, I share your pain. However ,since you are accomplished at
> fiberglassing and embarking on a major repair endeavor, why not take it one
> step farther and design, build and install a true swing keel. Lengthing
> the keel slot to approximate the cabin headroom dimension would allow a
> fully retractable ¼ circle keel that would pivot about a bolt at the
forward
> end. When down, the keel would be supported laterally by the trunk walls,
> so flutter shouldn't be a problem. Properly weighted, such a keel would
> allow some degree of retraction for improved downwing performance without
> raising the CG to the extent that raising the current dagger board does.
> Just a thought,
> Mac Davis, Kelpie, WWP19#804, Aripeka, Fl
HI Mac,
That's an interesting idea, but I see a few problems with it.
One, I'd have to pay for a new keel, a rather expensive item.
Secondly, a swing keel on a Potter would be experimental, and I'd probably
end up putting hundreds of hours into figuring out the design, and even then
I' probably have to do the job at least twice to get it right. Why do that
when I can copy a proven design right from Jerry's boat? I just want to fix
it once and NEVER have to worry about it again.
As for adding a swing keel, the Potter 19 is a proven performer as a
centerboard keel boat. I'd shy away from changing a basic design cmponent
like the keel.
I've already spent well over a thousand hours restoring Redwing to bristol
condition and customizing her -- she is, without a doubt, the most
tricked-out P19 in the whole country and everthing (except her keel
keeltrunk) is bullet-proof for low maintenance and piece of mind.
I want to enjoy the fruits of my labor from now on. I want to sail her, not
work on her!
Fair winds,
Judy B