THE FINAL WORD

I call this missive this because there is a combined 80 years of boating
experience going into the answer.  My credentials and those of the parties
consulted include this experience, and mine is the boat that LS supposes Sr.
Krause's boat has been based on.  So here goes it:

There are three kinds of keels, and the scenario is likely with only two.
They are - single-hulled (the keel is part of the hull), bolted-keel (the
keel is bolted on to the hull), and swing-keel (the keel swivels down via a
crank in the cockpit).

The boat that LS and I are supposing Joe is referring to is a single hull,
whose keel WILL NOT, under any circumstances, be separated from the boat in
the conditions described.  The entire weight of the boat is sent to the
hull - which is NOT "ballast" as one person supposed, but truly is merely
for balancing the boat, as someone else pointed out.  In a single hull
design, often all the ballast IS located in the keel, but because of the
build of the hull, if it crashed into a reef, it's the reef that's going to
need insurance, not the boat.

In the bolted-keel and swing-keel models, however, the keel COULD come off,
and thus the boat would indeed capsize (tip over, for all you landlubbers).
However, it would take a minimum of a good 30-50 knots of force (ie a very
bad storm, or operating under motor power beyond the capabilities of any
NORMAL sailboat engine) in order to remove the keel via crashing into a
reef.  However, since the keels on both these designs are seperate from the
hull, they can and will come off under the proper amount of pressure.  Two
quick notes about this, though - 1, if the boat is a swing-keel, they would
run aground under sail power and not damage the keel unless in a bad storm;
furthermore the keel can be cranked back up in order to adjust for the depth
of the water in that area (this process really sucks).  2, duly note
emphasis on the word "normal;" it is quite within Kuno's machista (sp, Joe?)
attitude to install a much bigger engine than needed to propell the boat in
calm seas.

If the sea were calm, by the way, there is no chance whatsoever the would
run aground with enough force to tear off the keel.  Calm seas exist only in
conditions when there's not a lot of wind, but anything over about 5 knots
will produce waves, and anything under about 10 knots is unsuitable for
sailing; they'd have to motor.

As I said, this is based on many years experience, and not any kind of
research excepting observation.  One last note on the credentials above
listed, though - I have 20 years sailing experience, 7 of it in a swing
keel, the rest in a single-hull, and once we participated with the
single-hull in a rescue of passengers - who, incidentally, will not fall off
the boat if it runs aground that badly  - from a bolt-keeled boat that had
lost its keel.  The owner of my boat has been a sailboat racer since she was
about 9 or 10, and and sails to this day (at age 50-something); most of the
above was gleaned from discussion with her.  I hope this settles this
dispute for everyone.

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