Lifting Keel Technology
Lifting Keel TechnologyExplore where others Cannot
A Southerly’s trade mark variable draft keel enables the draft to be reduced to as little as 0.84m (3 feet). The opportunities are endless for accessing and exploring remote anchorages, harbours and inland waterways worldwide, without the draft restrictions imposed on other yachts.
A Southerly’s trade mark variable draft keel enables the draft to be reduced to as little as 0.84m (3 feet)
Shallow draft capabilities can save precious time when entering or leaving locked marinas or even crossing a shallow bar in some harbour entrances. When approaching shallow waters, the keel can simply be raised to avoid grounding, and killing time for a safe height of tide. Key benefit of the variable draft keel is not only shallow draft opportunities but also enhanced performance from a deep high aspect ratio keel when fully lowered.
In practise, the boat is stiffer as a result of the improved righting moment, therefore carrying her sail better than other yachts and carving her way efficiently to windward in a seaway. The keel’s aerofoil shaped cross section, with weight concentrated at the tip, is optimised for sailing to windward, allowing you to point as high as 30° apparent with minimal leeway.
The variable keel geometry allows the keel to be set at any position between fully raised and lowered, enabling the keel to be set and optimised according to your point of sail.
An example of this is having the keel fully raised when sailing downwind.
“ …Our sailing ground is going to be primarily the Bahamas, Caribbean and the gulf. A lot of that is shallow waters and marinas, one of the advantages of the Southerly is the variable draft keel. It is really cool that we can have a draft of less than a metre if we need it, it gives us the ability to get anywhere we want.”
Patrick – Southerly 420 Owner
