removing keels

[Flew]

Just looked at Paul Gatti's smooth baggy in the latest boat database. I've thought of removing the keels from my crusader 2, but wonder if they are structural. It was built by Paul Turner from Petersfield in the 80's. Any pointers in this direction?
Cheers
Chris 3300

[chalky]

a popoular subject with lots of earlier discussion. I took the "bilge keels" of my old Rowsell crusader very quickly and easily. The main keel was another matter. If the boat has a substantial hog then removing the keel should not be too much of a structural issue, but I am not providing a warranty! I started on 3232 but stopped when I hit the screws used to hold everything together during construction. Secondly removal of the keel may result in the need to modify the centreboard/pivot to ensure the board fits inside the boat when it is raised but I didn't get that far.....Good luck and be prepared to buy new blades for the planer.

[Tim Gatti]

Hi Chris - (it's Tim Gatti by the way)
There are some designs of 12's which you definitely shouldn't remove the keels from - a Tigress being one of them, as the hog and keel aren't sufficiently beefy to hold the boat together if components are removed.  Applying a lot of rig tension can then result in the hull starting to split apart. Not good.
John's (Chalky's) comments on his Crusader experience are a good guide - and it might be worth you searching the database for other posts on the subject of keel removal as a lot had been written on the subject over the years.
Good luck
Tim