Keel Shape

Blue water cruisers are
designed to slice through waves
instead of bouncing over them.

Older full-keel boats were considered to be both slow and unresponsive to the helm.

More modern cruising vessels are designed with full foil keels, not full depth keels. The keels have a gentle entry followed by a run to the prop and rudder. The longer the keel, the less depth needed to provide directional stability.

Boats that track well (less travel to leeward) also need less power for the auto helm to stay on course.

The gentle entry also helps the boat to ride up on any obstacles encountered at sea. Less impact on the boat and less harm to large sea creatures.

Fin keels have a much steeper and deeper entry. The blue water cruiser to the upper right has a 5’4” draft while the coastal cruiser below may be as deep as 7+ feet.

Unlike a fin keel boat, the full foil keel boat does not tend to pivot around its keel in a following sea. This means greater controland less work for the helmsman.