To help other builders, please list the boat you are building in the Thread Subject -- and to conserve space, please limit your posting to one thread per boat.
Please feel free to use the gallery to display multiple images of your progress.
jasonmcintosh wrote: What I was wondering about is how wide the keel is just infront of the prop.
It is just right. I designed many boats with that type of keel, almost all larger than the TW28. In a 40', I had keels up to 3' wide.
There is more drag with a 4" wide ugly box than with a 48" wide nice NACA profile.
And the width at the stern gland is the same than with a "thin" keel.
Hi Macca,
Thx for all the pixs, every day I'm checking after new pics from your TW28. You are doing a fine job. Me too I will build one, but it will be a workboat version to fish and to troll on the north sea.
I wonder if its possible to build with twin keels together with the normal keel, we have a lot of sand banks here who come dry by low water, and there we go after the worms (or how do you call that in English ?)
Good luck and keep going
Wilfried
Wilfried, the TW28 can dry out with the tide on its wide keel, at an angle of max. 15 degrees, up to 25 degrees depending on the load.
I don't know where you would do that in Belgium except in Blankenberghe or in the Schelde estuary but it is great for some UK ports like all the ones around the Thames. And also Gravelines on the French side.
OK then.
There is a limit to the stability. Even with a high center of gravity, 15 degrees is fine. With all the weights low, let's say up to 25 degrees.
S.D. I used Autosketch to draw the keel bottom but I increased the dimensions by 25mm (1"). Emailed the file to a fabricator and two days latter it was delivered and fit perfectly.
I started the project on the 31st of August this year. I can't even guess the number of hours but I do know I'll be up to this stage in half the time with the next one.
Tomorrow, the 24th of Dec, I will be applying the first coat of Interprotect. I would like to get the second coat on the next day but the handbrake (wife) has put the foot down and insisted I spend xmas day at home.
I have posted a side view of the skeg on the gallery.
Great work, again. Thank you for the picture, bang on fit, you might argue, but, the underside finish is looking perfect. Not yet having benefit of the plan set yet (February), I'll apologize in advance for the ignorant and stupid questions I may bleat. The stainless and 25 millie over...did you have concerns over the design, or, see it as a bit of added comfort to the waters you'll be sailing?
I've been an AutoCad faithful from release beta -11, but will be re-upping with SolidWorks, also anticipating what you have employed as a very valuable tool in adapting design, improving fit, finish and schedule.
You mention the "next" one......are you looking at doing another?
Your bride is only looking out for your mutual best. I've begun to pay slightly more attention from the day that mine had paddle-locked my shop primary power switch, "OFF". While I applauded her cunning ingenuity, I was negotiated to improving the frequency of my personal hygiene, and, a few quiet dinners, with her. Power up.
Have a great Christmas day, keep up the great work on the '28.
What you are calling a skeg in the discussion is a keel shoe.
We don't show any in our plans. I prefer to design a heavy keel with lots of laminations.
It's a matter of personal preferences, some people like those keel shoes but they come from the time of wooden boats. On a fiberglass boat, I prefer to add fiberglass but this is your boat.
Those details can be customized to fit the builders preference, no problem.
I think Macca added 1" because the plans give the dimensions of the plywood. Add the heavy fiberglass laminations and the keel becomes 1" wider.
Next time, ask for a DXF. We are reluctant to give out complete plans in DXF but if we see that the builder needs a part in CAD for customization, we'll give it to him.