During the years I have owned my Alacrity I have encountered some different viewpoints as of what the difference really is between a twin-keeler and a bilge-keeler. The first position I encountered on this was quite a simple one: the expression twin-keeler is simply American English for what in the UK is called a bilge keeler.
Now there have been some new interpretations of the issue which have gotten a hold even among the British crowd: a twin-keeler is a more modern design with assymetric thin fin keels, in contrast to a bilge keeler which is an old design with thick lead (or concrete) filled keels, or even just bolted on plates of steel.
This article in Small Craft Advisor seems to take the second position, although with a twist. The author seems to imply that bilge keelers really are tripple keelers, that is normal keelboats with extra keels bolted on. Boats like the Debutante (i e "Sea Dart").
I think I may have to differ. There has, of course, been some development among the multi-keeled craft during the decades they have been produced. However, if there is a clear distinction between species it has to be based on the number of keels and not the shape of them.
The modern twin-keeler with assymetric thin blade keels is merely a natural development of my Alacrity, exactly like the modern fin keeled cruising yacht is a development of the mighty old long keeler. In fact, development does parallell in the centerboard range of boats. Twin centerboard boats surely are a development of the single centerboard boat and not, as would be a consequence of the developing keel theory, a futuristic form of bilge-keeler.
I still think the different expressions are to be blamed on differences between American and British English and thus should not be confused for inherently different kinds of keel shapes. An assymetric bilge keeler is the same thing as an assymetric twin-keeler and neither of them has more in common with a tripple keeled Debutante than the ability of being able to take the ground at low tide.
P.S. This theory would be reinforced by the fact that there seems to be only one translation for both twin and bilge keelers into Swedish and German.
1 comment:
Phew, I think I understand!
To me it's a lot simpler. A twin keeler has 2 keels be they fixed or variable. Older twin-keelers like the the Alacrity have fixed twin keels replacing the traditional single fin keel to allow the boat to take the ground and usually give less draught. These were originally called bilge keelers because the twin keels, normally ballasted, were located near the turn of the boat's bilge, usually but not always, angled out slightly so that the leeward keel was near vertical with the boat heeled. Twin keels, not necessarily placed strictly in the bilge area, can now be found in many modern cruising yachts and particularly in racers, where they can be lowered and raised hydraulically in vertical trunks. Cruisers usually have a pivoted swinging arrangement similar to the traditional centreboard. Triple keelers traditionally had 'bilge keels' combined with a central stub keel containing most of the boat's ballast. The racers mentioned above are also triple keelers and have a deep canting high aspect ratio fin keel in addition to the variable twin keels.
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