Shoal draft or regular

Boat handling, ideas, questions...
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markh77
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2016 2:12 pm

Shoal draft or regular

Post by markh77 »

I am looking to buy a Freedom 30. I have found a couple for sale. One is a shoal draft and the other the full. What are the performance differences? I will mostly be sailing on San Francisco bay, but some offshore. I wil be doing some singlehanded racing. The local phrf has a 5 second difference between the two. Any thoughts?

Thank you, Mark

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gamayun
Posts: 270
Joined: Thu Dec 06, 2012 9:14 pm

Re: Shoal draft or regular

Post by gamayun »

Welcome to FreedomYachts, Mark, and I hope you find your boat soon!! You and Mike Cunningham (who's on this forum) should also talk. He's in the Bay area and has an F30. I hope you have already been to some of our Singlehanded Sailing Society (SSS) meetings/events or at least know about the group. Between Mike's F30, my F-38, and soon yours, we'd almost have our own fleet of singlehanded Freedoms!

As to your question about keel, with our big wind (usually) on the bay and offshore, you'll want to have the deeper draft boat to help balance the pressure on the sails. If you think you might immediately buy the boat and head off for the Caribbean, however; then I'd suggest the shoal draft.

Take care,

Carliane
s/v Kynntana
Kynntana, Freedom 38

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gulfcoastsailor
Posts: 73
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2014 2:43 pm

Re: Shoal draft or regular

Post by gulfcoastsailor »

Without question, given your sailing area plus the racing component, you want the deeper stick. ;)
Chip

"Encore"
Freedom 32
1985 #72

markh77
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2016 2:12 pm

Re: Shoal draft or regular

Post by markh77 »

Thank you both for your replies. This is pretty much I thought. About the only time the shoal draft would be nice is in San Pablo bay trying to get out of the current.

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mike cunningham
Posts: 489
Joined: Sat Dec 20, 2008 11:21 am
Location: Jacqueline, F30 #3, Discovery Bay, California

Re: Shoal draft or regular

Post by mike cunningham »

Or the delta trying to avoid the mud....or not.

I have become an expert at grounding and extracting myself from mud. There, I admitted it.

Problem is my depth sounder reports to only one decimal place.

I have a shoal keel and agree with the standard keel would be best for the bay and our normal sailing venues.
Mike Cunningham
Freedom 30 (Mull) Hull #3
Build date...June, 1986 . Freedom Yachts USA, sloop, shoal keel
Gun Mount and pole retrofitted (purchased from a Hoyt Freedom 32)
Yanmar 2gm20F , 1600 hrs fixed two blade prop
e-rud and ocean racing equipment

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