Venture Keel

Posted By: Mel
Date: 4/29/09 6:52a.m.

Report: outside forum guidelines

In Response To: Venture keel (Sailsman Bill)

You haven't said what year the boat is. Your description matches my 1968 keel which was a steel tang 5/8 thick, 5" wide (about), and around 6' long. Lead at the bottom. The steel was surrounded by wood and the whole thing glassed over that. It was not faired - just rounded fore and aft - a terrible excuse for a keel shape. I have a detailed drawing of it with all dimensions from MacGregor. The drawing is labeled "obsolete". Its easy to see why. If your boat is that vintage it may be what you are seeking. I would have to draw it in Paint to send it email or can mail a copy. If you are interested lemme know which. Even in Black-n-White I doubt if I could get the Paint file small enough load on this forum. If you are going to work it over anyway that drawing probly wouldn't be more than interestng reading- if that. Believe me any roughly faired and eyeballed keel would be better than that original POS. To rebuild it yersef about all you really need to know is that the wood blade was 11" measured normal to the leading edge and, since it deploys swept back 30º, the distance along the stream line would be 12.7020785219399" ie 11/Cos30.