T&T: bilge keels (was Anti-Rolling CHOCKS for 45' Defever)

[John Blackburn]

I've got a 44 DeFever and she's rolly.  My concern with bilge keels (and 
I got a degree in Naval Architecture back when we used slide ruls.  No 
Computers!) all cargo ships and most Naval vessels had bilge keels, even 
tankers, though I always wondered why you would even worry when your 
hull looked like a  2 x 4 floating on its side.... but if you're getting 
hauled out by a carry all, wouldn't a great proporation of the weight of 
the boat (in my case 22 tons!) be carried in the sling on those 2 x 4's 
glassed onto the turn of the bilge, right where you would want a bilge 
keel.  That's why I never followed up, because putting them on was the 
first thing I thought about when I took a stiff wake on the beam.  I'm 
looking at a picture of my boat up on the hard and I've always wondered 
where I would put them?  She's realllllllly round!

I just thought of all the internal structure I would want to beef up the 
bilge and dropped the thought.  The only other option would be to make 
the bilge keel discontinous and establish a " put slings here" area.  
That's two breaks in the keel.  Not too sure what it would do to crusing 
speed or fuel consumption but it couldn't be good.

A steel hull would be no problem, I would think.

I sure want to see Bob's setup.

John Blackburn
44 DeFever "Yak Rack"
Deale, MD