Keel Shape or No Keel

[Mud Bug]

I'm overhauling my 18 foot, 1969 Otca. I do not like how a canoe handles with a keel in a river, which is mostly where I paddle, but I do like the protection it gives, especially when lifting over a deadfall. So... I either want to leave the thing off or make a new one with a different shape that allows the water to slide under it better--maybe like a wide, low triangle. Any thoughts? I'm sure I'm not the first to do this (obviously). Did different companies, builders, offer different shapes for different conditions? "River" keels and "lake" keels maybe?

If I were not to put a keel on it, there'd be holes where the screws were. I'm considering cutting some screws off and glewing them into the holes so they're plugged and look better. I'm sure some of you fellas have left the keels off on your rebuilds. How've you dealt with the holes?

I'd like to hear what folks have to say about the pros and cons of keels and people's opinions on this little matter. (Of course, maybe there's a thread about this already that I haven't found.) Please share your wisdom, preferably before I botch this up and do something I'll regret.

Mud

 

[Benson Gray]

One option is a 'shoe keel' like the one shown at https://forums.wcha.org/attachments/38705/ for example. Keels have been discussed here quite a bit over the years so the search function should get you plenty of opinions. Keel questions often seem like a religious topic for many people so I generally avoid the subject. I'm basicly agnostic on this issue and own canoes with and without keels. The short summary is that keels can be some help if you expect to be hauling a canoe up on a dock alone, sliding over big exposed logs in a small stream, sailing, or learning the "J" stroke. They also provide a bit of extra strength to the hull. The down sides are that keel screws occasionally leak in old canoes, keels add weight, and can make quick turns more difficult. The leak issues can be resolved by replacing the bedding compound. An experienced paddler can usually handle a canoe with or without a keel. Removing a keel from a canoe that was originally built with one raises an additional question about the holes in the ribs from the keel screws. These can be filled with wooden plugs, cut off screw heads can be glued in, or they can simply be ignored. All of these things come down to personal preferences in my experience.

Benson

 

[MGC]

Oh boy...keels. I think you will find plenty of discussion about this topic. Some of us love them and some of us hate them.
I'm more in line with your assessment about the affect on handling. I don't like it. As bad as they are in a river, I think they are even worse on a lake where you are trying to angle across whitecaps.
I'm not entirely convinced that they offer significant protection, but I don't think I'm in the majority on that.
My rule of thumb has been, if the boat is a "classic" and was built with a keel, I replace the keel.
If I build from scratch, no keel.
If the boat is one that I will use for rivers and tripping, no keel, as long as it is not a classic.
There is one style of keel that I like. The shoe keel that I have on my Chestnut does not interfere with paddling, but it does offer some protection.
The shoe keel has been around for a real long time. Howie's very early Rushton Indian has a shoe keel. If I were in your situation, I'd give that serious thought. The issue will be the holes will not line up correctly. A shoe keel is mounted with off-center screws. You could still use the existing holes but you will need to add more.
WRT the open holes if you leave it off, some folks put short screws into the holes just as fillers.

It looks like Benson either types more quickly, started sooner or both. Whatever the case, I agree with his post.
Mike

 

[Mud Bug]

I never thought about a keel messing with you when you're tring to cut across waves, Mike. That's not the kind of water I've ever seen. My gripe is you can't cut across a current without fighting a whole lot of resistance, and that can be lethal. My dad wrecked his '46 Yankee when that happened to him and my mom on a not-so-fast river. They came around a bend, got cross-ways and sucked into a deadfall which stuck a limb through the hull, making an eight inch hole. We fixed it, but it wasn't pretty.

I pulled the keel off my '36 Yankee before I began its overhaul and when I really didn't care about that old beater. (Half its ribs were broken.) It handled so much better, just slipping over the water any way I wanted it to go, with almost no risk of being swept where I didn't want. Well, on a tame river anyway.

I really like the look of that shoe keel, Benson. It's thinner than I'd imagined. I was thinking of a thicker, triangular piece; but that flatter would make even less side drag. Hmmm. Thanks.

I had a leak in my Chestnut B.S. right in the center. I checked the screws, and almost every one was loose. Who thought it was a good idea to drill holes through the canvas? That keel is screwed to every rib (and it has extra ribs) for added strength, I suppose. That one'll get a keel of some shape when I redo it, but I'm working on the Otca now.

 

[MGC]

You hit the nail on the head. The worst moments (for me) of any rebuild is when you start punching holes through your perfect canvas to install a keel.
The keel can be helpful on a big lake if you are setting a line that is with the waves and wind. If you are trying to counter those, it's effect is the same as it would be in a river, a barnacle on the balls of progress.