Agreed. A steering aid to hold a straight course. Some shallow bottom sailboats have a 2nd lifting keel in the stern area that stabilizes the steering. Some usa built Albins also have fin at stern that also holds the prop shaft. Cheers Warren
In the category of un related , .... What is your opinion of stainless steel anchors ? I have heard they are too smooth and prone to drag in soft bottoms. I was anchored out last night with a strong current and brisk winds . Muddy bottom . Anchor held fine for a couple hours . Went below to get something to eat . Within 15 minutes the anchor had come loose and I was hitting a bridge that had been a mile away .. Minor scrape in the hull and a crushed rub rail . So I got very lucky . Probably part my fault but wondering about the ss anchor
Stainless steel has nothing to do with how it holds. The design and weight of the anchor, the water bottom and your scope will ultimately determine holding ability (or not). We prefer Ultra, M2 or Vulcan. Holds in almost anything with proper scope.
@@AskCaptainChris I had about 30 feet of line out in about 10 feet of water .. just trying to figure out what went wrong so I don't repeat. It's a very narrow entrance to the marina I was going to , so I figured anchor out and head in in day light
@@walterdavis4808 doesn’t seem like you had enough scope. Maybe 2:1? In normal overnight conditions we recommend 7:1 ratio but you also need to count the distance from the water bottom (depth) to the anchor pulpit including the air space from the top of the water surface to where it connects to your boat. In strong wind or current we recommend even more scope. Here’s a 90 minute anchoring video that could help- rent it for 72hrs or buy it and have your crew watch too. www.captainchrisyachtservices.com/boat-handling-videos/anchoring-with-confidence/