WHAT ARE TWO TYPES OF KEELS?

• A. Wing keel and Pin keel
• B. Long keel and Fin keel
• C. Flat keel and Round keel
• D. Shallow keel and Deep keel

Answer: (B)

Keels come in two broad families that describe how the ballast and underwater shape affect how a boat holds its course and how it handles. A long keel runs along much of the hull, giving excellent directional stability and tracking. The boat tends to hold a straight line with relatively little helm input, which makes it very forgiving in rough seas and in heavy weather, but it’s slower to maneuver and doesn’t respond as quickly to a turn.

A fin keel is a short, deeper wedge under the boat. It provides a strong righting moment and much better upwind performance, plus quicker, more responsive steering. However, it can be more sensitive to helm and may require deeper water to avoid grounding.

So the two main types described here are long keel and fin keel. Some designs include variations like wing keels, but those are not the broad two-category distinction.