| The Seaward 26RK is a boat unlike any other. Because her keel and rudder adjust vertically, she has a unique personality, and surprising sailing abilities. The first thing you should know is that her draft varies from fifteen inches to six feet . The keel can be positioned anywhere within its range so you're able to adjust draft to suit the water depth and wind conditions you're sailing in. The keel is electrically powered and moves vertically much like a daggerboard and is controlled from the cockpit. It has it's lead ballast in a 'torpedo' bulb at its lower tip where it can have the greatest impact on the boat's stability. The rudder is adjusted vertically as well and provides excellent control in all water depths. While the high aspect ratio keel is acknowledged to be the perfect performance shape, it's downside, until the Seaward 26RK, has been its lack of versatility. A conventional high aspect fin keel required that you do your sailing in deep water, keep your boat in a slip, and have it lifted onto a trailer when transporting. We've changed all that. At the other end of the spectrum are boats specifically designed for shallow water sailing. They typically have low aspect keels (long in the fore-and-aft dimension, and short in the vertical dimension) that have enough wetted surface to slow down two boats, and shallow keels so that no meaningful leverage can be gained by their ballast to keep them on their feet. We've changed all that as well. Almost any sailboat can be trailered. The reality is that most trailerable boats, once in the water, aren't very good sailors. That's due to their designer's emphasis on ease of towing and launching at the expense of performance and stability. Consequently, when most people think of trailerables, what comes to mind are lightly-built boats that don't distinguish themselves on the water. We're almost hesitant to mention our boat's excellent trailerability for fear of guilt by association. We're not them. Our boat is an excellent trailerable because of our keel, not in spite of it. And it performs quite nicely. It sails close to the wind, stands up to its sail plan, has good speed, is stable at rest, and is a pleasure to sail. We're confident you'll see her just as we do... a great 26 footer that does it all, and does it well. She's comfortable in cockpit and cabin and well suited for a young family or mature couple, with sleeping accommodations for two adults and two children. Below decks she's bright, airy and straightforward. She has eight opening ports and a v-berth deck hatch. On deck, things are uncomplicated and user friendly. Sail control lines are lead to the cockpit, and side decks are wide and secure. |
