Lift the keel.
S&J Yachts is the variable draft sailboat specialist — new Southerly Yachts and pre-owned swing-keel cruisers, sold and serviced across six East-Coast and Florida offices.
A keel that moves.
A swing keel is a retractable keel, hinged at the front, that swings up into a slot in the hull called a trunk. Depending on the boat, it's raised and lowered with a crank, a pulley, or a hydraulic system — letting you set the draft to suit the water you're sailing.
We are the variable draft sailboat specialist: new Southerly Yachts straight from the builder, and pre-owned swing-keel cruisers through our brokerage.
The advantages of a keel that lifts.
Shallow-draft access
Raise the keel and explore the gunkholes, banks and creeks that fixed-keel boats simply can't reach.
Versatility
Adjust the draft to suit the conditions — from deep offshore water to shallow coastal cruising — in a single boat.
Upwind performance
With the keel lowered, stability improves and leeway drops, sharpening the boat's windward sailing.
Beaching capability
Some swing-keel models can be settled on a shoreline or in tidal zones where deeper boats would never dare.
Safety in the shallows
Lifting the keel minimizes the risk of running aground when the water gets thin or the chart runs out.
Lower dockage
Shallow-water slips are often cheaper — a variable-draft boat can take advantage of reduced marina fees.
Deep when you want it. Shallow when you need it.
More than 1,100 Southerly owners worldwide sail behind the Variable Draft Keel — boats that have crossed the Atlantic and circled the globe. With the keel down, its aerofoil shape adds righting moment and stiffness, carries more sail, and points as high as 30 degrees with minimal leeway.
At the push of a button the keel rises, opening up shallow anchorages and cruising grounds most boats can never reach — and adding a margin of safety wherever the water turns thin.
“With the keel down, you've got 11 feet under you and all the pointing ability” — yet she still slips into water most cruising boats can't.
On the Southerly 540Variable-draft yachts on our docks right now.
Browse the brokerage fleet — including the swing-keel and shoal-draft cruisers we currently represent.
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