Should I cut 1 1/2 foot off deep draft Keel on my Cal 33 ?

Should I cut 1 1/2 foot off deep draft Keel on my Cal 33 ? I have a 1988 Cal 33. After a couple of years in the Caribbean I've decided to sell the boat. No time to use it. Living a dirt dweller existance. Never had any trouble with depth of the water and I love the stabilty and good sailing characteristics of a deep draft boat. However Located now in Eastern North Carolina my potential buyers want a 4 foot draft. I don't understand it but it's the thought in my area. A local Boatyard will cut 1 1/2 foot off the keel for about $600. Then I have some options: (A) Send the lead to a casting source with a template and the will make a pair of wings which I'll bolt back on. (B) Sail the boat as is and if want to use as a blue water boat again. Bolt back on Lead that was removed ( Fill and Fare ) . As much as I value a Deep Draft Boat It looks like a path I have to go to Sell the Boat. Surprised at what the Cal 33's are going for $38,000 Pretty Cheap..... Mine's updated with Stainless Stem Head dual Anchor Roller,Captain Chair, Updated Everything ( cushions, sanitation hoses etc,) Any thoughts? CL… [at] hotmail.com

Buyers tend to look for boats that they want so to me its a matter of how you market your boat. Why not market it in a geographical area where buyers want a deep water boat, or use resources that cater to that crowd. I certainly would be less expensive and keep the boat to its original design and more attractive to buyers who want a 33 or alternatively a deep water boat. With the amount of product on the market sellling a boat is not a simple thing. So to maximize your sales potential target the crowd who wants this design. May take a while so decisions need to be made I guess and its always a trade off. Best of luck /ch

I do not know the 33. Many Cals have an encapsulated keel, which make cutting off a large task (the ballast is "inside the boat") If the 33 is a bolt on keel, odds are that it is cast iron, not lead. I know I changed out my cast iron Cal 9.2 cast iron keel with a lead one redesigned by Ron Holland (original designer), and had Mars Metals cast the new design. Some factories like Cascade Yachts basically had steel plates added to the bottom of the keel, and then faired in to keep the center of effort at a design minimum. Before doing anything that might damage the sail ability (safety) of the boat, you might consider consulting a Naval Architect, on a proper solution. From: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com [mailto:Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of chris h Sent: Sunday, December 06, 2009 2:21 PM To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [Cal_Boats] Should I cut 1 1/2 foot off deep draft Keel on my Cal 33 ? Buyers tend to look for boats that they want so to me its a matter of how you market your boat. Why not market it in a geographical area where buyers want a deep water boat, or use resources that cater to that crowd. I certainly would be less expensive and keep the boat to its original design and more attractive to buyers who want a 33 or alternatively a deep water boat. With the amount of product on the market sellling a boat is not a simple thing. So to maximize your sales potential target the crowd who wants this design. May take a while so decisions need to be made I guess and its always a trade off. Best of luck /ch

Let the buyer do it otherwise you will cut it off and the buyer will change his mind and the next person wants a deep draft boat. No reason at all for you to do such a thing per sale. Allen On Sun, Dec 6, 2009 at 7:11 AM, <ti… [at] ch2m.com> wrote: > > > I do not know the 33. Many Cals have an encapsulated keel, which make > cutting off a large task (the ballast is "inside the boat") > > If the 33 is a bolt on keel, odds are that it is cast iron, not lead. > > I know I changed out my cast iron Cal 9.2 cast iron keel with a lead one > redesigned by Ron Holland (original designer), and had Mars Metals cast the > new design. > > Some factories like Cascade Yachts basically had steel plates added to the > bottom of the keel, and then faired in to keep the center of effort at a > design minimum. > > Before doing anything that might damage the sail ability (safety) of the > boat, you might consider consulting a Naval Architect, on a proper solution. > > ------------------------------ > *From:* Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com [mailto:Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com] *On > Behalf Of *chris h > > *Sent:* Sunday, December 06, 2009 2:21 PM > *To:* Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com > *Subject:* Re: [Cal_Boats] Should I cut 1 1/2 foot off deep draft Keel on > my Cal 33 ? > > > > Buyers tend to look for boats that they want so to me its a matter of how > you market your boat. Why not market it in a geographical area where buyers > want a deep water boat, or use resources that cater to that crowd. I > certainly would be less expensive and keep the boat to its original design > and more attractive to buyers who want a 33 or alternatively a deep water > boat. > > With the amount of product on the market sellling a boat is not a simple > thing. So to maximize your sales potential target the crowd who wants this > design. May take a while so decisions need to be made I guess and its always > a trade off. > > > Best of luck > > /ch > > > >

Hey CLCJR54, Welcome to the cal group! We are polite and friendly here, so don't be afraid to leave your real name. Where in NC do you currently have your boat? There were as many as three other Cal 33s in our marina besides ours at some point in the past year. One was a '92 model with the deep keel as well. AFAIK Doc Bob still has the boat. I will second the advise to leave the keel alone. The depth may be too much to go everywhere, but if you are amongst the crab pots, a 4' keel is too much too.