Sailboat Keel
Building Strongback

Separate or Attached

Should the hull and keel be built as a single unit or should the hull and keel be built separately and join later? The jury is out on which method is best. Personally I like fabricating the keel separate from the hull. Joining them later for the following reasons.

With the hull being built upside down, the bottom of the keel will be approximately eight to nine feet off the shop floor for this boat. Building the hull and keel as one unit would require ladders and maybe some type of staging. Why work precariously on top of the overturned hull when you could work easier, safer, faster, and more efficiently at ground level.

Keel Strongback

The building Strongback for the keel, shown below, is a simplified version of the Strongback used to build the hull.

The profile view above gives information such as the distance from the first frame to all the other keel frames. These dimensions will need to coincide with the hull framing being constructed separately on its own Strongback. Remember, we will be lifting and fitting the finish keel assembly to the hull assembly. Lineup here is crucial.

The sections drawings above, show each keel frame in relation to the profile view.

Points to Remember

• When setting up the keel Strongback remember all geometry needs to be square and plumb.
• The same methods used to square the transverse frames applies to the squaring of the Strongback along with setting up the keel frames on the Strongback.
• Remember, the distances between the keel frames on its Strongback and distances of the hull frames on their separate Strongback must coincide since one will be aligned and welded to the other.
• When setting up the frames on its Strongback use temporary braces of scrap material between the frames to hold distances. This will also stiffen the structure in preparation of the keel shell plating.

Depending on your initial skill level, this all may seem over simplified! But look at the support in these plans. Everything has been pre-engineered for you with full size patterns and precise locations.

The main skill required - The ability to use and read a Tape Measure!

Back to Boat Building Methods Menu