Keeping the 'Sunny-side' Up
In order to remain upright when under sail, a sailboat needs ballast. In modern fin keel boats, the ballast is sometimes hung on the bottom of the fin—a design method that can, and has, resulted in several catastrophic failures. If the ballast/keel is suddenly lost, the boat will probably roll over before the crew can reduce sail.
Most mechanical failures will signal their presence before they turn catastrophic—if you stay alert.
Why do fin keels fail, and what do you look for as a sign of impending keel failure? Roger Marshall addresses that issue in an online article at BoatWorks.
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