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A Sailboat With No Keel? Shannon Shoalsailer 35
July 20, 2026 · 14 min · 39K views
What this video covers
The Shannon Shoal Sailor 35 is a 35-foot, semi-custom cruising monohull designed for shallow-water navigation in regions like the Bahamas, the Florida Keys, and the Chesapeake Bay. Unlike traditional sailboats, the design lacks a deep fin keel or centerboard, utilizing a shallow, lead-ballasted skeg and hull shape to provide lateral resistance.▶ 2:12 The vessel features a 30-inch draft, twin kick-up rudders, and a foam-cored composite hull reinforced for intentional beaching.▶ 2:53 While the manufacturer claimed the boat could point 35 degrees to the apparent wind, independent testing by *Practical Sailor* indicated a tacking angle of approximately 110 degrees and a need for maintained speed through maneuvers.▶ 8:17 The boat offers a spacious cockpit and an unobstructed cabin sole due to the absence of a centerboard trunk.▶ 8:05 Available with a high-speed engine package, the boat can reach speeds of 8 to 9 knots under power.▶ 9:32 It is optimized for coastal gunkholing rather than offshore passages.▶ 11:16
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