THE SEAWARD 26RK is a boat unlike any
other. Because her keel and rudder adjust vertically,
she has a unique personality, and surprising sailing abilities.
The first thing you should know is that her draft varies
from fifteen inches to six feet
. The keel can be positioned anywhere within its range so
you’re able to adjust draft to suit the water depth
and wind conditions you’re sailing in.

The keel is electrically powered and moves vertically much
like a daggerboard and is controlled from the cockpit. It
has it's lead ballast in a 'torpedo' bulb at its lower tip
where it can have the greatest impact on the boat's stability.
The rudder is adjusted vertically as well and provides excellent
control in all water depths. While the high aspect ratio
keel is acknowledged to be the perfect performance shape,
it's downside, until the Seaward 26RK, has been its lack
of versatility. A conventional high aspect fin keel required
that you do your sailing in deep water, keep your boat in
a slip, and have it lifted onto a trailer when transporting.
We've changed all that.
At the other end of the spectrum are boats specifically
designed for shallow water sailing. They typically have
low aspect keels (long in the fore-and-aft dimension, and
short in the vertical dimension) that have enough wetted
surface to slow down two boats, and shallow keels so that
no meaningful leverage can be gained by their ballast to
keep them on their feet. We've changed all that
as well.
Almost any sailboat can be trailered. The reality is that
most trailerable boats, once in the water, aren't very good
sailors. That's due to their designer's emphasis on ease
of towing and launching at the expense of performance and
stability. Consequently, when most people think of trailerables,
what comes to mind are lightly-built boats that don't distinguish
themselves on the water. We're almost hesitant to mention
our boat's excellent trailerability for fear of guilt by
association. We're not them. Our boat is an excellent trailerable
because of our keel, not in spite of it. And it performs
quite nicely. It sails close to the wind, stands up to its
sail plan, has good speed, is stable at rest, and is a pleasure
to sail.
We're confident you'll see her just as we do... a great
26 footer that does it all, and does it well. She's comfortable
in cockpit and cabin and well suited for a young family
or mature couple, with sleeping accommodations for two adults
and two children. Below decks she's bright, airy and straightforward.
She has eight opening ports and a v-berth deck hatch. On
deck, things are uncomplicated and user friendly. Sail control
lines are lead to the cockpit, and side decks are wide and
secure.
She can sail well in both deep and shallow water, which
means she offers the best of all worlds to the cruising
sailor who appreciates a turn of speed and lots of versatility.
And she's easily trailered and set up. And built with pride.
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