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A sailboat or sailing boat is a boat propelled partly or entirely by
sails, which are in turn wind
powered. The generic term covers a variety of boats, larger than small vessels such as sailboards and smaller than sailing
ships, but distinctions in the size are not strictly defined and what constitutes a sailing ship, sailboat, or a smaller vessel (such as a sailboard) varies by region and maritime culture.
At present, a great number of sailboat-types may be distinguished. Apart from size, sailboats may be distinguished by a hull configuration
(monohull, catamaran, trimaran), keel type (full, fin, wing, centerboard etc.), purpose (sport, racing, cruising), number and configuration of masts, and sail plan. Although sailboat terminology has varied across history, many terms now have specific meanings in the context of modern
yachting.
HULLS
Traditional sailboats are monohulls, but multi-hull catamarans and trimarans are gaining popularity. Monohull boats generally rely on ballast for stability, and usually are displacement hulls. This stabilizing ballast can, in boats designed for racing, be as much as 50% of the weight of the boat, but is generally around 30%. It creates two problems; one, it gives the monohull tremendous inertia, making it less maneuverable and reducing its acceleration. Secondly, unless it has been built with buoyant foam or air tanks, if a monohull fills with
water, it will sink.
Handbook of offshore cruising: The Dream and Reality of Modern Ocean Cruising. "... the weight of a
multihull, of this length, is probably not much more than half the weight of a monohull of the same length and it can be sailed with
less crew effort."
Multihulls rely on the geometry and the broad stance of the multiple hulls for their stability, eschewing any form of ballast. Indeed, multihulls are designed to be as light-weight as possible, yet maintain structural integrity. They are often built with foam-filled
flotation chambers and many modern commercial
trimarans are rated as unsinkable, meaning that, should every
crew compartment be completely filled with water, the hull itself has sufficient buoyancy to remain afloat.
This absence of ballast also results in some very real performance gains in terms of acceleration, top speed, and maneuverability.
The lack of ballast makes it much easier to get a multihull on plane, reducing its wetted surface area and thus its
drag. The absence of drag improves wind precision, giving it its great handling.
Compared to a monohull, acceleration to top speed is near-instantaneous. Reduced overall weight means a reduced draft, with a much reduced underwater profile. This, in turn, results directly in reduced wetted surface area and drag, yielding higher top speeds. Without a ballast keel, multihulls can go in shallow waters where monohulls can't.
There are some tradeoffs, however, in multihull design:
A well designed ballasted boat can recover from a capsize, even from turning over completely. The
Swan 65 Sayula II won the 1973-74
Whitbread Round the World Race after doing a 180 degree capsize in the Southern Ocean. Righting a multihull that has gotten upside down is difficult in any case and impossible without outside help unless the boat is small or carries special equipment for the purpose. Several round the world racing multihulls have been lost after they capsized.
Multihulls often prove more difficult to tack, since the reduced weight leads directly to reduced momentum, causing multihulls to more quickly lose speed when headed into the wind.
Also, structural integrity is much easier to achieve in a one piece monohull than in a two or three piece multihull whose connecting structure must be substantial and well connected to the hulls.
All these hull types may also be manufactured as, or outfitted with, hydrofoils.
Keel
All vessels have keels, it is the backbone of the hull. In traditional construction it is the structure upon which all else depends. Modern monocoque designs include a virtual keel. Even multihulls have keels. On a sailboat the word "keel" is also used to refer to the area that is added to the hull to improve its lateral plane. The lateral plane is what prevents leeway and allows sailing towards the wind. This can be an external piece or a part of the hull.
Most monohulls larger than a dinghy require ballast, depending on the design ballast will be 20 to 50 percent of the displacement. The ballast is often integrated into their keels as large masses of lead or cast iron. This secures the ballast and gets it as low as possible to improve its
effectivness. External keels are cast in the shape of the keel. A monohull's keel is made effective by a combination of weight, depth and length.
Most modern monohull boats have fin keels, which are heavy and deep, but short in relation to the hull length. More traditional yachts carried a full keel which is generally half or more of the length of the boat. A recent feature is a winged keel, which is short and shallow, but carries a lot of weight in two "wings" which run sideways from the main part of the keel. Even more recent is the concept of canting keels, designed to move the weight at the bottom of a sailboat to the upwind side, allowing the boat to carry more sails.
Multihulls, on the other hand, have minimal need for such ballast, as they depend on the geometry of their design, the wide base of their multiple hulls, for their stability. Designers of performance
multihulls, such as the Open 60's, go to great lengths to reduce overall boat weight as much as possible. This leads some to comment that designing a multihull is more similar to designing an
aircraft.
Centreboard
The centreboard or daggerboard is in essence a very lightweight keel, which is not permanently mounted and can be pulled up to accommodate shallow water. Some sports boats are designed to plane on top of the water since they feature centerboards or light keels.
Marine
& Boat Insurance Providers Table
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Company
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Type
of Insurance
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Website
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24
hour dinghy insurance
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Dinghy
& Sailboard Insurance Immediate insurance
premiums displayed by clicking onto the class
of craft.
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24
hour dinghy insurance
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ABG
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We've
teamed up with Boatinsure.co.uk to provide our
clients with a competitive online marine
quote: DINGHY, SPEED BOAT, SMALL YACHT, CABIN
CRUISER.
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ABG
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Affinity
Insurance Brokers
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Official
Brokers to the Irish Sailing Association.
Affinity Insurance Brokers, the premier source
for insurance coverage and risk management
advice for Ireland's sailing and fishing
communities.
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Affinity
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Amilcroft
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Cargo
INSURANCE. Take advantage of capacity and
services through the London market and other
specialist insurers. Our arrangements include
insurers able to write surplus lines in most
of North America.
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Amilcroft
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Arden
Insurance
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Arden
Insurance Services are able to arrange cover
on all craft from the smallest of dinghies to
the largest ocean going vessels. Discounts are
also available for: RYA Qualifications, Policy
excesses up to 1,000GBP, Craft in Marina
Berths, Craft with alarms. Many of our
standard policies include: Third Party
Liability up to 2,000,000GBP, 12 Months in
commission cover, Underwater Machinery Damage,
Protected No Claims Bonus, Road Transit Cover,
Legal Protection Cover.
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Arden
Insurance
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Edwards
& Associates
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We
offer marine insurance to cover pleasure boats
such as yachts and cabin cruisers, as well as
larger private boats. Whether you are looking
for personal or commercial marine insurance,
we have a large base of insurers who we use to
make sure that you get the best possible deal:
Personal and Commercial Marine Insurance.
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Edwards
& Associates
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BC-Marine
Inurance
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Set
the right course to solve your Marine
Insurance Requirements. Marine Craft
Insurance, Legal Protection, Foreign Travel,
Boat SalesAccident & Medical, Loss Of
Earnings, Marine Finance, Marine Tradesmen,
Crew Liability, Instalment Plans, Boat
Builders & Repairers, Public Liability,
Recovery & Assistance, Product Liability.
UK, Ireland, Scotland, Wales & the EU.
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BC-Marine
Inurance
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Bishops
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We
have particular expertise in the following:
International Marine, Cargo, Inland Goods in
Transit, Hauliers Liability, Freight
Forwarders Liability.
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Bishops
plc
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Alfred
Blackmore
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Alfred
Blackmore Group Ltd UK insurance broker
specialising in bloodstock, classic car,
construction, financial services, healthcare,
international motor, marine, professional
indemnity, reinsurance and special accident.
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Alfred
Blackmore
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Blythin
& Brown
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Loughborough
brokers provide online quotes for marine
insurance, and also offer a full range of
financial advice.
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Blythin
& Brown
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Boatinsure
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Marine
insurance underwritten by Lloyd's of London.
Discover what is covered by the policies, read
the FAQs, get an online quote or claim online.
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Boatinsure
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Business.Insurance-Site.co.uk
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Covers
most commercial risks in the following
industries: manufacture, motor trade, haulage
supply, farms, shops, offices, clubs, pubs,
hotels and marine (ONLINE APPLICATION FORM).
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Business.Insurance-Site.co.uk
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Craftinsure
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German
marine insurer provides boat-insurance
services throughout Europe. Select a boat
type, get a quick quote, and track a claim.
20% internet purchase discount.
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Craftinsure
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Newton
Crum
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Dinghy
- Narrowboat - Motorboat - Sailboard- Yacht -
Marine Insurance. FREE INSURANCE QUOTATIONS no
charge or obligation. Dinghy Insurance,
Sailboard Insurance, Inland Waterways
Insurance, Yacht - Motorboat - Speedboat
Insurance, Stolen Boat List.
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Newton
Crum
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Engine
Breakdown Cover Ltd.
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Offers
unique insurance policies for marine in-board
engines.
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Engine
Breakdown Cover
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Fairmont
Insurance Services
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Super
Yacht Insurance for yachts in excess of $1
Million to over $125 Million. Coverage
includes Liability, Loss of Charter, and Crew
Personal Accident and Medical.
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Fairmontinsure
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Lucas
Fettes & Partners
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Marine
Insurance: Hull and accessories of a vessel,
passengers and worldwide cargo movements.
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Lucas
Fettes
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Navigators
and General
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Navigators
and General has been at the forefront of yacht
and motorboat insurance since 1921 and has
been the market leader in this field for over
70 years. Navigators & General is part of
the Zurich Financial Services Group and
Financial Ombudsman Service, providing
policyholders with world-class security.
Today, Navigators provides cover for vessels
with a total value in excess of £750,000,000.
Underwriting insurance for all types of
leisure craft, from dinghies to £5,000,000
vessels, has provided us with the breadth of
experience to understand even the most
individual requirements.
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Navigators
and General
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Giles
Insurance Brokers
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Marine
Insurance. Dinghy, Power Boat, Yacht, Cabin
Cruiser, Jet Ski, Charter Boat, Commercial
Fishing Boat, Yacht Yard
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Giles
Insurance Brokers
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SHW
Group
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Marine
Cargo Insurance. Cover is arranged with
specialist insurers and the individual
policies are written to suit your business
requirements including if required Warehousing
for distribution during export or import.
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SHW
Group
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LONHAM
GROUP LTD
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Freight
legal liability for both UK and international
domiciled companies. Freight legal liability
insurance, Cargo insurance, Charterer's
Liability insurance. Delegated authority to
deal with claims matters relating to marine
insurance.
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Lonham
Group
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Mardon
Marine Insurance Brokers
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boat-insurance.co.uk
and yacht-insurance.co.uk are the websites of
Mardon Marine and maritime Underwriting
Agencies Ltd. (Including Maritime Underwriting
Agencies Ltd)
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Mardon
Marine
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Noble
Marine
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Noble
Marine are specialist insurance brokers
dealing with all classes Yacht insurance,
rowing insurance, laser class, dinghy
insurance, sailboard insurance.
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Noble
Marine
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Rob,
Perry Marine
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Need
Insurance? We are agents for one of the most
competitive insurance brokers in the country
who specialise in marine insurance.
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Rob,
Perry Marine
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Pendleton
May
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We
operate a scheme for the insurance of yachts,
motor boats and small craft. Our expertise,
experience and number of clients insuring
their boats enables us to provide you with
wide cover at competitive cost. Try us by
completing our form.
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Pendleton
May
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Terra
Nova
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Terra
Nova Protection & Indemnity provides fixed
premium P&I cover for the Owner / Manager
/ Charterers of commercial ships operating in
domestic, coastwise or short-sea trades.
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Terra
Nova
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Oban
Insurance Centre
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Read
about the insurance schemes covering marine,
holidays, business, motoring and agriculture.
Offers an online quote system.
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Oban
Insurance
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B
Portwood & Co.Ltd
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Marine
and boat insurance. On-line insurance rates
are provided for dinghies, canoes, sailboards,
small craft, inflatables, speedboats, yachts
and motorboats for use in the uk and in
Western Europe for up to 60 days.
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Portwood
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Alexander
Brooks & Stevens Ltd
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Marine
Insurance providers
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Alexander
Brooks & Stevens
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Graham
Sykes Insurance
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Graham
Sykes Insurance insure a variety of boats. Our
polices cover you for use on inland and costal
waterways between May and September. Smaller
craft usually have to be laid up ashore over
the winter months. For larger vessels we can
provide cover for them all year round. For the
water skiers out there we can usually extend
your policy to include liability for towing
water skiers.
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Graham
Sykes
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Craig
& Suttar
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In
most cases we can provide all risks cover
including third party liability for you and
your craft. Polices cover you for use on
inland and costal waterways between May and
September. For the waterskiers out there we
can usually extend your policy to include
liability for towing waterskiers. In some case
we can add your boat onto your house contents
insurance which is sometimes cheaper.
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Craig
& Suttar
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Tyser
(UK) Ltd
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Marine
and boat Insurance
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Tyser
(UK) Ltd
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Yachtsman
Marine Insurance Ireland
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Yachtsman
Marine Insurance Ireland. Sports boats, Yacht
cruisers, motor cruisers. We offer yachtsmen
an exceptional insurance package at a highly
competitive price. We are constantly reviewing
our policy wording to provide the most up to
date terms and conditions to ensure that our
clients have the most appropriate cover.
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Yachtsman
Insurance
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Meeting
Your Needs
Offering a range of services to most business sectors
the providers below specialise in insurance design, risk
placing and risk management for UK and international
concerns.
They have considerable experience in the development of
solutions for both Marine and Commercial risks. With
access to Lloyds of London and a range of ABI registered
Insurers they can secure the most competitive premiums
and terms. All of the above is a very good reason
to click through from us to obtain your online
quotation, and it doesn't cost you a penny more to do
so.
SAILING
BOAT LINKS
http://www.boatinternational.com/yachts/sailing-yachts/
Fleet
operators might reduce insurance costs if their ships have
autonomous
capability, which system promises safer
seas.
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