I have had roll chocks aboard my Willard 40 Veronica for over a decade.
They were designed and installed by eyeball and work extremely well. There
is no noticeable effect on handling or fuel burn. They are not magic, but
have eliminated the proverbial Willard "death roll" and make most chop
endurable. They also work while at anchor.You will find a page in the
current edition of Voyaging Under Power.
Roll chocks are properly called oblique bilge keels. Old fashioned ship's
lifeboats had them. They would double as hand holds if capsized and could
assist a person in the water clambering aboard when upright.
In a slow, full displacement hull, design is not critical, IMHO. I don't
think they would work on a high-speed or semi-displacement hull.
British sailboats often had twin keels. Not the same thing at all. They
were designed to be stable in a drying mooring, at the cost of upwind
ability. The Westerly Centaur is probably the best known twin-keeler.
The ability to take the ground is a weakness of bilge keels. Mine will
breakaway rather than risk holing the hull. I also show travel lift
operators pictures so they know where to place straps. They can make
blocking the hull a little more involved, but nothing most yards can't deal
with.
They are designed to allow crabpot buoys to slide off and have never caused
a problem with fouling an anchor rode in a tidal anchorage.
In my opinion, on a full displacement round bottomed boat, they are an
ideal solution. Most competent yards could probably install them
Bob Salmons
Veronica, Willard 40 RPH
>
> I have had roll chocks aboard my Willard 40 Veronica for over a decade.
> They were designed and installed by eyeball and work extremely well. There
> is no noticeable effect on handling or fuel burn. They are not magic, but
> have eliminated the proverbial Willard "death roll" and make most chop
> endurable. They also work while at anchor.You will find a page in the
> current edition of *Voyaging Under Powe*r.
>
Roll chocks are properly called oblique bilge keels. Old fashioned ship's
lifeboats had them. They would double as hand holds if capsized and could
assist a person in the water clambering aboard when upright.
In a slow, full displacement hull, design is not critical, IMHO. I don't
think they would work on a high-speed or semi-displacement hull.
British sailboats often had twin keels. Not the same thing at all. They
were designed to be stable in a drying mooring, at the cost of upwind
ability. The Westerly Centaur is probably the best known twin-keeler.
The ability to take the ground is a weakness of bilge keels. Mine will
breakaway rather than risk holing the hull. I also show travel lift
operators pictures so they know where to place straps. They can make
blocking the hull a little more involved, but nothing most yards can't deal
with.
They are designed to allow crabpot buoys to slide off and have never caused
a problem with fouling an anchor rode in a tidal anchorage.
In my opinion, on a full displacement round bottomed boat, they are an
ideal solution. Most competent yards could probably install them
Bob Salmons
Veronica, Willard 40 RPH
