Photos Twin keel sailboat plans
One way to reduce draft whilst minimising the affect on stability is to provide additional ballast in the form of a lead bulb on the bottom of the keel.
Variations on these types of sailboat keels include torpedoes, the Scheel keel and the wing keel.
Properly designed 'torpedoes' meet this requirement, and providing they don't project forward of the keel's leading edge - where they'll collect pick-up lines, discarded fishing nets and other assorted flotsam and jetsam - are a good solution for offshore yachts.
The Scheel keel, invented by the American designer Henry A Scheel, is said to create additional lift through the converse sections on top of the bulb, and appears on several highly-regarded offshore designs.
Wing keels develop this principle further, but share the same propensity for collecting unwanted hangers-on as the forward projecting torpedo.
Wings increase wetted area, and hence drag, but as well as producing more hydrodynamic lift they do provide a degree of 'damping' in a rolly anchorage.
You'll need to support the boat in slings to anti-foul the underside of the wing, or alternatively employ a diver to scrub it clean at regular intervals.
