Shallow Water Sailing and Cruising (Twin Rudder / Centerboard Option)

Beneteau has the answer if you want to sail but your local waters are just too shallow for a traditional keelboat. An option is availible for a twin rudder and keel/centerboard configuration on the new Beneteau 31. Beneteau has offered this design since the mid 1990s in the US on the Beneteau 311, 323, 331, 343 and even on the Beneteau 361. The underbody is designed to allow the hull to sit upright and be properly supported when there is no water for the job. We are lucky that we do not experience these extreme tides changes in the South but we can experience extremely low tides in the winter time. It is nice not to worry that boat is sitting on the bottom like you do with a standard keel. The draft of the Beneteau 31 is 2.85′ with the board all the way up and 7’ with it all the way down and the boat can be sailed with it anywhere in between. The centerboard is controlled by a worm gear mechanism which keeps the board rigid in the trunk with no play or vibration that you might have experienced on other mfr designs. The Beneteau 31 is a great solution to sailing and cruising the West Coast of Florida.