Yara said..D3 said..
Just look at the ATSB list of maritime incidents they've investigated.
The vast VAST majority are groundings
Which is why it is crazy to buy a lightweight boxy yacht with a vulnerable keel.
Back to the patrol boat, it looks like it is on a flat shelf, so hopefully not too much damage.
Where is the actual evidence showing that one type has a better grounding record?
How many times have you gone through old newspapers, sailing books etc from the day when almost all boats had long keels? I've done it and it's interesting how often they were lost after strandings. They hit the bottom with frequency, often knowing it was there but unable to tack because of their long keels. The very first Colin Archer type to cruise Australia, for example, was lost after it hit the bricks because it could not tack in the light wind and heavy swell. Before that it had been almost lost because it couldn't tack in strong winds and heavy swell.
As the owner of some wooden boats I read the wooden boat mags, and it's amazing (and horrifying IMHO) how often they point out that a long keeler tacked without problem. If I had a fin keel monohull in which tacking was ever even the slightest problem I'd find it weird.
If you haven't actually done a research-based analysis of the issue then you've got not real right to call people, including many vastly more experienced than, "crazy".
On a slightly related note, it's interesting to read accounts of races when everyone had gaff rig. They lost spars far more often than we do today.
