Texan wrote:
Considering that the poster said he was out of Corpus Christi and
most of the bays and anything out of the channel in that area is ultra
shallow, having a centerboard boat is an excellent idea.

True also for most of the southern East Coast.

My opinion is that shoal draft can be an excellent safety feature,
because of the wider area available for anchoring. You can get clear of
other vessels and choose your holding ground. Also, if you're not
squeamish, you can wade around the anchor and dig it in by hand (or foot).

However most people have picked up the curious idea that any boat with a
centerboard cannot possibly be "seaworthy." It doesn't fit in with the
fantasy image of sailing around Cape Horn. And so if any voyaging, such
as to the Bahamas where shoal draft is again a blessing, they choose a
deep draft vessel. Not that there's anything wrong with that...

Fresh Breezes
Doug King