Keel position and shoal-water tradeoffs
In Portbound Seas, keel position is not just a draft number. It is a real tradeoff between shoal access, stability, heel, leeway, and handling.
Why the keel matters
Great South Bay is shallow enough that draft is a real gameplay constraint. That means retractable or swing-keel boats should be able to reach places deeper-keeled boats cannot. But that access should not be free.
Not just depth, but behavior
Lowering the keel is about more than meeting a contract draft requirement. It should improve grip, help the boat stand up to the wind, and reduce how much force gets wasted sideways. Raising the keel should make the boat more vulnerable to leeway and less composed when pressed, even if it opens up shallower routes.
Why this is a real sailing choice
The player should not always want the keel all the way up or all the way down. Shoal access, harbor movement, point of sail, and weather should all influence the decision. A boat that can sneak into shallower water may pay for it with more heel and sloppier handling once the wind starts loading up the sail plan.
Where this leads next
This keel tradeoff becomes even more important as the sailing model grows more per-boat and force-based. Once leeway, heel, and efficiency all emerge from the same sail-force system, keel position stops feeling like a toggle and starts feeling like part of seamanship.