29-Foot Response Boat–Small (29'RBS) II Boat Crew Practice Test

A plate keel is described as a flat plate that forms the ballast keel and sits perpendicular to the hull’s centerline. In other words, the plate’s face is oriented across the boat’s length, sticking down from the hull rather than running along it. This perpendicular orientation is what distinguishes a plate keel from other keel shapes: a bow wedge would be at the front of the boat, a keel that curves along the hull length describes a foil-like or long, curved shape, and a plate aligned with the keel line would run parallel to the boat’s length rather than across it.