fin keel

American  

noun

Nautical.

1. a finlike projection extending downward from the keel of a sailboat, serving to prevent lateral motion and acting as additional ballast.

---

fin keel British  

noun

1. a projection from the keel of a vessel to give it additional stability

---

Example Sentences

Its shallow hull, vertical bow and narrow fin keel made the boats into clean and efficient sea missiles.

From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 3, 2015

He then hung an immense 700 sq. ft. of sail above, counterbalancing it with a deep three-ton fin keel, while keeping the boat's underbelly flat for speed off the wind.

From Time Magazine Archive

He also introduced the "fin" keel for racing sloops, now used the world over.

From Time Magazine Archive

Her fin keel struck bottom, and her main topmast lurched and shivered as if about to come down upon our heads.

From The Cruise of the Snark by London, Jack