keelboat

boat

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June 30, 2026

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A keelboat is a type of boat with a keel, which is the main structural member running along the bottom of the hull from stem to stern. This keel provides stability and lateral resistance. Keelboats can be shallow, covered vessels used for freight on rivers, often propelled by rowing, poling, or towing. They can also refer to keeled sailboats.12

There are various types of keels, including full keels for ballast, centerboards that slide to increase lateral resistance, skegs to protect the propeller and rudder, fin keels for racing yachts, and bilge keels to reduce rolling. Another term, "keel," can also refer to a flat-bottomed barge used for carrying coal.23

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Allegheny River
The Allegheny was important for keelboat navigation before the beginning of railway competition in the mid-19th century. Several dams were built (1903–38) to make the river navigable from Pittsburgh to East Brady. Flood-control dams have been built on many of its major tributaries.
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The Allegheny was important for keelboat navigation before the beginning of railway competition in the mid-19th century. Several dams were built (1903–38) to make the river navigable from Pittsburgh to East Brady. Flood-control dams have been built on many of its major tributaries.
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Mississippi River
Early settlement and exploration
Only the long, slim keelboats made the return trip. They were worked upstream under pole, paddle, or sail or by the backbreaking “cordelle,” a system under which the crew went ashore with a long bow hawser and pulled the vessel upstream by brute strength.
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Only the long, slim keelboats made the return trip. They were worked upstream under pole, paddle, or sail or by the backbreaking “cordelle,” a system under which the crew went ashore with a long bow hawser and pulled the vessel upstream by brute strength.
Read More