Is a HOG in a boats keel a problem?

Answer 1

Hogging is when the ends of a ship droop down relative to the middle. It is the opposite of sagging. A naval architect tries to make the distribution of weight in a ship roughly match the distribution of buoyancy. If the centre of the vessel is very buoyant (i.e. has a big volume) relative to its weight, then the hull will hog if its structure is not rigid enough. If the ends are buoyant and the centre is heavy, it may cause the hull to sag. So a hog in the keel is a vertical bend with the middle higher than the ends. It is generally a sign that the hull is too weak or flexible, and the vessel has fine ends, carrying too much weight in the bow and the stern.

Hogging and sagging are often associated with badly planned loading of cargo ships.