: I am building a 17' Redbird canoe. I have installed a 3/8" mahogany keel
: from bow to stern which protrudes about 1/4" out from the bottom.
: Will it effect its performance? Good or bad?
: William

Yes. Even a small keel, like the one you've installed, will tend to make the boat a bit easier to keep moving on a straight line. And a little harder to turn quickly. But because you've got a pretty small keel, the effects on handling shouldn't be dramatic. Whether they're good or bad depends on whether you mostly paddle straight lines in lakes or ponds, or whether you need to dodge rocks in streams.

Keels can take a beating when the boat hits bottom, or is dragged up on shore and such. Your small mahogany keel may be more prone to damage than a sturdier one would be, especially if the boat ever scrapes over a rock sideways...