Keel Guard

Divecoz · Post by **Divecoz** » Tue May 24, 2005 7:12 pm

Good Idea ? Works well ? BTDT was a waste of $ ? was a great investment ? Who has it, had it ? Good and the bad please.
Seems like a great idea . . but I have purchased a few great ideas in my life and latter

Greg · Post by **Greg** » Tue May 24, 2005 8:17 pm

I installed one on our new to us X last summer. I had looked at quite a few used boats with nicks and gouges in the bow, a few were worn though the gelcoat. I haven't beached our boat or hit anything in the water that would have done damage, but I still feel it was a good investment.

Greg

Mark Prouty · Post by **Mark Prouty** » Wed May 25, 2005 4:09 am

It is a must have on my boat. I have a powerboat that got gouged. I see a big nick in my keelgaurd. I'm glad it wasn't the keel.

On my trip around Door County last summer, I spent most nights pulled up on a beach. It is nice to not have to worry about the keel.

The Keelguard did delaminate in one spot. I'll have to use super glue or something to fix it. Also, the piece I bought was a little long. You lose your warranty if you cut it. Make sure you measure for your piece.

keving · Post by **keving** » Wed May 25, 2005 6:55 am

Didn't I read someplace that you cannot put Keel Guard over bottom paint and don't they sell it at West Marine????????????

Heath · Post by **Heath** » Wed May 25, 2005 9:21 am

Mark Prouty wrote:Also, the piece I bought was a little long. You lose your warranty if you cut it. Make sure you measure for your piece.

Mark probably had the 10 foot KeelGuard which I previously had in the online catalog per the manufacturer's recommendation. Based on feedback that it was too long, I've changed the item listed to the 7 foot model instead. I measured and this model fits our MacGrgeor 26X. It has definitely saved our boat from damage and we've had no problems with delamination.

Heath

DLT · Post by **DLT** » Wed May 25, 2005 9:36 am

How does it stand up to being trailered?

It has to hit the bow bunks, and I figured that might be an issue...

Richard Lisch · Post by **Richard Lisch** » Wed May 25, 2005 9:41 am

Just can recommend it. Beached my boat many times and the KG is full of nicks, not a scratch on my boat though.

Heath · Post by **Heath** » Wed May 25, 2005 11:33 am

DLT wrote:How does it stand up to being trailered?

It has to hit the bow bunks, and I figured that might be an issue...

If you look at the catalog page picture here, you can see that the keelguard doesn't hit the trailer.

KaiSchuler · Post by **KaiSchuler** » Wed May 25, 2005 11:43 am

How do you install the Keel Guard? Is it necessary to lift the boat on the trailer in order to put it on?

I have a 26M, so I wonder if the required length would be any different from the centerboard X. I assume the Keel Guard start at about waterline-level on bow, and extends to the daggerboard trunk?

Thanks for your input.

Kai

keving · Post by **keving** » Wed May 25, 2005 12:09 pm

On the Keel Guard Web site it says that it should not be installed over anti-fouling paint since the glue will not adhere properly. They recommend sanding the area to be applied. Has anyone installed over anti fouling and did it still adhere/work???????????????

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tidalwave · Post by **tidalwave** » Wed May 25, 2005 12:51 pm

My 26

hull was brand new. I had to lift the bow up by first using the trailer lift to elevate the bow has high as possible...then built a pillar of short wood timbers with a small rubber tire on top...I then lowered the trailer tongue until the bow keel lifted up off the bow bunk. I could then slide the KeelGuard strip past the bunk.

I cleaned the keel five times using denatured alcohol and then followed up with isopropol alcohol. I then used the included scrub pad to roughen the gelcoat...and wiped the keel three more times. I followed this up with the included alcohol cleaner. The last step before installation is to apply an adhesive activator to the clean keel. The center protective strip on the KeelGuard is removed and you carefully apply the strip then remove the outer strips and press the vinyl strip down on the keel.
A wooden roller is included to be able apply a lot of pressure to make sure that the 3M adhesive really is squeezed against the hull.

After doing about three times more cleaning than the instructions stated I applied the KeelGuard. I found that as I went down the keel from a nearly vertical orientation to a horizontal one near the daggerboard...the
vinyl strip began to 'pucker'...as you go round a curve the outer edges of the vinyl strip are shorter than the center. So excess length causes the
outer edges of the vinyl to 'fold'. I pressed as hard as possible to flatten the folds...they appeared to adhere to the hull.

The next day I found that there was so much pressure at the 'fold' location that the grey 3M adhesive had torn away from the white vinyl strip. The KeelGuard is attached with 'permanent' 3M adhesive...so there
was no simple way to strip the vinyl off and start again without many hours of ripping and stripping.

I ended up having to cut a v-shaped slice out of the uplifted fold and then found that only a waterproof epoxy adhesive would bond the vinyl back to the fibreglas. I carefully filled in any gaps with 3M 5200 adhesive. If you look carefully at the strip you can see a cut in the strip.

So, I feel that the KeelGuard is a great idea but if you run the vinyl strip too high up the bow so that the curvature is quite tight...the strip most probably will tear away like mine.

Richard Lisch · Post by **Richard Lisch** » Thu May 26, 2005 6:33 am

I applied the KG starting just below the bow eye and did everything by the book as recommended, no overkill necessary. It took about an hour and looks like factory installed.
Using my M the whole year round almost weekly for more than a year with the KG installed it doesn't seem to come off any time soon.

MacGregorSailors.com

MacGregorSailors.com

Keel Guard

Keel Guard

Keel Guard

How do you install the Keel Guard

Over Anti Fouling Paint

I had adhesion problems with KeelGuard