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From: <kayakwriter_at_netscape.net>
subject: [Paddlewise] Keelguard?
Date: Sat, 18 Dec 2004 17:18:43 -0500
Anyone on the list used this product? 

https://www.keelguard.com/shop/

I do a lot of solo touring and inspite of best efforts the two or three feet of my keel near the stern takes a beating on landings. I'd thought about one of the brass keelstrips that canoeists use, but can't figure out a way to install it that wouldn't leave sharp screwheads pointing up way back in the stern compartment where I can't cover them.
I was thinking four feet or so of Keelguard might do the trick. If anyone has experience of it, could they comment on ease or difficulty of installation and effect (if any) on speed?

Cheers,

Philip 

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From: <SNStone_at_aol.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Keelguard?
Date: Sat, 18 Dec 2004 17:27:23 EST
I have not used this product and don't think I would after looking the  
installation intructions. It also looks to be fairly think.
 
You would be better off installing a keel strip. If nothing else, it will  
cost you a lot less than this product. Regardless of what you do, you will  
probably need to repair any gel coat cracks or holes.
 
regards
sid

Anyone  on the list used this product?  

https://www.keelguard.com/shop/
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From: Joseph Pylka <jpylka_at_earthlink.net>
subject: RE: [Paddlewise] Keelguard?
Date: Sat, 18 Dec 2004 17:52:30 -0500
> I do a lot of solo touring and inspite of best efforts the two or three
feet of my keel near the stern takes a beating on landings. 
> I was thinking four feet or so of Keelguard might do the trick. 

	I doubt I would ever want to spend $25 a foot or so for a grunchpad,
especially one 5 inches wide.  Truth be told, I have never done this on a
kayak, but sooner or later I do something like this on my open canoes. 
They're never screwed in but glued to the surface.  Old Town makes a kit
using a kevlar felt cutout for both bow and stern, and separate cans of
epoxy for each so you don't have to do it all in one shot....  Costs about
$50.  
	Currently I have one canoe with grunch pads made from an old bicycle tire.
This has worked out very well, much better than the kevlar ones.  --Not
just for the price but because it also preserves some of the boat's
maneuverability.  The kevlar/epoxy adds some weight to the ends and is very
stiff.  A friend actually had a whitewater boat break there because the bow
flexed but the grunchpad didn't.  --Like bending a paper clip back & forth;
eventually it cracks.
	--Which is why you usually don't get new boats with them installed...  
Joe P.
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From: <kayakwriter_at_netscape.net>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Keelguard?
Date: Sat, 18 Dec 2004 20:16:33 -0500
"MICHAEL SILVIUS" <M.Silvius_at_worldnet.att.net> wrote:
Thanks for the Shoo-goo suggestion, Michael. Sounds like it has pontential, and would be a lot cheaper than Keelguard. 

> It will not>damage your gell coats and as it gets old you can peel it off and re-doo.

I gather from this you have experience of applying it to composite boats as well as your frame and skin boat. Any pointers for putting it on fibreglass/Kevlar craft? I was thinking I'd use masking tape to mask off the boundaries. Any suggestions getting a smooth finish that will minimize drag in the water?

Cheers,

Philip

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From: MICHAEL SILVIUS <M.Silvius_at_worldnet.att.net>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Keelguard?
Date: Sun, 19 Dec 2004 10:52:36 -0500
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <kayakwriter_at_netscape.net>
> I gather from this you have experience of applying it to composite boats
as well as your frame and skin boat. Any pointers for putting it on
fibreglass/Kevlar craft? I was thinking I'd use masking tape to mask off the
boundaries. Any suggestions getting a smooth finish that will minimize drag
in the water?

Philip:
I should think masking of boundaries as you sugest would work nicely. You
can smooth the stuff w/ a wet finger. It does dry quikly so you'l need to
work swiftly or do small bits at a time.
I have not applied it to my glass boats but had some on my bench top which
is made of un-coated MDF. A few weeks after it was fully cured I puled it
off w/ some work but it did not pull up any of the wood surface off the
bench. I also have been able to pull it off the SOF boats with some work but
no damage to the underlying paint and fabric. When cured it is as hard as an
automobile tire rubber.
michael
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From: PeterO <rebyl_kayak_at_iprimus.com.au>
subject: RE: [Paddlewise] Keelguard?
Date: Sun, 19 Dec 2004 12:22:23 +1100
Philip wrote: -
>I was thinking four feet or so of
>Keelguard might do the trick.

G'day,

Several kayak outfitters here use 3M Helicopter Tape. Its tough as well as
being easy to apply and replace. Normal use apparently is to protect
helicopter blades.

All the best, PeterO
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From: alex <al.m_at_3web.net>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Keelguard?
Date: Sun, 19 Dec 2004 00:02:37 -0800
> G'day,
>
> Several kayak outfitters here use 3M Helicopter Tape. Its tough as well as
> being easy to apply and replace. Normal use apparently is to protect
> helicopter blades.
>
> All the best, PeterO

3MT Polyurethane Protective Tape 8663 (this must be it).  I wonder how
durable is its adhesion in sea water, compared to regular 3m duct tape
(which has rather poor adhesion in sea - but OK for short repairs).
According to specs, peel adhesion of "Helicopter tape" is only about 15%
more than that of regular duct tape, but tensile strength is much higher
(hopefully abrasion resistance too).  I suspect, that price-wise
epoxy-fiberglass will be better :-)
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From: PeterO <rebyl_kayak_at_iprimus.com.au>
subject: RE: [Paddlewise] Keelguard?
Date: Mon, 20 Dec 2004 07:18:24 +1100
Alex wrote
>I wonder how durable is its adhesion
>in sea water, compared to regular 3m
>duct tape(which has rather poor adhesion
>in sea - but OK for short repairs).

G'Day Alex and all,

The New South Wales Sea Kayaker, (a non commercial club magazine) has an
article on using Helicopter tape for sea kayak paddle edges see
http://www.nswseakayaker.asn.au/mag/29/helitape.htm . It seems to be very
durable at sea and I haven't heard any complaints from people who have used
it for keel strips. I'm assuming we're talking about a fibre glass boat
though.

Regarding duct tape. I've had abrasion patches on my sea kayak deck now for
about a year and they were fine but I took a lot of care with surface
preparation and used high quality tape. As you imply, I don't think duct
tape would be effective for a hull keel strip.

All the best, PeterO
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From: MICHAEL SILVIUS <M.Silvius_at_worldnet.att.net>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Keelguard?
Date: Sat, 18 Dec 2004 18:56:21 -0500
Just go to your local sporting goods store and pick up a tube of Shoe-Goo.
about 4.50$ and apply to nesessary areas that you figure will need
protection. The stuff is made to take a beating and works well. It will not
damage your gell coats and as it gets old you can peel it off and re-doo.
I used the Shoo-Goo on My Skin on Frame and it works great. Otlasted the
fabric skin in fact.
michael

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <kayakwriter_at_netscape.net>
To: <paddlewise_at_paddlewise.net>

> Anyone on the list used this product?
>
> https://www.keelguard.com/shop/
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From: Peter Treby <ptreby_at_ozemail.com.au>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Keelguard?
Date: Mon, 20 Dec 2004 11:11:57 +1100
Peter wrote:
"... an| article on using Helicopter tape for sea
kayak paddle edges see
|
http://www.nswseakayaker.asn.au/mag/29/helitape.htm .
It seems to be very
| durable at sea and I haven't heard any
complaints from people who have used
| it for keel strips..."
I have tried helicopter tape as a keel strip, it
shredded pretty quickly, and is expensive. A
better solution is a glass tape and gel-coat
abrasion strip, described at:
http://www.atlantickayaktours.com/Pages/ExpertCenter/Repairs/KeelStrip/Keel-Strip-1.shtml,
among other places.
Merry Christmas,
PT
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From: PeterO <rebyl_kayak_at_iprimus.com.au>
subject: RE: [Paddlewise] Keelguard?
Date: Tue, 21 Dec 2004 06:18:20 +1100
Peter Treby wrote:
>I have tried helicopter tape as a keel strip,
>it shredded pretty quickly,

G'day Peter,

I'll bow to your experience on the shredding. It seems as if the tape is
better for paddle edges than as a keel strip.

All the best, PeterO
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From: Bob Volin <bobvolin_at_optonline.net>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Keelguard?
Date: Sun, 19 Dec 2004 21:02:09 -0500
The Keelguard looks too thick, heavy, and unwieldy to me.   You'd be 
better off laying on a fiberglass keel strip.  There are instructions at

http://www.atlantickayaktours.com/Pages/ExpertCenter/Repairs/KeelStrip/Keel-Strip-1.shtml

Bob Volin

kayakwriter_at_netscape.net wrote:

>Anyone on the list used this product? 
>
>https://www.keelguard.com/shop/
>
>I do a lot of solo touring and inspite of best efforts the two or three feet of my keel near the stern takes a beating on landings. I'd thought about one of the brass keelstrips that canoeists use, but can't figure out a way to install it that wouldn't leave sharp screwheads pointing up way back in the stern compartment where I can't cover them.
>I was thinking four feet or so of Keelguard might do the trick. If anyone has experience of it, could they comment on ease or difficulty of installation and effect (if any) on speed?
>
>Cheers,
>
>Philip 
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From: Doug Lloyd <dalloyd_at_telus.net>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Keelguard?
Date: Tue, 21 Dec 2004 22:30:55 -0800
Brian Day had a great article in Sea Kayaker Magazine two issues back. I'd 
been meaning to write a similar article after doing the same modification to 
my wife's kayak, but health got in the way - and now someone has beaten me 
to the punch (however, it was well written and the process fairly well 
documented in Brian's article).

My own kayak sports a full-length marine plastic keel runner (similar to the 
Seaward kayak's 12" section at the rear, but in my case, I ran it the full 
17', bow to stern). Adding these type of more involved modifications is a 
lot of work to do it safely and effectively. I think the 
epoxy/glass-tape/gelcoat methodology makes far more sense.

Doug Lloyd
Victoria BC
From: Michael Daly <mikedaly_at_magma.ca>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Keelguard?
Date: Wed, 22 Dec 2004 15:20:31 -0500
On 21 Dec 2004 at 22:30, Doug Lloyd wrote:

> I think the epoxy/glass-tape/gelcoat methodology makes far 
> more sense.

I'd almost agree.  If the kayak isn't hull up in the sun a lot, I'd 
skip the gel coat on the keel.

Mike

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