Bow Keel nick

[rjbathgate]

Hey, again...!

I've got two small nicks in the keel, up at the bow... I think it's from previous owner winching it up trailer vigourously, off centre and smacking into the top bow roller on the trailer... looks as thou previous owner's put some putty in one of the nicks but done a crap job...

What would be recommended to use to fix up this, and have it looking as good as new?

Also...
I've seen a few people using keel guards to protect the whole lot - anyone have any experience with these on RIBs? If you take a look at 2nd pic, there are some minor surface scratchs along the keel - again I think from the trailer rollers as it comes up...

Keel guard?
Softer rollers?
Trailer further in water so boat floats onto trailer, rather than rolls up rollers?

Cheers all

[Stoo]

I use a 3M keelguard and find it effective. We bump up onto rock shores and it offers a nice bit of protection. It doesn't come up high enough on the pointy end to save you from nasty trailer bits...

[rjbathgate]

Yeah, just read all the other posts on keelguard on here (should've done that before posting!!).

My trailer has two central rollers, which the keel runs over and sits on. I've read that Keelguard shouldn't be used if this is case as the weight of boat, over rollers, can b#gger up the keel guard stuff... makes sense...

Wonder if I could get trailer adjusted, so boat uses the side swivel wheel/rollers instead of coming up hull rollers... would need some serious manual centering skills thou hey...

Currently boat sits on wheel rollers (either side) at stern, and central/keel roller at bow - the bow "side wheel rollers" aren't used at all really... is that an issue with trailer setup?

By wheel rollers and keel rollers, I mean the grey wheels and grey flat rollers in the attached (that trailer isn't mine, by the way, but similar).

I guess that's a completely different thread...! I've wondered if it should be sitting on side wheels or keel rollers... maybe that's connected to the keel scrapes as it's coming over keel rollers instead...

humz

[rjbathgate]

Hey

Can i bump this..

ignore everything about the keelsheild stuff, I'm just wondering how to fix the nick in the first picture... what to use....

Cheers!

[Rogue Wave]

[that damage was not caused by the rollers. It was caused by missing the rollers and hitting metal with a bit of momentum , I\d get some sheet rubber, or wood or plastic and put it on the exposed parts of the rear of the trailer.

So that the GRP doesn't hit the metal

nicetrailer by the way I'm presuming yours is a bit smaller/narower

re fixing it I'll be back

Tried searching for sources ogf this stuff in NZ but they all came back to UK

http://www.gulfstreamshop.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=298

you want the Marine epoxy to fill to a mm under the surface and then finish with the gell coat filler which is also on the same page. and is white so it will blend OK is with your hull

the folowing is a pretty good guide on how to finish off a gell coat repair remember the less gell you put on over the line of the hull then the less you have to sand off. Also once you have the shape then going through the grades is more of a massage than a rub down.

http://www.seakayakermag.com/2006/Feb06/Gel-Coat02.htm