EEL Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 Looking for opinions/experience with the Keel Easy material regarding installation and performance as keel strip.Thank you.Ed Lawson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 Ask Cathy Foley. She installed one on her Cetus.Doug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EEL Posted December 23, 2012 Author Share Posted December 23, 2012 Doug:Thanks; will do. Ed Lawson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 Looks like a nice find. I might have to look at these for where my feet tend to wear though my boats http://www.keeleazy....yled/index.html I look forward to hearing from Cathy about her feedback on the product. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtmllr Posted December 24, 2012 Share Posted December 24, 2012 I put one on my Pintail two summers ago, tip to tip. It was very easy to do and I did it without a second pair of hands. Granted the keel line of the Pintail has no sharp bends. It might be trickier with something like a Tiderace. I haven't given it a thorough inspection lately but I haven't noticed gouges or delamination. I did use a heat gun as recommended, and pulled it up in a few spots while doing it so I could reposition better. It installed as billed and has held up too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathyfoley Posted December 24, 2012 Share Posted December 24, 2012 I really love the KeelEazy strip. Mine has been on my boat for two years now and is still holding up really well. It's great for general protection of the boat but it is viscous enough that if you caught it on sharp rocks, over and over, it will wear through. Mine has some wear at the front from an idiot running my boat up on a corrugated cement boat ramp.It's very easy to apply and easy to replace when it's does wear out. It's also possible to replace just the worn out section, if done carefully. It takes about 15 minutes to apply. You definitely need a heat gun, at about 800 degrees. They say 500, but I've had better results with 800. I've installed it on 4 boats (mine and 3 friends). The extra heat takes the bubbles right out at the sharper turns on the keel.When you want to replace it, just reheat to remove. Clean the hull with alcohol, reinstall a new one. It's much less work than a fiberglass strip, but also does not give the extra rigidity to the hull that a glass strip does. So there is a trade off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathyfoley Posted December 24, 2012 Share Posted December 24, 2012 They also make a 4" square piece to put in wear your feet contact the boat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beckt Posted December 24, 2012 Share Posted December 24, 2012 fun read on the application process (or not)http://scooter-bangortoportland.blogspot.com/2011/11/keeleazy-application.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gcosloy Posted December 25, 2012 Share Posted December 25, 2012 After reviewing the video I'd be concerned about centering the strip on my Boreal Ellesmere whose rounded hull has no pronounced keel line. Can you get by with the hair drier or do you need a real heat gun? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gyork Posted December 25, 2012 Share Posted December 25, 2012 ....... I'd be concerned about centering the strip on my Boreal Ellesmere whose rounded hull has no pronounced keel line.Gene, what about running a taut mason's line down the center, a few inches off the hull, eyeball the strip under the line from one end of the boat, and (?masking) tape down the strip every 18 inches or so. Remove the tape as you work the heat gun (hair dryer) down the strip? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Posted December 25, 2012 Share Posted December 25, 2012 Gene, you definitely need a heat gun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gcosloy Posted December 25, 2012 Share Posted December 25, 2012 Gene, what about running a taut mason's line down the center, a few inches off the hull, eyeball the strip under the line from one end of the boat, and (?masking) tape down the strip every 18 inches or so. Remove the tape as you work the heat gun (hair dryer) down the strip?I like the suggestion with this modification: snap a carpenter's chalk line down the center. Position for 2" keel strip painter's tape one inch +1/4" on either side of the center line. Clean the hull from the chalk line with alcohol or whatever solvent works and apply the strip. Remove the tape before applying heat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gcosloy Posted December 25, 2012 Share Posted December 25, 2012 Gene, you definitely need a heat gun Ah, gives me chance to go to Home Depot and buy another tool, priceless! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathyfoley Posted December 26, 2012 Share Posted December 26, 2012 Won't work with a hair dryer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtmllr Posted December 26, 2012 Share Posted December 26, 2012 Gene, you can borrow my heat gun and anything else I have you think would be helpful (orbital sander to do some refinishing, but that's not even necessary). I can PM you my number if you don't have it. Heat guns are cheap but if you only need it for this there's no shame in borrowing.Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gcosloy Posted December 26, 2012 Share Posted December 26, 2012 Gene, you can borrow my heat gun and anything else I have you think would be helpful (orbital sander to do some refinishing, but that's not even necessary). I can PM you my number if you don't have it. Heat guns are cheap but if you only need it for this there's no shame in borrowing. Jeff Thanks for the offer Jeff. I think I'll wait until the weather is warmer before doing this. My garage is too cold to work in during the Winter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northerngirl Posted March 24, 2013 Share Posted March 24, 2013 Applied this product after taking a hit to the keel last fall ( * see Gel coat repair pictures in another thread ) It was pretty easy, i was able to do it alone. A few tricky spots as the Pilgrim has a sharp curve as does the Tideraces. Not sure , but i was told this was normal to have little ripples in a sharp curve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason Posted March 24, 2013 Share Posted March 24, 2013 Applied this product after taking a hit to the keel last fall ( * see Gel coat repair pictures in another thread ) It was pretty easy, i was able to do it alone. A few tricky spots as the Pilgrim has a sharp curve as does the Tideraces. Not sure , but i was told this was normal to have little ripples in a sharp curve.It looks like you did a good job, the ripples are very minor from what I can see. I have seen many glass keel strips with worse ripples. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northerngirl Posted March 24, 2013 Share Posted March 24, 2013 It looks like you did a good job, the ripples are very minor from what I can see. I have seen many glass keel strips with worse ripples.Thanks for the compliment, i was concerned about aquatic material getting trapped in these areas and don't want to risk getting some of the "CLEAN" lakes polluted with invasive aquatic plants, really didn't like the thought of bleaching my kayak down between bodies of water. Hoping it won't be an issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katherine Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 Applied this product after taking a hit to the keel last fall ( * see Gel coat repair pictures in another thread ) It was pretty easy, i was able to do it alone. A few tricky spots as the Pilgrim has a sharp curve as does the Tideraces. Not sure , but i was told this was normal to have little ripples in a sharp curve.I like the stencil on your bow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 Thanks for the compliment, i was concerned about aquatic material getting trapped in these areas and don't want to risk getting some of the "CLEAN" lakes polluted with invasive aquatic plants, really didn't like the thought of bleaching my kayak down between bodies of water. Hoping it won't be an issue.I would worry more about the seat, back band and any other cloth like material. The keel strip on the bow and stern should dry very quickly.For white water one has to dry the boat out well or bleach it.A big issue these days is Rock Snot:http://des.nh.gov/organization/commissioner/pip/factsheets/bb/documents/bb-61.pdfWhen I bring my white water boat from a river with these issues, in the winter pool sessions are a good way to kill the bugs or in the summer the Cohasset wave is always a good place to expose the plant spores to a place where they can't live.http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River/detail/id/683/With the long boat moving from one fresh water location to the ocean might be a good rule before moving to the next fresh water location. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northerngirl Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 I like the stencil on your bow!Thanks i designed with a friend and used his vinyl cutter , i have a tomato-y colored one on the top behind the last hatch, same size. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northerngirl Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 I would worry more about the seat, back band and any other cloth like material. The keel strip on the bow and stern should dry very quickly.For white water one has to dry the boat out well or bleach it.A big issue these days is Rock Snot:http://des.nh.gov/organization/commissioner/pip/factsheets/bb/documents/bb-61.pdfWhen I bring my white water boat from a river with these issues, in the winter pool sessions are a good way to kill the bugs or in the summer the Cohasset wave is always a good place to expose the plant spores to a place where they can't live.http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River/detail/id/683/With the long boat moving from one fresh water location to the ocean might be a good rule before moving to the next fresh water location.Thanks Jason...use a glass seat and no backband, but hear what u are saying, perhaps i am over thinking it also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gyork Posted May 3, 2013 Share Posted May 3, 2013 Looking for opinions/experience with the Keel Easy material regarding installation and performance as keel strip.Aptly named-20 min project in my 70 degreeF garage today. Pleased with the bow and stern curves, but the skeg box cutout not as pretty as this perfectionist would like. I expect a better result when I assist with the next boat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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