hobie 16 keel protector?

I got a "special price" on my roll Its 2 ft wide off the roll. I figure on trimming it into 5"x8' strips
as far as adhesives...contact cement, resin epoxy, 3M industrial double sided tape (the same schit they use to hold trim pieces on automobiles) I don't know I'll have to get back to my guy at Crown and ask him the for the best method.
I re-glassed 2 16 hulls that were rubbed raw and now that the weather is turning I'll fix the soft spots and put some Durasurf on. Give me a month, work is getting pretty busy, and I'll get back to you.

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Jack

Thanks, Jack. That must be a giant roll! I definitely look forward to hearing about your experience.

No hurry. Work is super-busy for me right now as well. What little free time I have is spent with family, and thus only occasionally involves sailing.

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-Roland
Sailing vintage Hobie Cats in West Africa.

I have filled in the major wear areas of the hulls with JB weld, as for a permanent solution, i have not come up with anything, i took another look at the keel guard that you can buy but i don't think it would form to the hull as the protector is quit stiff. I think JB weld would work great and is not too expensive as long as you only beach the boat on fine sand, my shoreline is all rock and pebbles so i'm still looking for something with more protection.

I've given this a bit more thought over the past few months. Got elected president of my sailing club two weeks ago. Now I'm actually responsible for figuring this out...

My conclusion is that the best solution is to add a few layers of fiberglass as well as a few layers of gelcoat to the bottom of each hull. Several layers of both fiberglass and gelcoat should provide years of protection against normal wear and club abuse.

Beyond that, the best solution is prevention and education. Why not stop your cat before it hits the beach? Get out of the cat and hold it away from terra firma until your crew can get the beach wheels. Get the beach wheels on the cat before the cat hits the beach. Easy enough... Just don't be lazy as soon as you get to shore.

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-Roland
Sailing vintage Hobie Cats in West Africa.

Gymbuff and Jack: Have either of you made progress with your keel protection? Would love to get an update, as keel protection is still an outstanding issue at our club. Thanks!

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-Roland
Sailing vintage Hobie Cats in West Africa.

ALuminumTape
http://www.componentforce.com/userfiles/image/categories/aluminiumtape165c_lg.jpg
IdealTape Co. Lowell MA

You can get it in varying thicknesses with different strength adhesives I don't know exactly what type mine is but it's GREAT!
Heres a link to their page
http://tapeinfo.com/TapeInfo/Brands/IdealTape.aspx

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Jack

Thanks, Jack. Does this stuff really last? I mean, it's only a couple of mil (micro-meters, not mm) thick. How much do you drag your cat on the beach?

I recently inspected the bottoms of our hulls, and they're really worn down. Probably to the point where they are taking on more water than they should be. I'm still leaning towards several layers of fiber with several layers of gelcoat that Jeremy suggested. But I'm open to other ideas that will take major abuse by reckless sailors that don't use a dolly until the cat has been dragged well up the beach.

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-Roland
Sailing vintage Hobie Cats in West Africa.

When glassing the bottom, how about using kevlar tape with resin for the last couple layers?

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Marc...
1978 Hobie 16 Keoke, sail# 36 84

I started researching Kevlar after my post. I beach on a rocky beach too, so I'm interested in something tough for the keels.

I came across this http://www.redrockstore.com/canoerepair/skidplaterebuild/skid_plate_repair.htm

I have more reading to do though.

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Marc...
1978 Hobie 16 Keoke, sail# 36 84

The problem with Kevlar is that once it's exposed, it fuzzes up really bad - you can't sand it back down - it just makes it worse. Kevlar is horrible for abrasion resistance. Glass is probably best in this case.

The bottom line is that any fiber cloth (glass, Kevlar, carbon) is supposed to be protected by the resin matrix. Once you grind through the outer layer of resin, you're into the fibers.

Is there additives that can be added to the resin to make it tougher? I would not want that additive for all repairs, just the section on the keel.

The guy adding a kevlar keel protector to his canoe was adding aluminium and graphite powder to the resin. He claims the aluminium powder makes it harder and the graphite powder makes it slide better on the rocks instead to slow down the wear of the resin.

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Marc...
1978 Hobie 16 Keoke, sail# 36 84

the AL tape can be bought up to 11mil (.33mm) which can then just be applied to in layers to your desired thickness. it keeps the sand at bay and can be readily replaced (unlike glass)
It isnt a 1/4" of aluminum armor so don't expect that It keeps the sand abrasion at bay but every now and again a rock will tear it. Hell you can get a 60yrd roll 2" wide on ebay for $20...buy some and see if YOU like it?
We've talked this over time and time again and tried everything from UHMWPE to glassing in a 3/8" aluminum rod...there are a million ways to make them harder to puck up, it all depends are how far you want to go.

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Jack

The aluminium tape would not stand up to my rocky beach unless it was the thickness of a plate, but than it would be impossible to mold to the contour of the boat.

Looks I'm going with the traditional repair method and be a little bit more careful on the beach.

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Marc...
1978 Hobie 16 Keoke, sail# 36 84

I just returned from biking and as I rode past the Catamaran Hotel in San Diego I noticed the Hobie 16's that they rent all have hull protectors along the length of the bottom of their hulls. No cat wheels any more. They drag or carry their boats to the water.
www.resortwatersports.com
Andy Berry (858)775-4572. He's the owner of the boat rental concession.
Those hull protectors look like they were made for the Hobie 16 and should last forever.

Why couldn't you take a length of 1/2 stainless rod, cut and bend it to lenth, router out a small channel along the keel and epoxy it in?

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06 getaway -- always remember, man with both feet in mouth have no leg to stand on.