keel tape or skid plates experience

[PigPen]

Does anybody have experience using keel tape? I've been out in my mariner for less than 2 months and I'm horrified by the scratches from loading and unloading operations. I saw some kayaks have a metal plate to drag on, would that be possible to retrofit other kayaks with? As I get better loading it on the cart the scratch rate should decline but at some point it has to transition from land to water and the dock I use has a concrete ramp so it may be unavoidable. Maybe need to covert mariner to amphibious assault vehicle.

[On the fly]

I have a cuda 14 and have a replaceable skid plate on the stern and I put a short piece of keel easy on the front to take the abuse when I pull or land on those concrete ramps. I buy a couple feet at a time and just put it on the abuse area and replace as necessary. You can order by the foot directly from keel easy website.

[Runnin]

I've used the KeelEazy. I've used it once. I had a lot of trouble trying to get it to lay flat and stick to the boat. There were two issue. First he adhesive backing stops about 1/16' from the edge of the tape. Thus, the edges don't stick well. Next time I'm going to try and trim the tape so the adhesive goes all the way to the edge. The other problem is curves. Even after heating it with a hair dryer it doesn't conform to the curves of the hull very well. I especially had trouble with the bow where the bottom curve up and the keel curves in the middle at the same time. I couldn't get it to lay neatly against the hull.
I'm going to keep using it though unless I find something better. I'd rather replace torn up Keel Eazy than wear thru a hull.

Yes, concrete ramps are a pain. Almost impossible to not have the keel scrape. That's one feature I love about the Jackson boats, they have the stern skid plate that can easily be replaced.

[On the fly]

I only run the keel easy on the area that gets scraped. I do trim it so the adhesive goes all the way around and put it in the freezer for about 15mins then the backing comes off easy. Use a hair dryer or heat gun to form it over the area you are covering.

http://www.snaggedline.com/attachmen...3&d=1373206185

[Runnin]

On the Fly,

Yours turned out better than mine did. Yours conforms well to the yak even as it curves upaward on the bow. Mine has some ripples in it that I couldn't get to adhere or lay flat.

[On the fly]

after the freezer and removing the backing, I just lightly lay it on the yak. Then start heating it up starting from the middle and a little at a time. Also if you notice it is not real wide so as to limit the possibility of ripples.

[Runnin]

Thanks,

I just bought a new boat last week and I have enough strips to do that one too. I'll try it the way you suggest and see if it works better.

[sparky1423]

I have used keel easy also. I purchased the canoe protection product which includes one 3" strip and one 2" strip. I cut both strips in half lengthwise, first applied the wider strip...one on the stern and one on the bow. Then applied the thinner piece on top of the strip that was first applied. I have already rubbed through the thinner strip only to expose the thicker strip. I had to cut small slits in the outer edges of the tape to adhere to the contour of the keel on my Hobie. The 1/16 non adhesive edging is useless in my opinion, it just allows water pressure to slowly remove the tape starting from the outer edges. It's the best product out there unfortunately, until something better comes along.

[Runnin]

On the Fly,

I started outfitting my new Yak last night. I started with the KeelEazy and used the method just like you said. I just laid in directly n the top edge of the keel and then blasted it with the Hairdryer. The tape softened up and just fell into place. All I had to do was smooth it out in a couple spots and apply a little pressure just to make sure the glue stuck.

I did trim the edges so I didn't use any of the tape that didn't have the adhesive on it.

Thanks for the tip. I have one more piece I'm going to replace the bubbled strip on my old Pamlico.

Even if the Keel Eazy needs to be replace a couple times a season it still is better than having a hull wear thru. I did mine like you, I only did the short section bow and stern that are prone to wear and skids.

[On the fly]

Glad it worked out for you. It is cheaper than a hull repair.

[DonV]

I tried the keel tape and also had problems with it sticking and conforming to the keel. Ended up peeling it off and have just built up a thick layer of Goop. Maybe an 1/8 to 1/4" thick. Hoping it will take the abuse. Haven't had the yaks out yet after applying it and can't swear to the durability as of yet. Seen some others have done the same and it seems to work and easy to reapply after it gets torn up.

[JKay]

I was pretty high on the Keel Eazy until this season. It's coming off 2 of my kayaks. I pulled it off my P13 already. I will probably have to pull it off the Revo too. The leading edge pulls up, then just drags along in the water. The only kayak that it is staying on (so far) is the fiberglass. That kayak also has the least amount of use.

I can no longer recommend this product.

[On the fly]

Have not had any problems when it was on my previous PA14 and my current Cuda 14

[PigPen]

Just got the Keel Eazy strips in the mail and found that you can use a razor knife to slice the backing as well instead of trying to start at the edges. Looks ok, I put 2" down and then 4" on top to give it some extra protection. I saw it on the web somewhere.

[JKay]

I just pulled the strip of Keel Eazy off my Revo this past weekend. There was a huge flap hanging down from the leading edge. So much for a sleek bottom! Only one boat left with it remaining. I have some other ideas that I might try on my son's kayak. It has to be durable, but ultimately replaceable.