Keel Strippin!
Adding a keel strip is a way to lengthen the life of your fiberglass
kayak. It reinforces the hull in the
area most likely to wear down, particularly if you launch on rocky beaches or
play in rock gardens.
For those living in the Greater Puget
Sound area, Rhonda Schwab and Kayakers Go Coastal is the place for kayak repair
or to have a keel strip installed.
Rhonda is a Pro. If however you do not have access to Rhonda, I
suggest this “easy 26 step process” designed for first timers, just in case you
want to try it at home.
1: Decide what color,
I suggest black or white. Exotic colors are time consuming and hard to
match.
2: Gather your
materials: Shop around. An
industrial supplier will be much less expensive than a trendy boat shop. Read
all these instructions before making any purchases.
1 quart Polyester Resin/Gel Coat (without surfactant in the mix)
Small bottle of
MEKP, (Methyl Ethyl Ketone Peroxide= activator or hardener)
Small jar of wax
surfactant (finisher)
At least 18 feet of
2 inch fiberglass tape (medium weight)
1 roll of three inch
blue painters tape +1 roll of two inch blue painters tape
Disposable plastic
cups
Tung depressors, or
Popsicle sticks, or plastic spoons
Scissors ,
disposable paintbrushes
Several pair of
disposable latex gloves
Paper towels
Heat gun or hair
dryer
Several aggressive
grit sanding blocks
Respirator
3: On a day with
temperatures above 65 degrees F. place your boat on a table or saw horses
upside down outside. (I do not recommend working with gel coat indoors but,
If due to cold or space you must then you must
wear a respirator and provide good ventilation.) ..Unlike Bob : /
4: Using the three
inch blue tape place a straight stripe down the center line of the hull. I
attach at one end and then once reaching the flatter portion of the hull,
unroll the tape, stretch to the stern pull tight and then adhere. This will
designate the final outline of your keel strip so be accurate.
5: Using the two inch
tape place a line on either side -almost but not quite touching the center blue
line. (it helps to use one
continuous strip so removal is fast and easy.)
6: Remove the Center Tape.
7: Tape the ends to a
point.
8: Cover any logos or
decals. (Drops of gel coat
can be easily removed with MEKP and a paper towel, but this product will
melt/smear decals.)
8: Use a sanding
block to roughen the surface between the remaining blue tape.
9: Wipe off dust and
lay a second tape strip 1/3 inch inside the first blue lines. (This does not have to be perfect as
this line will be covered during the second coat.)
10: Cover the Skeg
with blue tape.
11: Tape the end of
the 2 in fiberglass tape to the stern and roll out along the keel to measure
how much you need. Allow for 2 to 3
extra inches and cut. Tape the bow end
of this fiberglass strip to a Popsicle stick or pencil and roll up until just
before you reach the skeg box.
12: With a scissors
cut down the center of the tape above the skeg box. Be care full to do this without unraveling the tape, and
cut the end of
the tape to a point....
Because of
the sharp angle on the Tiderace hull, I
cut a 5 inch separate piece of fiberglass tape for the end of the stern. Most
boats can be done with one continuous strip.
Now to mix the gel
coat….
13: put on protective
gear: Respirator, safety glasses and latex gloves.
… and you thought Zorro looked good in
a mask!
Read the
directions on quantity of poly resin to amount of MEKP and Finisher and then
reduce it down to about one tablespoon of poly resin. The brands I have used
vary, so it is best to work this out ahead of time. For example one tablespoon of gel coat + 12
drops of MEKP + 4 drops of finisher is pretty accurate for my brand. I go heavy
on the MEKP on colder days to say 16 to 18
drops. The finisher amount stays
the same. This is where if you need help, ask while you are in the store.
14: Place two tablespoons of resin
and appropriate amount of MEKP in a disposable cup and mix with a Popsicle
stick for 2 min. . (Leave the table spoon in the poly resin or
on a paper towel. Do not contaminate resin can with MEKP).
15: Add surfactant (finisher) and mix
again for 1 min.
In
cooler temps the surfactant can become solid. A quick warm up with a heat gun
or hair dryer will quickly remedy this.
Sometimes I just keep it in my jacket pocket and that does the trick.
16: Carefully lift the FG Tape from
the skeg area and paint gel coat mix around the box. Replace the tape and carefully,
using the brush only, press the fabric into the gel coat. Paint another layer
on the top to completely impregnate the fiberglass fabric.
17: Continue this process to the tip
of the stern, painting the gel coat to just over the edges of the blue
tape.
18: Now that the hard part is done,
mix a batch of 4 tablespoons of resin and return to the boat. If at any time your gloves get dirty replace them for a clean pair.
19: Release the remaining roll of
glass tape (on the
Popsicle stick). Lift and paint the area beneath
it. Unroll the tape and using the brush
only pres it into the gel coat and paint a layer on the top. Continue this
process stretching the fabric to straighten it all the way to the bow.
20: At the bow cut the fabric tape to
a point and lay down with gel coat.
21: Remove the top/inside layer of
blue tape.
Be careful to not allow the used tape
to touch the sides of the boat. If needed, replace dirty gloves with clean
gloves before removing the second side of tape.
22: Wait to allow this layer to dry
completely. You may
use a heat gun to speed up this process but plan on taking a break.
23: When it is completely set up… (hard to the touch and not sticky) use a sanding block to completely rough up the surface and sand down the edges of the fiberglass tape, paying
close attention to the edges of the skeg box to be sure the skeg moves freely.
24: Wipe off the dust and when clean
wipe down the keel area with a paper towel and MEKP to help the second coat
adhere.
25: Mix gel coat in 6 tablespoon
batches. (This step
is fast so the concern of the material setting up too quickly is low.)
Completely coat the Final Keel strip area. Plan on this coat being done without
any sanding so try to run the brush in long strokes to create a smooth finish.
26: Remove the remaining tape and clean
up any drips with MEKP and a paper towel. Smile! It is done.
If you are not satisfied with the
finish you can sand it smooth or you can retape and and after again completely sanding the surface give it a third coat. This is the most basic of keel strips. There
are a million variations on this theme and if you buy enough boats you may want
to try a few more. Some people mix graphite
into an epoxy resin for a more slippery surface, while others prefer a 4 inch
wide strip with three inch FG Tape. RWA
has commonly use fiberglas boats in rocky areas so we often coat the ends
of bow and stern for added impact protection.
If you get stuck or have any
questions feel free to send me a note through the Rogue Wave Adventures website
and I will try to get back to you asap.