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Part of Keel Guard coming unglued

9K views 5 replies 5 participants last post by  GeorgeD 
#1 ·
The back 3 feet of my Keel Guard has come unglued.
Does anyone know if I'm able to glue that back on or do I need to have it totally replaced?
If so, what kind of adhesive should I use?
Do they make one for this situation?

Thanks in advance,
Lupe
 
#3 ·
I had the front of mine come loose a while ago. I cleaned underneath the loose spot with alcohol and used "gorilla glue" to fasten it back down. I fabricated a way to hold the strip up tight against the boat while the glue dried. I trimmed the oozed out glue with a razor blade and it looks like it is good to go. Been on the water at 50+mph a number of times and hasn't come loose.
 
#5 ·
You are not alone. I put one on about 16 years ago. Same thing, the back part started coming loose. What happened is that the adhesive stayed attached to the hull but the adhesive that was on the guard itself came loose. For now I'm cutting pieces off. I figure I'll just replace the whole thing. 16 years of beaching on rocks and sand bars has chewed it up so time to go anyway. It's going to take a lot of acetone and rubber gloves to get it off.
 
#6 ·
You are definitely not the only one. You are experiencing the same thing that I have seen over and over. Keel Guards will not stay on for a long time. That is a fact. When Keel Guard first came out, it was a cheaper alternative to the Hamby Protector. Because it's cheaper and looks to do the same thing, many people jump on the band wagon. Keel Guard does not even come close to the Hamby's Protector, either in longevity or performance.

Do yourself a favor. Although it is going to be a lot of work, take the old Keel Guard off your boat. When they start turning loose, they can cause a boat to veer, un-expectantly, to one side or the other. It can be dangerous. Depending on how long you are going to keep you boats there are two better options.

The first is, obviously, buy a Hamby's Protector and have it professionally installed. It will last longer than you will probably keep the boat. It does a great job of protecting a boat.

The second will take more work on your part. Get a can of Herculiner and a 2" or 3" sponge paint roller. Remove the Keel Guard. After you remove the old adhesive, it should be obvious where the old guard was located. Take 1" blue painter's tape and go along the outline of the old guard. Use 250 grit sandpaper to lightly sand the area where the old guard was. Clean the area really well with acetone. Cover the outside edge of the 1" painter's tape with a second layer of 1.5" or 2" wide painter's tape to keep from getting the Herculiner on the other parts of the hull during application. Roll the Herculiner onto the area where the old keel guard was. You will have to apply two coats. Generally, by the time you finish applying the first coat you can start back where you first started and apply the second coat. After applying the second coat, pull the painters tape away from the boat, before the Herculine has a chance to dry. When pulling the tape, do not pull it straight up (90 degrees) from the hull of the boat. Pull it more from about a 45 degree angle. Let the Herculiner dry. This method will last a long time (much longer than a Keel Guard) and will be very durable. Oh yea, wear latex gloves while working with the acetone and the Herculiner. Alternatively, you could take your boat to a Line-X dealer and have them apply your new keel protection. Line-X will never come off!
 
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