PocketShip.net

The bottom of PocketShip's keel is stock lumber covered by one or two layers of fiberglass. That keel gets draged over the centerline bunk whenever loaded on/off its trailer. And if grounded and/or beached, she may be scraped against who knows what. I wanted some protection.

So, for Tattoo, I installed a "shoe" of 3/4" SS half-oval on the keel from the noseblock to the stern (skipping the centerboard). At the leading edge of each of the two pieces, I cut a shallow (1/8" sloping) groove so that the leading edge (of the half-oval) couldn't snag on anything passing under the keel. The first inch of the leading edge of each half-oval piece was bent and tucked into the groove. She was bedded carefully with compound and screwed in place. Flat-head screws had a better profile than oval-head screws. Even so, they needed filing to keep the edges under the half-oval profile. It adds a little weight, but in the right place (down low).

There have been several posts lately about keel shoes, so I thought I'd take another look at this one. From what I can tell from the pictures, it looks like you laid the fiberglass before cutting the groove for the shoe. Is that correct?

I installed a keel shoe that is almost identical to Tattoo. The steel that I used is pretty expensive 3/4" half oval 316 stainless steel. You can find it a jamestown distributers. I completely finished the bottom including the recommended antifouling and then cut pieces of the half oval for in front and behind the centerboard opening. I dressed the ends of the half round and then installed with 1" #8 Screws bedded in 5200. There was no need to cut grooves or do any milling work to hull to make it accept the half oval.

For a picture check out this link: http://pocketship.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2013-10-16T08:50:00-07:00&max-results=7

Bill

I used anticorro 14307

Thanks for the posts. I think this definitely looks like the way to go. Just need to be sure the screws are sealed completely to keep out any water infiltration. Shudoman, do you recommend 3M 5200 over epoxy?

I contemplated both epoxy and 5200. Epoxy is the absolute bullet proof method of sealing the screws. I was just worried that if I ever needed to replace or remove the shoe that I wouldn't be able to get screws out of the epoxy. 5200 is tough and gives me the chance to remove/replace it without struggling to get the screws out.

Bill

Probably well known, but thought I'd share. I've sealed enough screws in epoxy to register it is a steel hull if I didn't get them out.

A good way to get them out is to apply the tip of a soldering iron or glue gun to the screw, which will heat the epoxy, and allow it to be removed. The risk of water seepage is higher than the need to get the shoe off. 5200 is great -- epoxy is better. As an aside, I use square drive / cam heads, not Phillips head. Much less risk of stripping the screw.

Good advice from both you guys, and thanks. Believe it or not I have actually managed to strip a square drive screw (am I a total klutz or what?). Would Torx be a better choice? If not, square drive is definitely safer than phillips--I just need to be more careful.

Torx/Hex goes too far the other way IMO. You want a little give. The square is a good compromise (also known as Robertson heads). Also, since they don't strip as much and maintain their appearance, they're ideal for the cabin sole. Properly placed and shiny screws looks great against finished wood.

Good point re torx and hex. And don't call me Imo. (Yeah, I know it means "in my opinion," just couldn't resist the little joke.) You're right that the square-hole heads look really nice, although in this case no one will see them.