Keel protection

[Frank Olsen]

I'm in the process of refitting and repairing some minor damage from skipping over a submerged rock and want to add something better than the multi layers of glass cloth/epoxy that was my current keel protection, especially for beaching. The fiberglass held up fairly well but abraded away in several spots exposing raw wood. Luckily no structural damage to the keel, only to the rudder. My current moorage dries out every day and even though it's a silty bottom in still gradually erodes the epoxy glass as it settles in about 3"

I've considered:
1) extra wood strips and more glass. Cheap, easy to apply, but probably needs constant
repair after contact.
2) UHMW polyethylene. Extremely tough, slippery and anti-fouling, but, not glueable to the
epoxy, and I'm not crazy about exposed screws into the keel.
3) added strips of G-10. Very tough, glueable to epoxy, but, expensive.
4) strips of kevlar or carbon fiber cloth or combination of both.

Any other ideas, pros and cons, opinions, or comments?

Thanks,
Frank (Pahi31 "Mikyla")

[Emil Gaigher]

I also have to replace keel strip as original hardwood ? glued on 90% gone and rotten. Keel still very good underneath , no water penetration or sift spots.

After reading all posts I am thinking why not ad a srip of polyethylene , routed to contour of keel bottom by glassing over with a few layers of glass going some distance up the keel , then when starting to gell ada second , sacrificial strip by screwing with stainless screws into first layer ( carefull not to penetrate into original keel) of poly. Thiswill then clamp unto soft epoxy and mould a ferfect fit. One could then also add cheeck strips extending from bottom of bottom strip extending past top strip say 5 cm up the keel, screwed onto both strips again while epoxy is soft to mould a nice seating, providing more protection anda degree of mechanical bonding to keel. No rot , light , slippy , no corrosion betweem metal and screws , easy to replace by using original screw holes and not to expensive compared to kevlar brass etc. , no antifouling needed.

Thoughts ?..