Hobie Cat Forums

Has anyone tried anything for a keel wear strip under their hulls besides just layering on fiberglass?

I did a quick search and it seems that kayakers have been using some products to protect their fiberglass keels as well. Check out this product called Keel Eazy for example.

Just throwing this out there. Would this be be a feasible way to extend the life of our hulls without having to refiberglass all the time?

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-Zach
Hobie 16 for sale
West Lafayette, IN (school)
Melbourne, FL (summer)

Hey Zach, I wonder if that is anything like the leading edge tape used on blade type antennas of aircraft.

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Big Dan
1982 H16

Hot Flash #68984

Interesting- I've never heard of that stuff. This past summer I did an internship with an avionic company and we used blade antennas a lot and I've never heard of this tape.

I also saw some keep strips that are clear, which would be nice for our Hobies. I like the black strip on my yellow hulls though.

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-Zach
Hobie 16 for sale
West Lafayette, IN (school)
Melbourne, FL (summer)

I have been thinking about truck bed liner painted on, then faired out. Apparently there is also a heavy vinyl with reinforceing fibers used on 4X4's that may work.

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Jeff
1986 Hobie 18 #13031
1977 Hobie 16 (As soon as I can get it out of a field...)

Just an update- I received a reply from Ray at Keel Eazy. He seems like a realy keel...errr...cool guy. He's sending me a sample of the strips. I'll check them out and report back. Sounds like they make white and black so those with white hulls would love them. More info to come!

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-Zach
Hobie 16 for sale
West Lafayette, IN (school)
Melbourne, FL (summer)

I like the black tape on yellow hull! Boiler Up! Where do you sail that thing in WL. Blackbird pond isn't big enough and the Wabash is too shallow.

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The ox is slow but the earth is patient

Have you guys tried cat-trax?

Cat trax are great at your launch site, but you can't just throw them on the boat and take them with you if you go camping, beach hopping, etc.

sure you can just throw them across your bows

Has anyone tried this stuff. I have H20 and was taking my boat to the ocean for a week over xmas and wanted to protect the hulls for surf landings and keeping the boat at the hotel between sails as it sits on the sand. I've already resurfaced my hull line once. UGH.... I do not have cat trax and am unable to use them at the hotel as I will be sailing from a marina a mile away in the morning. I really only need it to last a week. 2" width is $4 a foot, a steal versus lining my lungs with gelcoat again.

I receieved a sample from them and it seems like decent stuff.

My only problem would be the price. You say it is $4/ft. Your boat is 20ft long so thats $80/hull. You have 2 hulls so you're paying $160 for both hulls. A little too pricey for me considering the alternatives.

I guess you could probably only put the strips on maybe 16ft of it because of the boat's curve.

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-Zach
Hobie 16 for sale
West Lafayette, IN (school)
Melbourne, FL (summer)