Keel Guards for Tom Cat?

Doryman · Posted: Mon Nov 06, 2006 3:05 pm Post subject: Keel Guards for Tom Cat?

Are "keel guards" necessary and/or recommended for Tom Cats? Any guidance on who makes them, how to install, etc?

Thanks,
Warren

drjohn71a · Posted: Mon Nov 06, 2006 4:55 pm Post subject:

Warren -

Great question! I've seen ads in Trailerable Boats mag, and Overton's for them. I think the TomCats have the same metal (bronze?) keel guard as the smaller C-Dorie, but I don't know for certain.

I've been wondering if the TomCat's hulls are so narrow a point that those flexible strips might not want to stick tightly enough to such a narrow angle. It sure would be nice to be able to beach it on gravel without worrying.

John

Sea Wolf · Posted: Mon Nov 06, 2006 7:38 pm Post subject:

The brass keelstrips are nice to help with wear on trailer rollers and help dissipate energy to cut down on damage when running aground, but do little to really help out with typical rock scratches when beaching the boat in less than really good sandy beach type conditions.

I'd recommend getting the flexible adhesive plastic keel guards to anyone with a new boat, regardless of the model.

Joe.

Discovery · Posted: Tue Nov 07, 2006 9:06 am Post subject:

The TomCat 255 does NOT have the brass keel guards. I am considering adding one of the plastic or vinyl type keel protectors to Discovery. Seems like every trip to Lake Powell we put another mark on one of the keels. Lots of sandstone to get up against. The major concern is launching and loading. Not sure if the keel guard products stick well enough to stay on the boat. The keels have put some serious marks on the trailer bunks, and maybe the keel guards wouldn't survive the launchings and loadings. Any experience with keel guards, by anyone out there?

drjohn71a · Posted: Tue Nov 07, 2006 9:46 am Post subject:

Thanks, Brent, for clarifying that lack of protection. I surfed around a bit and found some comments that the Keel Guard, etc, had a warning that keel roller trailers may defeat the 3M adhesive..... so evidently pressure can distort them.

John

thataway · Posted: Tue Nov 07, 2006 6:49 pm Post subject:

I elected not to put Keel Guards on the TC 255. The bows are very sharp where they contact the trailer bunks, and I don't think that the plastic would remain adhered. It is not the difficult to do repairs on gel coat--or even put on sacrifical strips of glass cloth with epoxy/aluminum powder.
We did this yearly with our RIB we used in Alaska, beaching it daily on the rocks to take the dogs ashore. On the RIB, we painted the bottom, thus hid the yearly repair--but on a Tom Cat, one could either use white pigment in the epoxy or stay with the dark color of the aluminum powder--in a single stripe--if one elected to do this. I would think that protection would be necessary only over a short distance. Although the brass strips were protective on the C Dory 22, they were very narrow, and some gouges occured on each side.