Just went out and measured. On my boat the brass strip starts about 4" below the bottom of the U-bolt plate, and it is @67" long in total. It runs from there aft to where there is a skeg/keel on the hull, and I don't see how a rubber keel guard would lie flat any further aft than that.
So starting at the top of the stem (by anchor roller):
- There is a short bit of stem that goes forward before a "point" where it turns to go down and aft - I didn't count that at all.
- There is 24" of stem with nothing on it.
- There is 3" accounted for by the U-bolt and its base plate.
- Then a 4" gap with nothing.
- Then @67" of brass strip
- Then the skeg/keel starts, so the strip would no longer fit naturally.
Here's a drawing. On my boat the U-bolt is below the halfway point of the 3rd strake down, approximately as shown:
Sunbeam :hot