BYYB Forums

Hi team.  I'm thinking of adding a heel (not sure if this is a valid term or not?) to my keel to make grounding and trailering less damaging to the double bias cloth I have wrapped around the keel base (sole?).  I will use a piece of 'turpentine' timber that is a hardwood used extensively here in Australia for piles and any timber work that needs to be immersed in salt water indefinitely. I know my Vacationer doesn't fit into that category but I see it as being a good 'sacrificial' addition that I will coach screw on to the base of the keel and use a layer of 'sikaflex' in between in which to bed it; my sole will be a piece of '3 by 2' and will run from the transom (rudder) to the stem just past the upward curve from the keel.

Has anyone else done anything similar on their Vacationer or weekender? Is it worth it?

thanks for any feedback

cheers
Gerrard

This is a common upgrade and in the USA, we call it a keel "shoe". It's as you describe and a sacrificial piece, intended to take the abuse of groundings and trailer beatings. A few tips for making it last are to; lightly screw it to the keel, using screws just long enough to hold it in place, lots of bedding and bond the fasteners with epoxy, so if any do come loose, moisture can't get in to cause issues in it. Additional protection can be had with a strip of metal on the bottom of the shoe. This can be (in preferred order); monel, bronze, 316L stainless, 316 stainless, 304 stainless (fresh water only), aluminum and galvanized steel. Some use a piece typically seen on rub rails, called a "half oval", which is available in solid or hollow back. The hollow back stuff is a lot cheaper, but dents easily. The solid back stuff is really tough, but you have to pay for it. Lastly, some merit can be justified by using an inert material such as HDPE, UHMPE or other hard plastic. These are as costly as the metal shoes, but aren't affected by moisture.

thanks for the thorough tips Paul. Will add this to the 'to do' list. Cheers