Keel Guard with Jet Dock

[LakesideLaw]

Picking the new AR250 up on the 23rd and I have a Keel Guard (black) purchased and I was planning on installing before my first launch. I asked my dealer if they install them and I was told yes, but unless I am beaching it regularly they advised against it. As my other posts mention - I also have a new (to me) drive on Jet Dock. Both Dealership and Jet Dock are advising against a keel guard. I have done a ton of searching (this forum and every other one) and cannot find much info on the way of using a Keel Guard with a Jet Dock. I know many say use it no matter what as it protects against other things as well (floating logs, etc..). I certainly do not want to waste my time installing it if it won't work as intended. I will not ever be beaching it - the sand bar I anchor shallow (3 feet) bow out but keel never is touching.

Anyone with any experience at all with Keel Guards and Jet Dock or other drive on docks please chime in! Maybe I will try it first without the keel guard before spending the time to install it which requires taking sand paper to a brand new hull of gelcoat to get it to stick on! I am thinking it is still a good idea - but want opinions. Thanks!

 

[VaMarine]

I wonder if the Keel Guard would create too much friction with the Jet Dock and thats why the advise against it..

Usually, I would say Keel Guards are a good purchase if you will beach the boat, but if you arent beaching, and the dock manufacturer says no... maybe thats the right answer for your situation.

 

[rad1026]

yeah, give it a try without and if you see the dock scratching the keel then put one on.

 

[Stan M]

Picking the new AR250 up on the 23rd and I have a Keel Guard (black) purchased and I was planning on installing before my first launch. I asked my dealer if they install them and I was told yes, but unless I am beaching it regularly they advised against it. As my other posts mention - I also have a new (to me) drive on Jet Dock. Both Dealership and Jet Dock are advising against a keel guard. I have done a ton of searching (this forum and every other one) and cannot find much info on the way of using a Keel Guard with a Jet Dock. I know many say use it no matter what as it protects against other things as well (floating logs, etc..). I certainly do not want to waste my time installing it if it won't work as intended. I will not ever be beaching it - the sand bar I anchor shallow (3 feet) bow out but keel never is touching.

Anyone with any experience at all with Keel Guards and Jet Dock or other drive on docks please chime in! Maybe I will try it first without the keel guard before spending the time to install it which requires taking sand paper to a brand new hull of gelcoat to get it to stick on! I am thinking it is still a good idea - but want opinions. Thanks!

Any updates on this post? Also, how do you like the Jet Dock? And how easy is it to get off the dock? I have a 252S and am thinking of getting one.

 

[LakesideLaw]

Yep…love the jet dock. No keel guard and no keel damage or anything. Works fantastic. Reverse winch takes only a few turns and the boat slides right off. I get it to the edge… fire up the engines and then slide off into the water. Takes a few practice runs on driving up …. Pro tip - use a bike flag to mark your center point on the dock to help line your approach up.

 

[jetboater4life]

Yep…love the jet dock. No keel guard and no keel damage or anything. Works fantastic. Reverse winch takes only a few turns and the boat slides right off. I get it to the edge… fire up the engines and then slide off into the water. Takes a few practice runs on driving up …. Pro tip - use a bike flag to mark your center point on the dock to help line your approach up.

I have an EZ-Dock Bp5000 for my 212x. It was a two man job to push it off the lift since I did not have a reverse winch. Can yo describe how the winch is attached to the dock and how it works. A picture or two would be great. I recently replaced the rollers on my bp5000 with custom made stoltz rollers and it's just a 1 man job to push it off but it still takes a lot of strength. Also regarding keelguard, or in my case keelsheild. Mine tore up on the rollers so I had to go through the arduous process of removing it. Took about 10 man hours to get all the sticky goo off. Keelsheild does not recommend using their product if the keel is going to be on rollers or a drive on type of dock. I believe mine tore because an area that I covered up had some fiberglass exposed and I don't think it adhered well in that area. I also had a lot more weight in the boat than usual. I'll post some pictures when I get them transferred off my phone. I plan on putting it back on as I'm getting my hull fixed this fall and I make sure I nose up to the dock and let everyone off before I drive on.

 

[jetboater4life]

 

[LakesideLaw]

Here is the winch on the jetdock.

The red line runs down to the reverse pully and you slide the rope over the front bow cleat and attach the clip to the side line and it winches backwards and the boat slides right off. Takes about 30-45 seconds to launch once ready. If you don’t have much room behind you be ready to fire up the engines quickly or right at the slide point as you come off pretty fast.

 

[LakesideLaw]

I would fix the hull and leave off the guard if you’re using a jetdock.

 

[Terps!]

I just grabbed a beautiful 2021 195s from Omniray and am looking at an EZ dock boat port with air lift. just wondering how the access to the transom is for loading passengers. it has the side extensions. also concerned about undocking, don't. think ez dock has a reverse winch
any pics of setups would be helpful

 

[jetboater4life]

I think it would work fine for a 195. My ezdock rep custom makes better parts and one of those parts was replacing the crappy plastic rollers with custom mounts for an identical fit stoltz roller. This made it possible for a single guy to push my 212x off. Do you have a section of ezdock next to your boat port? if you don't getting on the platform might be a little tricky. It's no problem off the ezdock.

 

[Terps!]

The unit I’m looking at has the side extensions, I believe 2’ added on each side of the ramp. I have some ez dock sections but have a pontoon on one side and jet ski iport on the other. Guess I could mount the boat port to the 10’ sections and then the jet ski port to the boat port. Do you have cobra jet or thrust vectors? Do they work with ramp?
Thx

 

[jetboater4life]

I have thrust vectors and they work with my 21' boat?

 

[Terps!]

thx and they don’t get snagged or damaged with Drive up ramp?

 

[jetboater4life]

My transom hangs off the back of the boat port so the fins are clear