Keel guard

[njmr2fan]

When installing my keel guard, how high up the bow do I come?

 

[4x15mph]

Here is a picture of mine for ideas. It goes right up to the water line (?) on my hull

 

[jetboater4life]

I went right up to the anchor locker drain hole.

 

[Ntlange]

I have seen some guys place it up high enough to protect the bow from hitting an object in the water while moving. For instance up to the anchor locker drain as was mentioned.

 

[Zarrella]

This how I did mine.

 

[jcyamaharider]

^^^^^^ Mine is just like that as well......but is stained right now due to the river water.

 

[smthng]

On my LX210, here...

I spoke to Megaware when I went to install it on my 212X because there's a locker drain hole in the way. They said to install it as high as I could below the drain. The important part is that the top of the guard shouldn't be underwater when you're accelerating... the force of the water can catch the edge and slowly work under it, which will eventually rip it off.

As long as you're certain you can get it high enough to clear any bow wake when gassing it, you should be fine.

 

[Bilmon]

Not a Yamaha but about the same install level as the others. Been on 12 plus seasons now and still stuck tight

Bill

 

[msavold]

Not very clear but ours is about 3" below the bow hook. Probably could have gone lower but it seemed to "look" better here to me. Some folks around here have notched it and overlapped the bow hook apparently. Pointless overkill IMHO.

 

[njmr2fan]

Excellent. Thanks guys, just what I needed.

 

[Matt Phillips]

Mine is a little below the anchor drain. If anyone is looking for one, here's a tip from when I bought mine. The recommended length on my board was 10 feet. But at the time a 12' one was actually cheaper. I put a 12' one on and just ran it a little longer down the keel.

 

[njmr2fan]

A 6' was recommended for my 190. I got the 8' with the same idea. Glad an oversized one worked out for you, confirms my thinking.

 

[d_coyne1984]

How much sanding did you guys all do with the supplied pad? I'm getting ready to put mine on and the sanding the hull feels like a nails on the chalkboard kind of feeling. I don't want to over do it but I don't want this thing to fall off either.

 

[Matt Phillips]

I masked the hull area where the Keel Guard was applied and basically "roughed up" the Gelcoat so that the glue will adhere to it. I don't remember it being too much sanding...and after four seasons, that critter is still very firmly attached.

 

[d_coyne1984]

I masked the hull area where the Keel Guard was applied and basically "roughed up" the Gelcoat so that the glue will adhere to it. I don't remember it being too much sanding...and after four seasons, that critter is still very firmly attached.

Thanks! I've done 3 light passes back and forth over it so I think I should be safe. I did have a lot of wax on their though. My boat is a testament to the quality of Meguiar's Flagship Marine Wax so shout out to them. Waxed twice a season for three seasons and I think there is enough built up to be considered structural now. But it looks brand new and shiny still!

 

[njmr2fan]

I'll sell my boat before trying to take off my keel guard!

 

[zelone]

I don't like to see mine when the boat is floating, so a couple inches below the water line. When on plane, plenty of it is above the water line, in case of an impact.

 

[njmr2fan]

I went pretty high up.

 

[d_coyne1984]

I went pretty high up.View attachment 37280

I just put mine on last night and started at about the same point as you. The bow of the 19'ers sits pretty low in the water when you have people up front and the instructions say to extend 6" about the water line. I wish I would have bought the 8' or 9' one to cover more of the bottom though. I did read in the instructions that they sell 1' and 2' pieces to extend above the bow eye. I was thinking I could buy one of those to use on the bottom, but don't see them anywhere.

 

[Britboater]

Looks good @njmr2fan hardly noticeable.
I've been contemplating fitting a keel guard but since I was adamant I'd never beach my boat and we have a rear deck anyway I decided against it. However last week the sand bar we were on got very busy and the change in wind direction moved my boat across vacant spaces, so I was forced into it.
Having a black hull isn't good for scratches so I'm convinced but doesn't the hull either side of the guard still get scratched when ploughed into sand? What I didn't like was reversing off, the reverse buckets are just directing the kicked up sand right into the pump intakes .