Do It Yourself
 by Brian Day
(Photos by Brian Day except where noted)
Fiberglass kayaks are
much tougher than most people think they are.
A solidly built glass boat is perfectly capable
of landings on rocky shores and will hold up
for years with some simple maintenance. However,
any kayak will eventually start to show signs
of wear. Most boats wear along the keel line,
particularly at the ends. Whitewater canoeists
are used to applying skid plates to these areas
of their boats. Many kayakers in Great Britain,
where rough landings on rocky shores are common,
apply a bow-to-stern keel strip to their kayaks.
A keel strip is also a great way to repair a
composite kayak that has been abraded at the
stems and is a good preventive measure if you’re planning a long expedition in exposed conditions.
A keel strip is essentially a piece of fiberglass or polyester tape saturated with resin and covered with thickened gel coat. The process of applying a keel strip involves masking and prepping the hull, laying on the fiberglass tape and finishing over the tape with gel coat. The whole project can easily be completed in an afternoon if you have the materials assembled and a warm place to work.
The first step is to make sure the hull of the boat is clean and free of contaminants. I usually give the hull a wipe with denatured alcohol before masking. Acetone will also work but is much more toxic to handle. As with any fiberglass project, make sure to take proper precautions to protect yourself from vapors and contact with chemicals. Work in a well-ventilated area, and wear gloves and a respirator.
We’ll be working with polyester resin because of its quick cure time and forgiving nature. Unfortunately, not all kayaks are compatible with this material. If your kayak is made of epoxy, you won’t be able to apply a keel strip using these directions. Luckily, almost all commercially manufactured kayaks are made with polyester or vinylester resin. If your kayak was made with a different material, such as epoxy, it’s likely that the manufacturer has noted that in its advertisements. Check with the manufacturer before starting this project if you suspect that your kayak is made of another material.
Once you’ve cleaned the hull, run a piece of two-inch-wide masking tape down the center of the keel line from bow to stern. This will be your guide for masking the rest of the job, so make it straight. Trim the ends of the tape off square or to a point, depending on your aesthetic preferences. The best tape to use for this job is the blue masking tape made by 3M. This tape is easy to remove and won’t leave a residue of adhesive on the gel coat. It’s more expensive but well worth the extra money.
The next step is to run a strip of one-inch-wide masking tape down either side of the central piece of tape. This layer of tape should be just under a quarter-inch outside your two-inch guide strip. Finish the ends the same way you finished the original piece. Once you have the one-inch tape firmly rubbed to the hull, remove the center tape and discard it. You should now have an area approximately two inches wide masked off down the center of the kayak.
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