Boat keel guard

A keel guard is comprised of a strip of PVC material having a length and a width. An alignment section is positioned along the length of the strip that is visible through the PVC material. The alignment section, which may be a groove for engaging the keel, facilitates installation and enables the installer to maintain the desired straightness along the entire installed length. Additionally, the see-through PVC material reveals any trapped air bubbles between the keel guard and the hull, enabling the are bubbles to be more easily removed, thereby providing a stronger, more uniform bond.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

BACKGROUND

The invention relates to a keel guard for a boat keel and, more particularly, to a keel guard including an alignment feature that is visible through the guard to facilitate installation.

Watercraft are generally formed of a fiberglass, thin metal or composite material which can become easily damaged as a result of impact or collision with sand, gravel, rocks, docks or other objects or debris found in water or on a shoreline. The lowermost portion of the hull of the watercraft (generally encompassing portions of the stem, bow, forefoot, keel and stern) is particularly susceptible to abrasion or damage. Consequently, abrasive damage usually promotes corrosion and structural weakening of the hull in addition to affecting the watercraft appearance.

Traditionally, the keel and hull of a watercraft are formed in a V-shape that facilitates travel in water. As a consequence, however, the keel and hull are susceptible to damage by impact. A keel guard has been used to protect the keel and hull from damage. Existing keel guards, however, are difficult to install. Specifically, it can be problematic to visually line up the product to the centerline of the keel. Additionally, once installed, it can also be difficult to see and remove any trapped air bubbles between the keel guard and the hull.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The keel guard of the described embodiments endeavors to overcome the drawbacks with existing products. The keel guard may include an alignment feature that is visible through the guard to facilitate installation. Additionally, a clear adhesive tape may be applied to the backside of the product such that the product can be applied by properly cleaning and prepping the boat hull, removing the adhesive layer tape liner, and applying the guard to the boat keel. The installer can then work down the length of the keel, one section of the time, applying firm pressure to adhere the guard to the hull.

The ability to see the alignment feature and/or the keel itself through the product makes application much easier. Additionally, it is also possible to see any trapped air bubbles between the guard and the hull, allowing the installer to work them out, thereby creating a stronger, more uniform bond.

In an exemplary embodiment, a keel guard includes a strip of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) material having a length and a width, an adhesive layer on a keel side of the strip, and a removable liner positioned over the adhesive layer. The strip may include an alignment section along the length of the strip that is visible through the PVC material. The alignment section may be an alignment groove formed in the PVC material that is shaped to engage a boat keel. The alignment section may be disposed along a central longitudinal axis of the length of the strip. Flex grooves may also be provided along the length of the strip. In some embodiments, at least two of the flex grooves are provided on opposite sides of the alignment groove. The PVC material may be clear.

In another exemplary embodiment, a guard strip for a boat keel includes a strip of molded or extruded PVC material have a length, a width, and a thickness. The strip of PVC material has an alignment section centrally positioned relative to the width of the strip and extending along the length of the strip. The alignment section may be visible through the strip.

In yet another exemplary embodiment, a method of installing a keel guard onto a boat keel and a boat hull includes the steps of: (a) aligning the strip of PVC material by looking through the strip such that the alignment section is aligned with the boat keel; (b) applying the alignment section to the boat keel; and (c) pressing the keel guard on both sides of the alignment section into engagement with the boat hull. After step (c), the method may additionally include removing air bubbles from between the keel guard and the boat hull by looking through the strip and applying pressure to the strip where the air bubbles are observed. Step (b) may be practiced by engaging the alignment groove with the boat keel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference toFIGS. 1-3, a keel guard10is generally formed of a strip of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) material11, either extruded or molded and including a length L, a width W, and a thickness T. The length L of the keel guard10is selected to cover the entire portion of a boat keel that may be subjected to damage by impact with a foreign object such as a dock, rocky shore or the like. The length L is thus dependent on the size of the boat. The width W is selected to encompass the boat keel and at least a portion of the boat hull on opposite sides of the keel as shown inFIG. 1. In some embodiments, the width may be 4-8 inches, preferably about five (5) inches. The thickness of the strip11may range between 0.1-0.3 inches.

As shown inFIG. 3, in some embodiments, the keel guard10is provided with an adhesive layer12on a keel side of the strip11. A removable liner14may be positioned over the adhesive layer12. The strip11is also provided with an alignment section16along the length of the strip11. The PVC material of the keel guard10is preferably clear or near-clear or otherwise selected such that the alignment section16is visible through the PVC material. That is, the alignment section16may be formed on the keel side of the strip11, and the alignment section16may be visible through the strip11from the opposite side of the strip11. The keel itself may also be visible through the strip11to facilitate installation.

In some embodiments, the alignment section16includes an alignment groove18formed in the PVC material. The alignment groove18defines a bump-out protrusion19on an exterior side of the strip that protrudes outward relative to side sections of the strip. The alignment groove18is sized and/or shaped to engage the boat keel. A width of the alignment groove18may be 0.75-1.0 inches, and a depth of the alignment groove18may be 0.1-0.6 inches. The alignment groove18may be disposed along a central longitudinal axis of the strip length L. That is, the groove18may be disposed in the center relative to the width W of the strip11and extend down the strip11along its length L.

The strip may also be provided with flex grooves20similarly oriented along the length L of the strip. As shown inFIG. 3, the keel guard10may include at least two of the flex grooves in the form of flanking grooves21on opposite sides of the bump-out protrusion19. The flex grooves20including the flanking grooves21help the keel guard10bend to match the shape of the boat hull, making it easier to apply and achieve good contact between the hull and the adhesive12.

To install the keel guard10, the installer should first properly clean and prep the boat hull and keel. The adhesive liner14can be removed to expose the adhesive layer12on the strip. The installer then aligns the strip of PVC material11by looking through the strip11such that the alignment section16is aligned with the boat keel. Subsequently, the alignment section16, such as the alignment groove18, may be applied to the boat keel. The installer may then press the keel guard10on both sides of the alignment section16into engagement with the boat hull, working down the length of the keel, one section at a time, applying firm pressure to adhere the guard10to the hull.

The alignment section along with the ability to see through the guard during installation makes the application/installation of the keel guard much easier than with existing products. By being able to see the alignment section and/or the keel through the product, it is easier to align the keel guard perfectly on the center of the boat keel and to maintain the desired straightness along the entire installed length. The installer may then remove air bubbles from between the keel guard and the boat hull by looking through the strip and applying pressure to the strip where the air bubbles are observed, resulting in a stronger and more uniform bond.