TOPIC: Anyone use a keel protector?

Just painted my boat and already scuffed up from loading and beaching. Any good ideas? Pics? Keel guard?

My dad has one on his boat and it has been fantastic. I am going to invest in one for my boat as soon as I get the money. They aren't cheap

We beach our boats all the time in the San Juans and eastern Wa, a good keel guard works wonders may not be attractive but they work .

I am sure you have reasons for beaching a boat.Having said that I would never beach one myself,especially a classic.A stern anchor will keep her off the abrasive bottom and the one from the bow will keep her shallow enough to load the people that are "enjoying" a day on the water and do not want to get wet above there knee's.There are more creative ways to keep her deep and be able to retrieve without having to swim,just don't want to ramble on.Carpeting on the bunk trailer eliminates any scuffing there.Rollers are okay for aluminum boats IMHO but that's about it.The more you can spread the load on a trailer the better the hull will do in the long run.Not trying to stir anything up.I just do not understand why anyone beaches there pride and joy.

The Yellow Jacket I restoring had a cutwater that came with it...they had taken it off and then ran over it some how. I having my fab shop make me a new one...$40, however this is a personal item and he does things cheap and makes up on work I give him for my Co

I wouldn't beach the boat where there were people surfing but in those pictures it does not look like they are taking much of a beating . We have anchor buddies to keep them off the beach if it's rough but to load and unload you have to touch the bow on the beach unless you have real long legs - Each to his own

Sometimes it's so nice we can parallel park . No trailer Queens here, no docks mean - no people also

This.."Just painted my boat and already scuffed up from loading and beaching". Well ya know, its all in "location", beaching, and if the trailer is scuffing paint, go to "rollers" Trust me, either a pristine boat bottom, or used. Never will make the bottom perfect, if used, and enjoyed. And also the "paint", bottom, better be 2 part, paint and hardener mix, "Gelcoat it"..whatever..never will a rattle can work. Tell us how/what ya used? I was at Mason Lake this Saturday, with the famous "DOC Merc", and many others old classics. 80% beached. I didn't drag my Flatty out this year, never get close the beach anyway, twin 12" fins under hull. And I run saltwater here, and I bottom coat the sides, transom, as might sit overnite, slip. Heres a pic, side paint, "ablative"..starts to look scuffed..(Trailer guides)..get the roller out, with more paint. But I care less, sitting the trailer, as thats where the boat does not belong anyway. Heres a pic, recent. Been at this "wet thing", 55 years now..and now I simple use the darn boat..(this is one of 3 mine too)
Keel guards, here PNW, are used to bust "floaters"..(sunk logs, at the surface..ride over the boat, but there goes the L/U!) Have to say, bet the "paint"..used, you, simple not tough enuf..
Click image for full screen there..

I never have installed one, have thought about it.
I think they are a good idea, although if the boat gets beached a lot it's probable that other areas of the bottom will sustain wear.
I had an expensive trailer queen once, but if I scratched it I'd lose the investment so sold it in less than a year. For me was a constant worry. Some people like the museum quality boats, and that's cool. Fortunately, I found someone to buy mine. She's happy with it. That was one of the few boats I was happier to sell than buy. What a relief!
Here's some beached boats, all in saltwater with no keel protector, aside from beaching in an area with no waves on a gently sloping gravel beach. I would love to say I used it enough to wear off the gelcoat on the bottom. I don't think many of us get to use our boats as much as we want.

I've got one i'll be installing on my boat. They come in different colors to match your hull. Some like to go with contrasting colors I couldn't decide at first. But decided to go red to match my hull.
They don't recommend you place rollers on them as they are thick polyurethane with 3M double sided tape. They say it can cause it to possibly separate where they sit on a roller and will not guarantee its adhesion if you have it sitting on rollers.