Homemade Kayak Keel

Kayaks are notoriously thin at the keel. This gives the kayak its characteristic maneuverability. The lake of a pronounced keel also makes it hard for neophyte paddlers to steer the boat reliably. If you feel the need for some mechanical help in keeping your kayak moving in a straight line, you can add a raised keel to its bottom to help it track better.

  1. Material

    • The typical kayak is made of plastic, fiberglass or wood. Any one of these will allow you to use fiberglass tape and gel coat to add a raised keel to the bottom of your kayak. The core materials you use for the keel will depend on how you want to shape the keel. For a rounded shape you can use a long piece of half-inch or smaller PVC pipe, or a strip of 1/2-inch-by-1/2-inch wood trim. For a deeper keel a piece of triangular shaped wooden trim will work as well.

    Laying the Keel

    • Clean the bottom of the kayak with acetone cleaner. Mark the keel, lightly sand and clean the keel line, then use epoxy to glue the keel core material to the bottom of the kayak from waterline to waterline fore and aft. Allow it to sit for 24 hours.

    Cutting the Fiberglass Cloth

    • Cut fiberglass tape or strips wide enough to lay over the top of the keel core and extend 1-1/2 to 2 inches on both sides of the keel core. The strip should be 2 to 3 inches longer than the keel strip on both ends. When you’ve got your fiberglass strip cut to size, set it aside in a clean dry space.

    Surface Prep

    • Sand and clean the area on either side of the keel almost to the tape guides. Sand with 100- to 200-grit sandpaper and clean with acetone again. If you damage the tape, replace it. Keep a small cup of acetone to clean brushes and such as you go.

    Tape and Gel

    • As soon as you’re ready, add the catalyst to the gel coat following label directions. Very quickly paint a generous portion of gel coat over the keel core and onto the hull between the tape guides. Wearing chemical gloves, put the fiberglass tape on the keel and work it down into the gel coat. Press the tape to form over the core material, then paint over the top of the tape with gel coat to wet it fully. With a squeegee, spread and smooth the gel without exposing the fiberglass threads. Feather the gel coat to the edge of the masking tape. Make only enough gel coat for the coat your are working on. Try to finish before the gel coat starts to harden.

    Clean and Add New Tape

    • Clean any drips of gel off the boat with acetone, and clean the brush with acetone. Before the gel hardens, remove the tape. Let the gel dry for an hour or two, then put on fresh tape.

    Second Coat

    • Make up a new batch of gel coat and add styrene to thin it so it will fill in any gaps or holes. Don’t use too much styrene or the gel coat won’t harden. Repaint the keel and areas between the tape with gel coat, squeegee and feather to the edge of the tape. Remove the tape and let the gel dry as before, then reapply tape.

    Final Coat

    • Mix up another batch of gel coat, adding the catalyst just before you start work. Paint another thin amount of gel coat over the keel and areas on either side of the keel as before. It won’t be perfectly smooth at this point. Before the gel coat hardens, again remove the tape and let the gel dry for two hours. Lay a plastic film as an air barrier over the top so it will dry more slowly.

    Finish

    • Use fine-grit sandpaper to smooth any rough edges and paint or apply a colored layer of gel coat to match the hull.