Tdb question

B

Brad Wainscott

Active member
Has anyone ever put a keel saver on their tdb, I'm not sure how strong it is up there and I've heard the older ones had Kevlar but I can see glass and I'd rather be safe than sorry. I obviously try to be as a gentle as possible.
 
Brad the kevlar was just a layer down the center of the hull, It wont stop from wearing. A keel guard can't hurt anything at all.
 
By keel saver you mean one of those self adhesive urethane keel guards I haven't installed any on duck boats but I have installed several on sport boats. If there properly installed they stick very well and are quite durable. I would seal the worn area either with resin or gel coat before installing the keel guard. Good luck.

Tom.
 
Brad,

I had a '93 maine built classic tdb. About 7 years ago the company told me that they were strong enough to break ice, and I did that a time or two. no problems. don't know if that helps.
 
They seem to have held up pretty well for the past 20 plus years. Pretty dam good if ya ask me to get 20 plus years out of a boat. That is why we bought the company and the molds. Way to good a product to be mothballed and alot of followers out there and true TDB fans. I think the whole kevlar thing is way overrated for how its used and what it does. If I were you I would as we discussed consider retiring the boat and upgrading in the near future. But a keel guard cant hurt anything and isnt that costly.

What we are starting to see as you well know is that the original boats from the late 80's and early 90's are starting to show there age. Just like any boat of that age. Wood rot, Extra weight from waterlogged foam, etc etc. Its just the way it is with a boat thats 20+ years old and that had wood in the construction.

With that said, that dont mean there junk by no means it simply means more care must be taken and more costly up keep if you plan to fix them and use them and the TDB's of that era while are awesome boats, they are not the easiest to access and make repairs to the damaged areas. LOL
 
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I have personally owned 4 of the older boats since purchasing the company 2 years ago, 3 classics and 1 sea class from the previous companies. The best one was the 2001 Kentucy built Sea class by far, regarldess of the rumors of the Maine built being the best. Each of the other 3 classics were from 1991-1994 and all had some sort of issues, mainly soft spots in floor and worn and damaged wood grass rails. All simple fixes and all boats have new homes but 1 17 classic I just took in. Bottom line You have a wonderful boat, but its getting older. I wouldnt worry about how tough it is at this point as its already proven its worthy surviving this long. Hunt it enjoy it and when the time comes retire it.



We get more calls from our ads in a magazine from guys who don't even have a computer than one could image in this day in age. LOL almost as many calls from non internet guys as we get from internet guys. LOL
 
I'll try this one more time.

Kevlar is primarily used in current boat construction for BALLISTIC penetration protection, not as abrasion protection. Kevlar is also superior to standard fiberglass cloth in fatigue resistance, basically keeping "things" together through a longer interval of vibration and hull flex cycles prior delamination onset. Both the foredeck area in the top half of the hull and the bow area in the Maine built TDB classics have a Kevlar layer. Please reference the TDB build videotape that provides an overview of the TDB-14' construction process. How much and where it was placed MAY be far different in the Kentucky built boats [I am a current and former Poke Boat(2), owner Maxi Poke Boat(1) user, including one kevlar hull]. I kept the Poke Boat I didn't have to repair or rebuild. It is not a kevlar reinforced hull.

The rationale of Kevlar use in the Maine built TDB-14' was to provide crush and penetration resistence for the small surface area point of contact at the bow when breaking through sea ice, per a conversation I had with Christian some years ago when the company builds were under his direction and oversight. It provided better abrasion resistence than the standard fiberglass cloth weaves of that era. That does not hold true in comparisons with advanced composite weaves used today.

To that end, I split the bow foredeck storage compartment in my TDB-14' into three sections by installing a pair of bulkheads parallel the keel and filling the outboard areas with 2 part flotation foam. This also offset the negative impact on bouyancy of adding a Group 24 battery. If I punch a hole through my hull on either side of the bow, the foam should lessen the degree of penetration, as well as minimizing or negating water intrusion, enabling me to limp home or inshore. The updated materials Tony employs likely offer superior ABRASION protection for his TDB hulls, particularly when compared to boats built under previous brand ownership, including Maine-built boats. The hulls may also be a little lighter than their predecessors due to these materials changes. Fiberglass does absorb water.

ONE high-end duckboat builder still employs Kevlar reinforcement layer use in their builds. Before getting into the duckboat business, they built a fair number of hulls...

Marsh complexes, river courses, as well as marine and Great Lakes embayments with shoreline wetland complexes are all environments that contain fullye or semi-submerged deadheads, rocks and stumps. Duck hunters spend a disproportionate amount of their time operating boats during periods of total darkness and low ambient light. I take my hat off to you folks who hunt routinely in tidal flow areas. I only have to contend with seiche activity.
 
Thanks for the knowledge RLLigman! I just want the boat to be as safe as possible, of course tony says to retire it. Ha. But that's not in the budget at this time! I wish I could tony! But I have had this boat out since Tony has worked on it and I love it. Runs great, and I think it's cool as hell. When I poked my head up front and saw light through it. I thought I should probably reinforce it someway. It doesn't leak at all and I've put marine grade caulk around the whole boat. I also don't have to twiddle my thumbs when I'm not working because my buddies are working. Lol. I just know I'll rub on the front while loading and unloading. And tony I think you know I'll be talking to you in a few years!!!!!!
 
Brad, enjoy it for a couple years its got that much life left in it no doubt without any serious issues.. As for seeing through it thats because the gelcoat has worn and glass is translucent and you will see through it. Nothing major just cover the exterior with a keel gaurd and go with it.
 
brad ,had one on my 14ft wrangler when i bought it after a few trips down the canal she started to rip off,dont know how long it was on for ,but the company warrantied it and sent me a new one,still got it in the box hope to get it on this year!
 
I have installed four on fiberglass Great Lakes boats. The only potential negative I foresee with doing this on a TDB 14' classic is the tight radius on the bow of this hull. You sand the hull surface and clean it with solvent prior applying the supplied adhesive for the Keelguard. The liquid adhesive reacts with the coating on the keelguard to form a bond. Lay it out well prior removing the protective sheeting on the back of the Keelguard. Get it warm and pliable. I have found that applying the Keelguard strip along the centerline of the keel for its lengthe works best to keep it straight and centered over the entire run. I use a hair dryer immediately after installation, working the small plastic tool to apply pressure, kneeding from centerline of the keel out over the Keelguard to its edge with the hair dryer on high.
 
I was considering going with a Kevlar shield, epoxied on. I have this on a couple of my canoes and had great wear resistance. They are fairly inexpensive.


Has anyone used one on a duck boat. My boat is a Merrymeeting Bay Scull.
 
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