> My kayak is painted on the bottom. The layer below the paint is a strip of
> fiberglass running the length of the keel. My boat has only been in the
> water a few times but the paint is already scraping off the keel in a few
> spots, scraped down to the fiberglass. The kayak is painted dark blue so
> the white scrapes really show.

> I was thinking of sanding the bottom, removing the paint along the whole
> length, the width of that fiberglass strip, leaving it unpainted. It would
> basically look like a white stripe a couple inches wide running the length
> of the keel.

> Would there be any problems caused by doing this, or does anyone have any
> other way of dealing with this, besides staying off the rockey beaches?

Don't call those marks `scratches` call them `beauty marks` or `experience lines', and live with them until the end of the season, then repaint the affected area(s) after doing any necessary repairs and sanding.

What you do NOT want to do is what you have described, namely sanding the paint off of the fiberglassed area. The paint is opaque and provides 100 percent Ultra Violet protection to the glass tape and resin which holds your boat together. Removing that protection would permit sunlight to damage the resin, and would shorten the life expectency of your boat.

Boat bottoms get scratched. That is the nature of things. It is tough to see your beautiful handiwork get scratched, but you have to learn to live with it.

I have previously suggested using a piece of wood as a rub strip. This strip would be expendable, so attach it in such a way that it can be easily replaced. A 1/4 inch thick strip 1 inch wide running like a shallow keel down the center of your boat should protect against many scratches. You may want to flank it with additional strips. To avoid any `keel' effect that might make turning more difficult, bevel or round the edges of the strip(s). If you use a cedar strip you don't need to paint it. Just replace it each year or two when it gets scuzzy.

Hope this helps.

Paul G. Jacobson