Skeg / propellor guard bar for Freedom cat ketch

General Discussion
1

Hi. I found this image of a rope deflector on the back of a UK Freedom 30 keel. No idea whose boat it is unfortunately. It looks like the owner drilled a horizontal hole in the keel and inserted a bronze or stainless steel rod. Has anyone here carried out this modification to a cat ketch, and if so how did you do it and are you happy with it please? Thanks in advance!

https://poole.boatshed.com/freedom_30-boat-265300.html#boatmedia-13

PS if the owner is here, it would also be nice to hear about your impressions of the Darglow 3 Blade Self Feathering prop 🙂

2

Hi. The rod is on a shoe screwed to the aft end of the keel. It is not inserted in the keel. The Darglow propellor is great. It switches easily from forwards to astern and it seems to be right for the engine. It is hard to say what the drag is like, as I got the boat with the prop. I have not found a good way to get the anode here (DK) yet, so I just have to order from Darglow.

3

Many thanks for this! Do you happen to know if the bolts in question go through the hull to nuts on the inside, or what diameter the rod is and the material of the rod and sole, please

Simon

4

Hi Simon. The piece is stainless steel and is attached be 4 screws into the glass fibre of the keel from below.
Alex

5

Thanks Alex! Now I need to decide if I’m going for your system or one that bolts through the keel with 3 bolts going athwartships and consists of a Y shaped fabrication of steel plate, which I’ve seen pictures of on the Facebook Freedom group