Handmade fiberglass Keels with 5 single tabs

Build Threads 2024
1

Hello everyone!
currently shaping myself swallow fish 5’3 similar to the picture below from Burch.

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I’ve also shaped myself a pair of fiberglass keels and i wanted to install them using 5 FCS single tab boxes on each fin.

i am really concerned whether the 5 fin boxes will be strong enough… all the people that i know are suggesting to glass them on, but i’d like the fins to be removable in case i’d like to travel and take the board over sea.

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has anyone had any prior experience? or any wise advice?

thanks

2

I had 3 tab keels and they were alright.

However, I don’t see any problem with glassing them on because you can so easily carry around a piece of foam to protect the fins in a bag. I literally just duct taped over some foam and that was enough.
XPS foam works even better.

3

Hey mate, thanks for replying.
I wanted to install fin boxes so i would have been able to exchange fins and shape new ones in the future and be able to try the same board with different set ups.

was the 3 tabs weak? easy to break?

4

Hard to say, but I think it was much the same as 2 tab, normal sized fins roughly, which is a little bit weak imho