Leaderboard

I did as Don did and plowed out a shallow rectangle for the bailer to live in, on the inside of the planking. Seemed the less draggy way to do it.

I am done with my part except for the notch for the outboard which will be modified when an outboard is chosen

There's two basic ways of protecting these types of things, a fixed solution, typically bonded in place or a sacrificial solution, which is bedded and lightly fastened. The sacrificial strips can be one of several things. 3/4" (19 mm) by 1/8" (3 mm) aluminum strips, are commonly available at hardware stores, usually in 48" lengths, though big box stores will often have them in 8' lengths. The aluminum used, isn't especially tough and doesn't like salt water much, but they're relatively cheap, easy to machine and bend. Half ovals in brass, bronze and stainless cost a lot more. HDPE is even more costly, unless you can find a source for longer lengths. I like the idea of being easily able to remove a dicked up piece and replace it when necessary. If you have a local welding shop, order some 6061 strips from them. They can get you a piece that will run full length and the T-6 stock, will hold up very well in saltwater. The fixed protection can run the gamut of options: embedded rope, pipe, Kevlar tape, etc. What I like most is a stone mixture set in a shallow groove. It's done just like the rope leading edge on a centerboard, except the groove is shallower and you don't have to be precise about it. Mix sand, quartz, pulverized limestone, etc. with the epoxy and pile it up on the leading edge or keel. The shallow groove just keeps it centered on the whatever you're applying it. You'd be best advised to shape as best as you can while this stuff is wet or in the green stage as sanding it really sucks when cured. Stone will dramatically increase the bulk of the epoxy you mix and the cured result is well, like stone. A stone mixture can take huge compression and impact loads and it's part of the structure, becoming the whole leading edge of a board or the whole bottom edge of a keel. It isn't easy to replace, but if you bash into something hard enough to screw up this stone edge, you'll have bigger troubles then a keel guard to fix.