encapsulated ballast shield?

[durp]

Has anyone reinforced their boat below the water line with any sort of sheathing?

Just curious if there is any way to beef up my boat a bit, if all goes well we wish to pull the boat out to refit near the end of this season, and if life lines up, depart May 2018 for distant horizons. We are doing the refit ourselves to be able to have some semblance of a cruising budget.

I have a Rawson 30 PH, and I have seen pictures of at least one holing in the keel ballast region, which brought the boat down. I have also read another report in an around the world voyage in one of these boats where grounding, reefs and what not caused issues nearly losing the vessel. I would like to avoid this at all possible, and protect my fragile reinforced cement encapsulated keel. I don't really know how to approach this problem, but I am open to suggestions!

 

[robwilk37]

not really sure you have a "problem"...
i once ran a rawson 30 up onto a giant log, at speed (6.5kts). and just slipped right off and kept going. later haul showed some minor surface abrasion but nothing approaching a structural repair. in my experience they are a stocky little bulldog of a boat, with a good and attentive owner. they have had ballast issues though, steel punchings low in the keel get exposed to salt water and start to swell. this is a whole new level of hell to correct, but several have done it. this wouldnt be the boat id worry about adding extra glass to...
my .02

 

[PAR]

A few layers of 'glass aren't going to offer much in terms of protection, just some abrasion resistance and 'glass wouldn't be the best choice. Xynole would be a much better abrasion resistance fabric. Of course Kevlar is a more costly option too.

 

[Fred Roswold]

Has anyone reinforced their boat below the water line with any sort of sheathing?
I would like to ...protect my fragile reinforced cement encapsulated keel.

Your Rawson 30 is already a strong vessel, sheathing it is not a good idea. I'd spend my money and time learning how to avoid going up on reefs; good navigation equipment and skills, good watch-standing practices, the best charts. Get lots of miles on the boat in all kinds of weather, learn to sail it instead of motoring, even to weather. These things will pay you dividends. Keep your boat original if possible, it will sail better and be worth more.