# US 9,038,559 B2 · Keel pad, boat hull with a keel pad and retrofit kit

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- Number: US 9,038,559 B2
- Document ID: US9038559B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/045,251
- Filed: 2013-10-03
- Published: 2014-04-17
- Granted: 2015-05-26
- Earliest claimed: 2012-10-16
- Assignees: Prop It Rite Consulting Services, Inc.
- Applicants: Prop It Rite Boat Consulting Services Inc.
- Inventors: Jose Abella; Jorge Valderrama
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9038559B2

## CPC

- B63B 3/38: Keels (movable keels B63B41/00)
- B63B 2001/183: {having non-floating planing surfaces, e.g. attached skis or plate-shaped bodies}
- B63B: SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING (arrangements of vessel ventilation, heating, cooling, or air-conditioning B63J2/00; floating substructures as supports of dredgers or soil-shifting machines E02F9/06)

## Abstract

A keel pad is provided for a hull of a boat. The keel pad contains a main body and two fingers extending from the main body in a direction of a front of the hull. Due to curved shape of the fingers, drag is reduced allowing the boat better planing properties and greater fuel efficiencies.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A keel pad for a V-shaped hull of a boat, the keel pad comprising:
a main body having a forward end; and
two strakes extending out only from a front end of said forward end of said main body in a direction of a front of the V-shaped hull, said two strakes being flush with said main body at said forward end, said main body with said two strakes when attached to the V-shaped hull providing hydrodynamic lift due to a bypassing water flow.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The keel pad according to claim 1, wherein said two strakes define a V-shaped entry between said two strakes as viewed looking forward toward the front of the hull.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The keel pad according to claim 1, wherein said two strakes have inner sides tapering towards each other and are blade shaped.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The keel pad according to claim 1, wherein:
said main body has a given width WKP;
the hull has a given chine beam width WCB and a given length LOA; and
said given width WKP is defined by the equation:
0.05WCB<WKP<0.5LOA.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The keel pad according to claim 1, wherein said main body is rectangular shaped.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The keel pad according to claim 1, wherein:
said main body has a given length L1;
said strakes each has a given length L2; and
said given length L2 is defined by the equation:
0.25L1<L2<2L1.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The keel pad according to claim 1, wherein:
said main body has a given length L1;
said strakes each has a given length L2, where an overall length L3=L1+L2;
the hull has a given length LOA; and
said overall length L3 is defined by the equation:
0.05LOA<L3<0.5LOA.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The keel pad according to claim 1, wherein the keel pad is designed to be one of:
integrated in the hull; and
retrofitted on the hull.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The keel pad according to claim 1, wherein said two strakes each have a frontal region sloping towards the hull and extend in a blade like manner to a tip.

### Claim 10

A boat, comprising:
a V-shaped hull having a front and a transom; and
a keel pad extending from said V-shaped hull, said keel pad having a main body with a forward end and two strakes extending out only from a front end of said forward end of said main body in a direction of said front of said V-shaped hull, said two strakes being flush with said main body at said forward end, said main body with said two strakes providing hydrodynamic lift due to a bypassing water flow.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The boat according to claim 10, wherein said two strakes define a V-shaped entry between said two strakes as viewed looking forward toward said front of said hull.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The boat according to claim 10, wherein said two strakes have inner sides tapering towards each other and are blade shaped.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The boat according to claim 10, wherein:
said main body has a given width WKP;
said hull has a given chine beam width WCB and a given length LOA; and
said given width WKP is defined by the equation:
0.05WCB<WKP<0.5LOA.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The boat according to claim 10, wherein said main body is rectangular shaped.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The boat according to claim 10, wherein:
said main body has a given length L1;
said strakes each has a given length L2; and
said given length L2 is defined by the equation:
0.25L1<L2<2L1.

### Claim 16 (depends on 10)

The boat according to claim 10, wherein:
said main body has a given length L1;
said strakes each has a given length L2, where an overall length L3=L1+L2;
said hull has a given length LOA; and
said overall length L3 is defined by the equation:
0.05LOA<L3<0.5LOA.

### Claim 17 (depends on 10)

The boat according to claim 10, wherein said two strakes each slope towards said hull in a frontal region of said keel pad.

### Claim 18 (depends on 10)

The boat according to claim 10, wherein:
said main body has a given height h and a given width WKP;
said hull has a given deadrise angle β; and
h is approximately=0.5 WKP tan(β).

### Claim 19 (depends on 10)

The boat according to claim 10, wherein:
said main body has a given height h;
said strakes each has a given length L2; and
the following equation holds: 1/5>h/L2>1/30.

### Claim 20

A retrofit kit, comprising:
a keel pad to be attached to a V-shaped hull of a boat, said keel pad containing a main body having a front end and two strakes extending out only from a front end of said forward end of said main body in a direction of a front of the V-shaped hull, said two strakes being flush with said main body at said forward end, said main body with said two strakes providing hydrodynamic lift due to a bypassing water flow.