Line from keel to rudder

[davidsamuelson]

Hi,
I need some suggestions, please.
On an aluminium boat I want to put a line from the bottom of the keel back to the bottom of the rudder to prevent things catching in the prop. I do not want stainless since the hull is aluminium. What line is the best and how would I tension it? Should I put bottom paint on it? Is there already a tried and tested solution out there?
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Thanks, David

[Ian McColgin]

On Granuaile - an LFH Marco Polo schooner - I had a length of very heavy monofillament. At the keel end I set the mono - with a loop made with an angler's knot - into a lump of epoxy. I put a screw in the rudder's bottom right under the pivot point and pulled the mono to that, another angler's knot, and there we are. Tended to replace it each haul out. After some groundings in mud or sand the line got stretched and needed replacement.

My thought is to have something that can break-away and will not cause more trouble if one end comes loose and the other finds the prop.

We ran over a few things where I'm sure there'd have been a foul were it not for the mono.

G'luck

[davidsamuelson]

Thanks for that Ian. Since the boat is out of the water I'll weld on a couple of eyes for attachment and try the monofilament route. David