While applying some fiberglass buffing compound to the forward hatch cover I noticed a hairline crack that goes all the way through. While I doubt it will leak very much and probably not get any bigger (unless I whack it again), it's still probably not a good thing. What am I going to seal it up with? I have some of that epoxy stuff suggested in a recent thread that I haven't had the nerve to use yet. Is that the stuff to use? Inside or outside or both? If I use it on the outside it will probably look like hell when I get through. I assume 303 goes on top of any buffing, etc. prep work? I had the kayak outside during a 2nd or 3rd mild winter. The neoprene hatch covers were just laid on as were the hard covers. The kayak was just covered with a tarp. The inside of the forward and aft hatches are both mostly discolored but the cockpit is not. The whiteish coloring does not rub off. I assume it is just discoloring and no big deal. Right? If I had thigh pads, the place they would be installed has a thin material pulling loose from the shell. What am I going to seal that with? The waterproof stuff I can think of wouldn't be strong enough to stand up to the constant rubbing which would start right at the opening of the seal. I have a minor bulkhead leak which does seem to be a good candidate for some kind of waterproof caulk. I presume that this seal should be flexible rather than rigid. The 6-9 inch section of the keel(?) at the extreme end of the stern is worn through the gelcoat (the shiny stuff? - about 1/16") down to the fiberglass (the dull stuff?). This is what I bought the epoxy (Marinetex?) for. Am I just going to lay on a coat(s) equal to the thickness of the worn away gelcoat? Will I have to do any sanding afterward? Will the epoxy hold up to whatever it was that wore away the gelcoat in the first place? If so, why don't they use some kind of epoxy/gelcoat combination to start with? Will I be putting anything over top of the epoxy? A year or two ago on r.b.p., there was an arguement about waxing canoes and/or ww kayaks and it's effect on protection vs performance, some for and some against the theories. Any thoughts about this for sea yaks? Clyde Sisler http://csisler.com *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
Clyde W Sisler <clyde.sisler_at_wang.com> wrote :- <While applying some fiberglass buffing compound to the forward hatch cover I noticed a hairline crack that goes all the way through.> Hi Clyde, A dilema.....wether to mess with it or not ! You probably should investigate why it has happened; e.g. Gel is liable to stress fracture as it is not as flexible as the resin and mat underneath. One of the most common locations is over the bulkhead. One of the problems that may arise, being as you store your boat outside in the winter, is that ice will expand the crack. Boats tend to take on some water throughout the season due to osmosis through minute imperfections in the 'wetting out' process or wear and tear damage. A nice warm cellar is perfect. ( Forgive my ignorance if you live in Florida!). My inclination would be to buy some Gel either ready made as a repair putty of the regular stuff. Gently route out ( a Dremmel with a conical bit is ideal ) or otherwise open up the crack enough to dribble gel in there. Colour matching is always good. A strip of smooth tape on top will smooth out the repair and exclude the air thus speeding the cure time. Finish off with wet and dry say from 280 down to 1000 grit if your fussy and complete with some buffer. The underside is easier to deal with. A simple patch of mat wetted out with resin or just a wipe with a loaded brush if you are sure there is no structural damage You mentioned ' epoxy ' something or other. I assume you are talking about the ready made repair putty, great though it is, is not ideal for a small cosmetic job like this. <The 6-9 inch section of the keel(?) at the extreme end of the stern is worn through the gel coat > This is an ideal place to put a keel strip. Sand and clean the area. Use masking tape around the repair to stop resin spreading all over the boat. Cut 2 or 3 strips of fibre glass overlapping by by inch or so. Mix up the resin, following the manufactures quantities and not like I do ( a very generous squirt of catalyst followed by a smoking pot). Apply the resin to the mat on layer at a time making sure the mat is completely 'wetted out'. That shouldn't mean that great gobs of it are cascading down the hull. Stand back and resist the temptation to go back in a smooth it out. Sand it down later. Try to remove the masking tape before the resin seals it onto the boat and be careful not to lift the patch when removing the tape. A craft knife can cut away any strands of glass that have inadvertently crept over the tape. You can could also use the epoxy putty for this job. Simply smooth it over and sand it off later but if you own a glass boat it is almost incumbent on you to come to terms with resins and the like.(IMHO !) < the place they would be installed has a thin material pulling loose from the shell.> What loose material ? It's not fibre glass is it ? Sounds a little scary to me? ! If there were foam pads there before it may just be residual contact adhesive. Scrape it off and glue the new foam pads over it. Hope this helps rather than discourages ! Phil. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
> Hello again Clyde, > It's 5.30 a.m. and I awoke thinking about the incomplete advice I gave you on > my last post ! I know, sad isn't it : I need to get a life. I was rushing out > last night to see friends and brevity got the better of content. > Re. the keel strip. > A neater and easier way is to use 2" wide woven glass cloth. It's sold in > most marine stores and you should be able to buy it by the foot rather than > the whole roll. Prep as before, wipe a brush load of resin on the keel and > lay the cloth on the keel. Mix in to the resin a 'thickening agent' of some > type, prefarably microballoons rather than plain old filler which is not that > durable.Check on the colour of the microbaloons as some, like the West > system, are a dirty red and may effect your colour match. Coat over the top > of the cloth as a finish. If you have used resin you might want to add a > pigment available in the store but white gel is standard on most hulls and is > available pre-mixed. For that perfect finish, another coat of gel over the > sanded strip adds more protection.A quick word on Gel and it's shorter 'pot' > or 'working' life. Gel is much more viscous than resin and just a few strokes > of the brush is enough. Try not to go back and mess with it. The nice thing > about it is that you can remove the masking tape almost immediately after to > leave a cosmetically pleasing line without the Gel starting to migrate across > the hull unlike resin which needs to start to go off before removing the > tape. You could also go the epoxy route. Same method but read the instructions on the can as the % of catalyst to resin need to be as recommended. I don't believe you can accelerate curing by the 'add another squirt of catalyst method' as one can do with the polyester resins. Epoxy's do give a more durable finish but are impossible (?) to pigment so what you see is what you get. Also polyester gel won't take over epoxy. An even more expensive finish would be some of the 2 part marine epoxy paints used on sail boats. Hideously expensive and untried by me at any rate. It may be worth extending the job to the whole keel if your boat shows wear and is no more difficult than glassing on a small strip( just more stressful !) I hate to sound like a mothering hen but there are a few safety precautions you should think about. Wear eye protection. Wear a dust mask. Wear disposable gloves. Ventilate the room. Watch out where you place containers of resins after use as the little buggers are strongly exothermic and could conceivably light up your trash can. Disclaimer. All the above advice has been distilled entirely by years of trial and error (a lot of error I might add) and other more competent advice should be definitely sought ! Now shall I go back to bed or stay up ? Hey, I could go paddling, what's the forecast ? See ya Phil *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
>Clyde W Sisler <clyde.sisler_at_wang.com> wrote :- ><While applying some fiberglass buffing compound to the forward hatch >cover I noticed a hairline crack that goes all the way through.> >You probably should investigate why it has happened; e.g. Gel is liable My best guess is it happened while surfing over some rocks last year and I lost it in 2 feet of water (I can do a really fast wet exit when motivated). There were a series of barnacle encrusted ledges and the occasional rock sticking up and I assume it smacked one of them, although there didn't appear to be a 'point of impact'. >< the place they would be installed has a thin material pulling loose >from the shell.> >What loose material ? It's not fibre glass is it ? Sounds a little >scary to me? ! If there were foam pads there before it may just be >residual contact adhesive. Scrape it off and glue the new foam pads over I assume these are teeny built in foam type thigh pads that come with the FG Looksha IV (that's the best I can describe it). If the cockpit is oval, there is a small (3" area that protrudes from the coaming where one's upper thigh would be. There is a 1/8" thin foam type material (pad?) coming loose from the protrubences. >Hope this helps rather than discourages ! No, it doesn't discourage me. That will come when I find myself firmly epoxied to the boat and a nearby tree with people smiling and waving back as I frantically wave for help. Tim Allen is my hero! Thanx to all for their thoughtful responses and for the rudder maintenance feedback too. I'm printing them all (as well as archiving) and will compare them, come up with a shopping list and then dive in. I suspect there will be more responses too as I know this is a favorite topic amongst some. I've just never paid attention before. I'll be doing the work outside so ventilation won't be an issue. I was in Philadelphia a couple of months ago when 5 teenage girls were killed in a car accident because they were all huffed up. :-( *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
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