My hull is due for its second year rebuild. It took a beating on the side during the Storm Island fish boat and subsequent CCG "Lifeboat" rescue and during some attempted photography off a breakwater during a gale, for some SK articles. I've also hit many a reef with the underside, and despite a triple thickness hull, I'm getting stress risers near the bulkhead. I've been out on Juan De Fuca Strait many evenings the last two weeks, as its been running around 25 to 30 knots with regularity, but I've bashed my keel strip one too many times and then recently cracked the bow strip portion last weekend. I have been using a full leght hull strip of UHMW plastic (3/4" X 3/8" X 17'). It has degraded due to UV damage, I believe. I store the kayak, hull up, exposed to the sun. The UHMW has grazed and cracked, so that is why I believe it is failing prematurely. I would like to use a different material, and go a bit thicker (3/4" X 1/2" X 17'). There is a product called "Star Board". It is a marine-use product, similar to UHMW, but a little softer, completely bright white (UHMW is off-white and opaque), and has better UV inhibiting properties. So, it will not be as good as the UHMW for wear, but the softer properties combined with the durability in the sun, might be better for my application. Anyone used this stuff before? BTW, if you don't understand what the plastic strip does on my sea kayak, it is kind of like the brass half-round you see under a canoe hull that runs up to the bow tip, screwed in place as an ultimate hull rub strip. BC'in Ya Doug Lloyd (known boat abuser ) *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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