RE: [Paddlewise] Chasing Leaks

From: Chuck Holst <cholst_at_bitstream.net>
Date: Wed, 30 Aug 2000 08:04:44 -0500
>>
Dave - As so often happens, I forgot one of the most important things when 
I
wrote my last post. Be absolutlely sure that the boat is very well 
supported
when you do your tests. I know that you've already thought of this - but 
the
spectre of a boat deforming under the stress of water inside it and poor
support outside it gives me the shivers. It might not happen - but it's so
easy to prevent....

Bill Hansen
Ithaca NY
>>

This happened to me. Looking for the source of a leak, which later turned 
out to be in the hatch rim, I filled the forward compartment of my Romany 
with water while it sat in its saddles on the car. I now have two sets of 
slight but noticeable dents where the Romany rested on the saddles. I 
didn't think it was possible to *dent* a heavy-duty fiberglass hull.

BTW, a common source of leaks in Romanys, I have discovered, is the 
Kajaksport hatch rims, which are glued to the fiberglass deck of the kayak. 
I've even heard a rumor of rims coming off. If water can find its way 
between the deck and the rim, it will. I fixed this problem on Linda's and 
my Romanys by running a thin bead of Aquaseal (which is urethane-based) 
around the edge of the rim where it meets the deck. Linda's forward 
compartment, which had started leaking up to a cup of water during rolling 
sessions, is now bone-dry again, and my forward hatch cover now balloons 
under the hot sun for the first time in years (my leak was only a few 
ounces). I should note that, as opposed to the seal between the rim and the 
deck, the seal between the rim and the original covers remains good after 
six seasons, much of it spent in the sun.

Don't bother running a bead of Aquaseal around the inside of the rim, as it 
will rub off when you stuff gear inside.

Chuck Holst


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Received on Wed Aug 30 2000 - 06:16:16 PDT

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