How To Repair Kayak Hull

KAYAK CARE

Routine Maintenance Procedures

Kayaks by and large do not need much maintenance, but a piddling bit volition go a long way to enhance your pleasance in using the boat. It will besides increase the longevity of its appearance and even its structure.

Cleaning the Interior

Rinsing out or washing the interior (particularly the cockpit) to rid it of sand, food waste, embankment scum and full general debris is a good idea later each use and will forestall the growth of mold or other things that tin "foul" the interior. A rinse using freshwater is usually sufficient. An easy way to accomplish this is to set the kayak upside down on saw horses and hose out the interior through the cockpit. Backlog water and dirt can simply run out of the cockpit. Utilize a damp cloth to wipe out the insides of your bulkheaded compartments.

Bank check the foot pedals for freedom of movement. If necessary, wash the sand or mud from the rails with a hose to preclude chafe and sticking.

Cleaning the Outside

A water rinse is oft sufficient. Water born scum tin can be removed with soap. Use a mild solvent like rubbing booze to remove stubborn stains. NEVER Utilise acetone, toluene, MEK, lacquer/paint thinner, or ammonia-based cleaners on Carbonlite 2000.

Crude edges may be sanded with fine sandpaper. Audit your kayak for extra deep cuts or other harm after use and brand appropriate repairs and so its operation is never jeopardized when yous need it. Keep the hatch cover and rim free of sand or other textile that could prevent a good seal.

Deck Hardware

Information technology is a good idea to inspect your deck hardware occasionally. Make sure all nuts are secure and there is not whatsoever unusual wearable in the deck where the bolt inserts.

Check the shock cord ends where they attach to the fittings and check the stupor cord itself for wear and chafe.

The nylon that covers the daze cord is susceptible to UV harm and will age with fourth dimension. If this is then, information technology is easily replaced. It is important that the 4-point self-rescue bungies behind the cockpit are maintained in proficient condition.

The behave handles at each end of the boat should exist able to back up the weight of the gunkhole. Bank check for article of clothing on the rope. It can be easily replaced besides.

KAYAK REPAIR

Carbonlite Repair & Recommended Adhesive

Carbonlite Kayaks are easy to repair. The method used varies somewhat with the extent of the damage. The central ingredient in the agglutinative we recommend is Methyl Methacrylate. It is commonly referred to equally Plastic Welder and sold under several brand names:

Devcon Plastic Welder is the most pop and is bachelor at many hardware stores.
Permatex Plastic Welder tin can exist found in both cream color and black.
JB Weld Plastic Bonder is widely distributed at home supply stores and hardware stores.

Eddyline offersDevcon Plastic Welderin a 25ml cicatrice pack on our store (basis shipment only). You lot can also purchase a Carbonlite Repair Kit which includes the Devcon Plastic Welder and everything you demand for a bones repair Carbonlite Repair Kit.

Surface Scratch Repair on Carbonlite & Modulus Kayaks

Light to moderate surface scratches on Carbonlite kayak decks and hulls can be repaired in the post-obit style: The procedures begin with the most gentle handling and move to more an aggressive and detailed process. Commencement anywhere on the list and motion up the list until you are happy with the result.

Use a plastic polishing chemical compound such as Meguiars #10, usually available from an automotive or marine supply. Then apply a wax-like Yacht Brite "Serious Shine" (available from our shop).
Use an electric buffing pad on a drill to apply a polishing compound such as 3M Finesse, or whatsoever other marine polishing chemical compound. If satisfied with the stop, simply apply wax. Otherwise, proceed with step 1.
Wet sand the area with 800 grit or 1200 grit newspaper depending on the severity of the scratches. 800 dust is for heavier scratches and may be followed with the 1200 grit to produce a finer end. Proceed to step ii.

Cuts and Gouges: Procedures

Clean and dry the damaged area.
Employ a razor blade or a sharp knife to remove burrs or fries.
Mix a pocket-size corporeality of Devcon Plastic Welder and apply but plenty to fill the area to the surface.
Stretch a piece of saran wrap or plastic over the material and smoothen out with finger (optional). It tin assist produce a smooth surface. Remove after everything is dry.
Allow to cure until hard (tin exist handled in ane hour or sooner, full strength in 24 hours).
If needed lightly moisture sand with 400 dust, polish with a buffer or compound.
Y'all can spray the area with a high gloss acrylic spray pigment if you lot wish. Articulate acrylic will eliminate small scratches too.

Repair Details: Thermoform Repair, Carbonlite Repair

Here's a fracture from this kayak being pinned against a piling with a lot of water pushing against information technology. No 1 was hurt and this kayak will exist equally practiced as new in one hr.

Here is a detailed footstep past step photo tutorial on how to repair thermo-formed kayaks. This repair was completed in less than 1 hour with materials hands available at any local hardware or big box shop.

Here's what you will demand:

1. Devcon Plastic Welder
This adhesive is very similar to that used to build Eddyline kayaks. It is readily available at virtually local hardware and big box stores in the adhesives department.

ii. Fiberglass Fabric
2-3″ wide fiberglass cloth tin be purchased from most marine hardware and auto parts stores. The material sold in Eddyline's online shop is especially nice because the sides of the cloth are airtight with stitching and won't fray.

three. Cardboard Working Surface

iv. Squeegee or Spreader to Spread Adhesive

5. (Optional) Hobby Paint
Used for coloring Devcon Plastic Welder adhesive for highly visible repair areas (i.e., exterior). Krylon Fusion Acrylic Spray Pigment can likewise be used by spraying a small-scale corporeality into the mucilage while information technology is beingness mixed.

6. Rubbing Compound for Concluding Sanding
400, 800, and 1200 Wet sandpaper for finishing.

7. Masking Tape and appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (gloves, etc.)
Keeps it all clean and your work within the "lines"

Directions

Clean the repair area of the kayak with isopropyl or rubbing alcohol. Mask the repair area. Use Devcon Plastic Welder on one side of the fiberglass tape and use a squeegee to spread evenly over the entire fabric. Pick up this strip and employ the wet side downwards to the inside of the damaged surface.

Await a infinitesimal and and then add together and spread Devcon Plastic Welder to the exposed "dry side" of the fiberglass tape. Repeat the same process for a second patch, covering the first patch.

The inside repair is finished and y'all tin can remove the tape.

Motility to the exterior of the repair and use a Dremel or like tool to create a groove where the fracture was. This will receive pigmented Devcon Plastic Welder for the exterior cosmetic repair.

After filling the groove with pigmented Devcon Plastic Welder, you lot tin can apply a razor blade to take down the actress adhesive earlier it gets hard. Otherwise, wet sand the finished repair until smooth, then polish.

Back to the H2o!

For Those Who May Need More Detail:

I employ the to a higher place repair materials for repairing Royalex Canoes and even Composite (Glass, Kevlar and Carbon) Kayaks and Canoes. The reason I prefer the method and materials described to a higher place is that the materials shop hands in the field and mixing the adhesive is a sure-fire. Using conventional polyester resins and hardeners like MEK (a known carcinogen) in the field is not simply difficult to mix correctly but also more than cumbersome to carry and shop afterwards use. Devcon Plastic Welder is really an astonishing adhesive that cures to treatment strength in xx minutes. In the repair above we employ Devcon Plastic Welder as the "resin" to laminate drinking glass to the inside of the kayak. We besides employ Devcon plastic welder mixed with a small amount of hobby pigment to friction match the color to the outside of the boat. This footstep is not necessary in the field.

The repair materials pictured and used above are small enough to even fit in my PFD as a field repair kit.

You tin can also just use Devcon Plastic Welder as a filler for scratches and gouges:

First lightly sand or Dremel the gouge to be filled. Then clean the expanse with rubbing booze.
Squeeze a little Devcon Plastic Welder on to a working surface and add a little pigment to color lucifer the color of the boat surface. Acrylic Hobby Pigment works fine merely I prefer Krylon Fusion Spray Pigment considering it is easier to discover around town. I'll merely give a little spray to the Devcon Plastic Welder as I'one thousand mixing the 2 parts together.
This colored Devcon Plastic Welder is swell for filling gouges and scratches. I have fifty-fifty used it to rebuild the ends of the boat if you have a very well used boat.
Once you have filled the gouge you are working on you can use a razor bract to scrape off the excess.
Then you can use moisture/dry sandpaper to smoothen the surface
If you are actually a polisher, you tin can utilise a rubbing compound to give it the final shine

How Tough Is Carbonlite?

Carbonlite is harder than a gel coat (composite kayaks). Carbonlite boats volition non scratch or gouge equally easily equally a Fiberglass boat. I retrieve that Carbonlite does even better on glancing bear upon than a fiberglass boat that tin can get spider fractures. Loaded Touch on and Torsional Flex is more debatable and probably unique to private injury. In a rough surf zone crash, you might end upward doing repairs on both glass and carbonlite. Unlike types of repair…and, in my opinion, a glass boat is more than difficult because spidering gel cracks are a real hurting.

Repairing Cracks or Splits: Procedures

Clean and dry the damaged expanse.
Utilize a razor bract or knife to remove burrs or chips.
Mix enough agglutinative to coat the damaged edges and to make full outside gouges.
Use a sparse layer of adhesive to as much of the damaged border equally possible.
Realign the edges and push button them together.
Use record to hold the pieces tightly together until the adhesive sets. If adhesive squishes out, smooth information technology out with a gloved finger or rag.
If you must tape over the adhesive itself, a small piece of saran wrap underneath volition keep the glue from bonding to the tape.
Remove backlog glue with a rag and booze.

If the area is stable you may go on with the post-obit immediately, if non await until the previous application sets (usually about one half hr), then proceed with the remaining steps.

Cut a piece of the drinking glass tape (included) long enough to cover the damage plus about i inch at either terminate.
Working on a piece of waxed paper or cardboard, mix an adequate quantity of glue and spread it into the tape with your finger until the tape is saturated with agglutinative (apply gum to both sides of the tape if necessary).
Then place information technology over the damaged expanse (inside the gunkhole if possible). Press it in identify and work out air from under it with your fingers.
Allow hardening. Generally, the boat may be moved and handled within one hour.
If corrective touch on up is needed, use the procedures described for cuts and gouges.

Modulus Kayak Repair

Modulus hulls, in a nutshell, are Carbonlite 2000 on the outside, and composite (Fiberglass/Kevlar) on the interior. Therefore they may be repaired with methods that would work on either Carbonlite kayaks (for the deck and outside of the hull) or Composite kayaks (for the interior of the hull). Modulus Farthermost kayaks are a hybrid of Carbonlite and Kevlar on both the deck and hull.

Fiberglass / Kevlar Repair – Modulus Hull

For the interior of a Modulus hull

Sand the damaged area with medium-grit sandpaper.
Clean the area with acetone or isopropyl alcohol.
Cutting the fiberglass material to the proper size, overlapping the damaged area past 1″ on all sides.
Mix the resin and catalyst. Make sure that you take into consideration the air temperature you are working in. The warmer the temperature, the faster the resin will harden.
Utilize mixed resin direct to the hull at the damaged area.
Place fiberglass materials on wax paper and brush resin on to them working out any air bubbles with a paintbrush. Be certain the cloth is fully saturated with resin.
Employ the wet materials to the damaged area and smooth out with a paintbrush.
Cover with plastic wrap to assure a smooth finish. Subsequently fully hard, remove the plastic.
If necessary, sand down whatever rough edges. Yous are finished.

Field Repair

A Carbonlite 2000 repair kit bachelor from your dealer will repair most damage sustained in the field on Carbonlite 2000 or Modulus kayaks. It tin can be used on Carbonlite as well every bit the Kevlar interior of the Modulus hull. Duct tape can exist used for emergency repairs.

SKEG REPAIR

The Skeg organization is quite simple. The skeg blade pivots downward from the skeg housing. At the meridian of the housing, the skeg cable exits through plastic tubing that is fastened to the underside of the deck. The skeg cable attaches to the skeg, runs through the tubing, and ends at the steel rod institute in the recess on the right side of the deck. The black control knob slides over the rod. The middle of the control knob has a screw that penetrates the rod and the cablevision and allows you lot to raise and lower the skeg. (Come across diagram beneath)

If the skeg does not deploy freely, get-go bank check the housing for droppings such as modest pebbles or sticks. These objects tin enter the housing when launching from a embankment. If the skeg is really jammed, do not force the control knob. Use a wire or string through the pull hole at the end of the skeg to free information technology. If the skeg housing is clean, next check that the screw on the control knob is screwed into the cable. When you move the knob, the rod should motility as well. Then check that the cable tubing is secured in its connections at the skeg housing and recess. Those points take compression fittings. If the tubing is free of the plumbing fixtures, reinsert the tubing by pushing information technology in firmly through the ring and seat information technology into the fitting.

LEAKS

How to Repair Leaks in Your Kayak

Unless your kayak has a scissure, leaks primarily occur in the following areas: seams, ends, hatch rims, bulkheads, skeg housings, or fittings. Eddyline kayaks are all water tested before leaving the mill. However, over time, leaks can develop from diverse sorts of stresses including freezing and thawing, shock, overtightening auto tie downs, etc… Almost leaks are like shooting fish in a barrel to fix, the fox is finding them. The menu below contains some procedures and suggestions.

Watertest

On a dry day on the lawn or on sawhorses, put three-v gallons of water in each compartment (one at a time). Watching carefully, roll or elevator the kayak to force the water over any suspect surface area and spotter for where it runs or drips out. It is surprising how much water accumulates in a few hours with a drip. Likewise spotter for the transfer of h2o from 1 compartment to another. This would indicate a bulkhead leak. Remember, the bulkheads are vented with a tiny hole in the middle, so you volition exist looking for leaks or seepage around the perimeter.

Leaks: Repair

Since a leak rarely means a structural problem, simple sealants like a marine polyurethane sealant are quite adequate for stopping them. In one case you have identified a leak, press a very modest amount of sealant into the surface area with a finger or rag. Be sure to wipe off the excess, you merely desire to seal the pore that is allowing water to laissez passer. We adopt to practise the sealing on the inside when y'all tin reach the problem, otherwise, utilize the seal to the outside or both sides.

Leaks: Recommended Sealants

3M 5200 Fast Cure or any other marine grade polyurethane sealant. Silicone may be used, however, once you use silicone in an area, nothing else volition stick to it in the future. This may cause problems if y'all demand to practice further repairs.

Leaks: Hatch Rims

If your hatch rims leak, information technology is best to seal them from the underside. Spread a small amount of sealant like a marine polyurethane sealant into the gap betwixt the rim edge and the kayak deck edge. This is an like shooting fish in a barrel area to reach and volition non affect the appearance of the kayak. Wipe off the excess.

Leaks: Skeg Housing

Seal the skeg housing from the outside of the kayak. Just inside the opening of the housing is the joint betwixt the housing and the kayak hull. If you are unable to locate the specific area of the leak, seal around the perimeter of the housing by pressing into the joint. Pay particular attention to the ends. Wipe off any excess.

Source: https://eddyline.com/blogs/news/kayak-care-and-repair

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