I have a Aquaterra chinook that has a crack. Can it be reparied?
crack
Maybe, not much sticks to poly. Might try calling West Epoxy, they have a new resin designed for fixing plastics and have special procedures to use it. Don’t just buy the stuff, call them and talk to them first, they are very helpful.
Bill H.
where’s the crack?
How big, and is it all the way through the plastic? What some manufacturers will recommend is that you gouge out some plastic from the boat from behind the cockpit coaming. Take that hunk of plastic that you gouged out and melt it into the crack. You also have to heat up the surrounding area around the crack so that it will all bond together. Use a heat gun. But i’m not sure this is the best method.
plastic welding
I believe the Chinook was made of linear polyethylene.
If so, it can be plastic welded. Best is to try to find someone with a wire-feed plastic welder.
Replace it
This is an old, old kayak. 1980s vintage. Material’s prob degraded. If it’s cracking in one place it’ll prob crack in others. At the worst possible time/place. It’s called catastrophic failure. Meaning the whole thing falls apart at once. Why risk it?
Time to look for a replacement.
Other bad thing about these kayaks is they have no flotation. Being sea kayaks, they hold a LOT of water. Even flotation bags front & rear won’t displace enough water to give positive buoyancy when swamped. Bitch to empty in deep water too. Only way is to see-saw across another kayak. Given its age & condition, lifting with all that water in it would prob. break it in half.
Chinook NW
Aquaterra Chinook NW were made into the late 90’s. Have sealed bulkheads both bow and stern. Great camping boat, a real load hauler, also means it is not very sporty. Might be time for a new boat, particularly if you are having material failures with the hull.
Cracked Chinook
Thank you for the great suggestion. I will research it. I appreciate your help.
Ours were mid 80’s
and had sealed fore and aft bulkheads.
They were great.
Good boats to learn in; Stable as a barge, not as slow as you would think and can carry what ever you want.
at 16" or 16’ 6" long (I am not sure any more) they enter the water at the bow and leave at the stern with no overhang My Explorer , Capella and Sealution likely have a foot between the bow and the water line and most of a foot at the stern NDK’s 17’8" likely becomes 16’ 6" or less.
The Chinook is likely worth the bother if it is not UV destroyed.