Afternoon,
Santee 11’6 Kayak about 4 hours round trip from me… $50.00. Is it worth the price for these cracks… are they easily repairable and safe for Florida rivers? If so, what would it cost to repair and what is the recommended method that fix? Quality kayak brand model and overall?
Thank you
That is a severe crack. My impulse is to scrap the boat but for $50 it might be worth a try if you have the time. Looks like a high probability of failure.
If it is cracked on both sides, don’t waste your time and money.
2 cracks in the boat not just one… forgot to mention that
Thank you… saved me time and money
I’d get another opinion from someone familiar with plastic repair. Was it run over?
No idea … only know what I posted… haven’t contacted seller… thought perhaps I’d ask here first to see if even worth potential investment repair as a 2nd quality kayak for good price
You can use Gator Patch to do a patch on the inside, though I’m not sure they make one big enough for that split. We’d put another patch on the outside using G-flex and fiberglass tape. For $50, and $250 in materials, you can likely make it water tight.
But Hurricanes are a little known for being easily broken, so only invest if you know you can protect the boat from hitting submerged objects.
Is it worth the uncertainty and lack of confidence in a boat that you are compelled to depend on. Do you want to contemplate the possibility that the repairs may fail with every padfle stroke, and who will you arrange on a retainer to rescue you from the $50 gamble. Another way to look at it: Would you consider the challenge if you saw the boat at the curb on garbage days. I can’t imagine the $50 price tag makes it a more desireable deal.
We seem to have a quorum; keep looking and good luck.
from the pictures the one crack appears to be running toward the bottom of the boat and the other is close enough to the bottom to severely compromise the integrity of the boat.
Long and the short is that that boat is done. and should only be used as a flower planter. at this juncture.
Unless you intend to glass the entire hull, bow to stern and wrap onto the deck I’d consider it a lost cause.
That’s about the only way to repair that and also be structurally sound
Others have have made the same observation elsewhere on this site, especially w/ regard to older boats.
Hurricane’s are made of ABS plastic which is very difficult to repair. Little sticks to ABS and the preferred repair method is thermal plastic welding which can be tricky and requires a fair amount of skill. ABS is known for being brittle, especially when cold. Thermaform boats are generally a sandwich of polyethylene, polypropylene, and ABS fused together with heat and pressure. They would be much stronger than ABS alone.
Hurricane emphasizes its’ light weight. Apparently they went a bit too far and ended up with a thin fragile hull. I’ve never seen damage like this. It looks like someone jumped into the cockpit with both feet while it was on soft ground on a cold day.
I would pass on this. A fragile boat to begin with and very difficult to repair.
Thank you all for the helpful info. I do have an Old Town Dirigo… just thought I’d be interesting fun to have a 2nd kayak for a unique experience… will keep looking. Is my Dirigo made of the same material as this cracked one that not much sticks to?!
Your Dirigo is likely rotomolded polyethelene
How does that rank in the world of desirable kayak materials ?
Mosr kayak material is adequate for the purpose and intended use. A better question should be, what trauma caused the damage, because all material will eventually fail. I have a used rotomolded that sustained a large gash. It was heat welded with what looks like old milk jug (using a heat gun, a spoon spatula, and plastic filler). The repair is sloppy but sound and looks as strong as the original material.
Used boats can be a good value. I own four used kayaks that were described as good as new and looked great in pictures, but were far from it. Then Iveseen used boats that looked new, and they were sold for give away prices. Even if you have to spend more money than you expect to restore a good boat, restoring a badly damage boat is simply good money after bad, with the question, did I save $500 or throw $50 away. But the real question is will I stake life on this boat, because serious trauma could mean unseen stress fractures.
As far as the material used for the boat, ever material has advantages and disadvantages. Nothing sticks to the rotomolded boats. They’re heavy, but extremely durable but also easy to repair if you know the technique. I bought a few kayak in Duralite which I love for the light weight, but they were discontinued because it was hard to meet manufacturing tolerance. I love the boats and will never sell them. Fiberglass is great, but heavy and susceptible to fracture from impacts, yet they’re easier to repair. Kevlar is light but more expensive . . .
A rotomolded boat is equally hard to repair, but they are almost indestructible. They’ve been known to fall off a car at highway speeds, bounce merrily down the road, and survive with little more than a few cosmetic scuffs.
The most common way that rotomolded boat hulls become damaged are by people dragging them across paved parking lots by the front toggle and wearing through the stern or by improper transport or storage in hot conditions leading to oil canning. Both of these are abuse and entirely preventable.
Any idea how long oil canning would take for a rotomolded kayak left in the Florida sun?
No. Your Dirigo is a triple-dump mult-layer roto-molded poly. Hurricane, Delta, and Eddyline use thermoformed ABS plastic sheets which are significantly lighter. Thermoformed boats are a waypoint for people who want boats that are lighter than poly (often 20-25% less) but not as expensive as composite boats, which are stiffer than thermoformed but not as tolerant of operator error as poly, and typically in the $4000-6000 price range.
Quick and dirty - poly is the choice of whitewater kayakers because it’s durable. Composite is the choice of high-end touring kayakers because of how stiff it is. ABS/Thermo is for people in between.
I still say that for $300, you can make it floatable, but I like DIYs where the return/risk ratio is good.
There is no easy answer to how long oil canning takes to occur. It depends on the exact composition of the hull, the temperature, and how it is stored and transported. For some boats strapped down too tightly on naked narrow crossbars on a very hot day it can take mere hours or less. In other cases, it may be a gradual and cumulative event over time.
Storing rotomolded boats flat on the ground or on well padded wide supports make it very unlikely to occur. When transporting use well padded wide saddles or other supports. Insure that straps are just snug but not too tight. Never use ratchet straps. That goes for any boat. They’re too easy to overtighten.
If possible avoid leaving the boat in direct sunlight or in very hot enclosed spaces for long periods of time. If possible, support the boat on existing bulkheads. The hull is more resistant to deformation there.
Some people elect to store or transport their boats upside down with the thought that any deformation of the hull that may happen will be cosmetic and not affect performance.
Can oil canning be undone? The answer is maybe, although some claim to have the one true method. Again it depends on the exact composition of the hull and how severe the deformation is. If you search online that are many sites that use different methods to try and undo oil canning. Depending on several factors, some may work and some may not, all to varying degrees.
