I was looking over my camping gear list and realized I don't know what to bring along should my kayak get damaged on a trip. Never had a composite boat before so..humor me.
For a plastic boat I just brought along the necessary screws/bolts, extra plastic buckle for hatch cover and rudder repair kit with the usual duct tape and tools. So do I now add a fiberglass repair kit even if it's kevlar? My trips are max one week in length and some areas are remote.
gutter repair tape Home Depot or Hardware store. comes in a 30’ roll. foil faced tape that when applied correctly, will last, literally months, as a repair.
correct install just requires a dry surface. I carry some paper towels and vigorously rub the area I wanna stick. I have re-attached cockpit rims, patched punctures (surf boo-boo) and broken seams.
works well on plastic boats as well.
I save the sandpaper, resin and cloth work for the shop.
GOOP Get a tube of Marine GOOP for your kit. A year ago I had the front of my kevlar/carbon SOT come off my truck at 50 MPH and it ground a hole in the front. With only a week before I left to go overseas I wanted a quick fix to keep paddling. I filled the hole with GOOP and it worked great. It never leaked at all. When a local paddle shop took it to get it repaired they had a hard time getting the GOOP off. Bottom line is this stuff works great.
Two part Epoxy Last year I dropped my kevlar kayak from the roof of my 4 x 4 pickup and took a 1" x 4 " chunk out of the bow just below the water line.
I built the hole up with two part epoxy and it has seen hundreds of mile since.
You can get it at Lowes or HomeDepot in either the two tube package or the double tube with one plunger.
Great suggestions The gutter tape is interesting suggestion for punctures, I’ll add a small roll and the Epoxy I guess for chipped gelcoat? The reason the epoxy sounds better than the marine goop is it is what QCC suggested but did not say what kind of two part epoxy to buy. Jack, which is the type you got for your boat?
5-minute?? the West Systems, Systems 3 and other high quality epoxies are in the 1/2 to 2hr. or more ‘kick’ range.
The 5-minute stuff you can find most anywhere, including Target. There is some surfboard ‘ding’ repair sticks that actually set up in water, underwater, WET! check surf shop.
If it is ONLY a gel pop, who really cares? put a piece of duct tape on her and she’s G2G.
West System… Sells two part expoy in small foil packs. Cut the pack, mix both parts and use. Great for small repairs and packs well. Take a little sand paper, a little FG cloth and a brush.
gutter tape Looked at it and wonder, how on earth did you figure to use this for a repair? What is the difference between gutter tape and a good duct tape for emergency fix?
I’ll look into the small packets for the repair kit. So it’s ok to just cover a gel coat damage with tape until an epoxy repair can be made at home?
sure on the quik fix of gelcoat. I have paddled with very large chuncks missing and unless you are out in freezing weather (where delam might happen) there is no real danger paddling with exposed laminate. it might leak a bit tho. this is where some covering will help.
believe me the gutter tape makes duct tape look like pretty wimpy when applied over a hole in f/g.
once you peel off the backing and apply with pressure it REALLY works at patchin’ holes
Thanks Flatpick! I did buy a roll today. I will just bring it along in the repair kit and forget the other goops and epoxy until I get the kayak home and put it on the operating table. Then I’ll get another message out for help using the epoxy, etc. Plastic boats were sooo much easier!
I hope you are right Grayhawk probably is very familiar with where I paddle and the hazards of sharp oyster bars, fast currents and no brakes! New to composites I am probably overeacting and will just probably get scratches and not a punctured hull as I fear will happen with kevlar.
I’ve had both out there… Both Kevlar and wood. I try not to hit the oyster bars but it won’t do more than a few scratches in the gel coat which is very easy to fix if you so desire. I touch mine up maybe once a year and it’s mostly minor scratches.
I will be going out starting the end of the month, cape Romano I think. I don’t think there’s anything anywhere out there that will seriously damage your boat, and nothing duct tape won’t fix.
It’s a beautiful area to camp, go and don’t worry about your boat.
epoxy I see no one has mentioned the epoxy putty for plumbing. comes in a small carry size, doesnt spill or puncture like liquid epoxy’s(while carrying), and can be used to patch a hole in wet enviroment. just cut off a small piece and work it in your hands to mix the 2 parts of the putty, then apply.
the Marine Tex putty I saw at West Marine. I was wondering about the epoxy and marine tex as well for repairs like punctures. If that gutter tape works for those problems I won't mess anything else out there and have a nicer repair done when I get back in.
Grayhawk, thanks for the encouragement I will go forth, have fun and not worry about the boat. I was recently told Kevlar is not as fragile as it looks.
yeppers! Marine tex is good for a repair of gel coat when you don’t really care what it looks like and it does chip out fairly easily.
it also takes 12hrs+ to cure.
home fixin’s!
yep on the wood laminate punctures too! You don’t want the wood getting real wet under the laminates. It stains and is sometimes hard to dry out.
One of the best puncture repairs was when Don Beale (the famous GP paddlemaker) was surfing during his ACA instructor exam. he swapped boats with a buddie and then proceeded to T-BONE his own WOOD BOAT with a plastic Tempest!!!
Put a tennis ball sized hole clear thru the hull right at the waterline. ouch. The tape worked well and lasted thru the weekend. and ohhhh what a weekend it was. (long story)
putty The stuff I’m talking about is for plumbing. it’s green in colorwith a white center. I’m not sure about the west sys stuff, but Nigel Dennis showed me the putty stuff about 3 years ago and I guess I assumed that they used it in Britian for “on the water” repairs done boat over boat for holed hulls, in order to keep paddling.
Plastic boats were sooo much easier!