Has anybody here ever made and installed a bulkhead in a kayak? Some of the cheaper rec kayaks available today have a hatch and cover, but no bulkhead. I am looking at one which appears ideal for my wife… and her birthday is coming up.
Any construction, materials, or installation tips would be appreciated.
Thanks a lot. Jim
Foam
In a plastic kayak, there’s only one really practical option that I know of, which is foam if it’s a DIY job.
A piece of 3" closed-cell foam cut to the shape of the inside of the hull will work fine. Use 3M 5200 as an adhesive/sealant, and make sure it doesn’t leak before you use it. And don’t wedge it in so tight that you bulge the deck or hull, just snug will do.
Foam is a little pricey (About $50 for a sheet big enough, depending on where you buy it), but it works well, and is easy to install. Certainly cheaper than dying, or losing the boat.
Have fun!
foam
You might also think about ethafoam - basically foam made from polyethylene
Once you figure out how much you need, try e-bay
Checkout
www.kayakoutfitting.com, great place to buy bulk foam for outfitting your boat, very very reasonable prices. Also really nice people to deal with, who have experience with outfitting boats. They are like a little guy local store but on the internet.
Good luck…
Are you after dry storage space, or
flotation? If you want flotation, skip the bulkhead and focus on installing tie points for a float bag. The hatch will make installation easier.
Your odds of getting a long-lasting waterproof seal on a bulkhead are not good.
good link
thanks for posting
I’m going to outfit my white water kayak with some 3" minicell I just purchased – there are good tips on this site
I will also be ordering some of their SkinZ material
Email me…
…and I’ll send you some instructions I wrote up a few years ago.