My freind has 3 year old Ocean Kayak Malibu 2 XL that he paddled over a log, depressing the hull bottom. Its about a 3 inch deep crater near the bow, inaccessible from any port. Is there a method of “pulling this dent”? I was thinking of lying the boat on the lawn so its equally supported and leaving it filled with water?
heat
Interesting - never seen “paddling over a log” causing as much damage as you mention. Sounds like a much harder hit than I would describe as a just paddling along. But, that said…
Heat. Plastic likes to return to its original shape, so just exposing it to heat so that it softens may actually do a lot of returning it. Leave out in the sun if temps get above the 80s and it may do it on its own.
Depending on the dimple, putting it on its side and pressing down sideways may help. Here is a Dagger Alchemy that the owner surfed straight into a rock, bending the nose:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150747333473247&l=d0c47d636c
On the beach, the owner put the boat on its side and stepped down on the parts that were pushed outwards (did it on both sides one at a time). That in itself got it 90% back, and then his drive home in warm weather restored most of the rest of it.
Note - once it has dimpled like this, it will do it again more easily. Very common for boats tied on racks too tightly (especially in warm weather) to oil can at the points of contact with the rack. You can restore it, but then if they are pout on the rack again at the same point in the same conditions, it will dimple again more easily.
Some have had success by pouring
near boiling water into the depressed area.
It might be possible to drill the center of the depression and then heat while pulling outward, but heat might cause the area around the pull screw to deform selectively. If it should work, the hole can be closed with West G-flex or welded shut.
A good plastic welder, experienced with ww poly boats, might have an angle on the problem.
Access
– Last Updated: Jun-05-12 10:02 PM EST –
If your friend's boat already has the forward access hatch cover (the black rubber hatch), open it up and use a combination of gentle heat from the outside with a heavy duty broom handle outfitted with something large enough to put some outward pressure on the hull from the inside.
If the boat DOESN'T have that forward hatch opening already cut out and outfitted with a hatch cover, this is a good excuse for the upgrade. The hatch covers are pretty cheap, and available at almost any OK dealer. All you have to do is take a jig saw and cut open the molded in hatch leaving 3/4" of material along the top/flat edge (if you're not sure how or what to do, a local dealer should be able to take care of it).
Do NOT, under any circumstances, drill any other holes in the boat. Poly welding is a poor repair even when done by an experienced repairman.
Not true. Plastic welding is proven
in ww circles. The G-flex people “welded” together a poly kayak they had sawed in two, and they loaded it and pushed it down a hill.
Poly repairs are tricky, but something as simple as a single drill hole is easy.