Background: I have a 1-year-old kevlar QCC 600 – which I love – but which has developed cracks in the gel coat aft of the rear hatch. Further inspection indicates that the deck back there is very “soft.” It buckles under about 60-75 pounds. I assume the cracks have come from buckling during occasional cowboy-scramble practices. Whether the rear deck was always this soft or has weakened gradually, I can’t say. In any case, it is FAR weaker than either my wife’s Ellesmere or my previous boat, an NDK Greenlander.
Question: Does anyone else with a QCC boat have any similar experience? Is this a problem with the 600 or a problem with my boat?
Awful Quiet…
maybe they’re all out checking their boats…
Q600
Wow! I hope it is not endemic to QCC boats…I am expecting a Q700 in a few weeks. I have a few questions"
1.How much do you weigh?
2.Is it possible while scrambling on the stern that you banged it on a rock or hard bottom? 3.What is your boat’s lay up?
4. Have you contacted QCC?
5. How old is your boat?
ooops
OK scratch questions 3 and 5.
He’s already hear my 2 cents off board
– Last Updated: Mar-08-04 6:59 PM EST –
That's got to be the weakest area on the whole kayak, but it seems one could "cowboy" without puting much weight back there. Too late to offer prevention thoughts now!
I have to think this is more of a unique situation to this particualr boat. If I were QCC I'd want more details on use and handling of the boat before making suggetions.
Repair/reinforcement should be pretty straight forward glass or kevlar patch below and cosmetic touch ups above.
QCC 600 woe
I have a Q500XL and sit on the rear deck every time when entering the cockpit and have had NO problem with cracking, buckling on the deck or anywhere else. FWIW, I also have a 700 on order which I should receive this week.
I know two people that own 600’s, two folks with 700’s, and at least four people that I can recall that have 500’s,as well as one gentleman that has a 400, and again they have had no problems of this type.
As asked before, have you contacted QCC?? I don’t know all of the particulars of your situation, but I would call them before doing anything else!
Tripp S
Note that he said aft of hatch…
on the tail end of the boat.
Push on your boats back there and you will get some flex. Seems a normal amount to me on a Kevlar hull - but is also enough that I would not sit back there. Still, I would think I could slide over with no damage (I’m not talented enough to cowboy on my 700 yet - it’s a bit high volume and so am I).
Deck over hatches and around cockpit and foredeck on my Kevlar 700 is very solid.
Oooops!!! Thanks greyak!!! Sorry!!
My wife says I don’t listen to what she says when I’m “on the computer” and its apparent from my posts here that I don’t read well while I’m using it either!!! 
I agree with what you said, I would’t sit aft of the rear hatch on my 500. I just went out and put the squeeze on it and while its rigid enough, its not a load bearing surface.
Still, I know quite a few people that own QCC’s, and while we all have some minor gripes about something from time to time, hull and deck integrity has NEVER been mentioned!
Tripp S
response to Jim
Jim -
- I weigh 160 (soaking wet!).
- I have never banged the boat. In fact, I only enter and exit it while floating. It never gets dragged, banged, etc.
- Kevlar.
- I have contacted QCC. They have photos but have not seen the actual boat.
- 1 year old.
Thanks …
Thanks for all the comments. I agree that the tail end of the boat is probably not a good place to sit, but it seems to me that it should be sturdy enough for any sort of rescue practice. Wouldn’t that be considered a good use of the boat?
We’d all have to…
…see you particular execution of a cowboy rescue to judge that.
It can be done easy or rough. Weight can be spread more low over deck, or sitting more upright with you tail bones pushing down on one spot. You might do someting totally different than what I’ve seen.
Just going over my 700 when i got it gave me a feel for how much stress could go where. The layup is extrememly good - and quite rigid. Given teh strength, I was amazed how thin the hull and deck realy are (got to see when I enlarged the skeg tube hole to put in my new control. Super workmanship.
I’d find it hard to beleive QCC is responsible based on the construction of mine - and every other one I’ve seen - but who knows? Pictures would help us understand better.
A friend returned his after receiving it
because the boat just didn’t appear to be built strongly enough for ocean use. The decks flexed too much to make it seem ok for rescue practice or real life rescue situations. Velcro hatch straps did not seem like they would stand up to breaking waves.
Maybe it’s good enough for flatwater, but a lot of friends saw it and we all agreed, it wouldn’t stand up to heavy ocean use and rock gardens.
practice
is this the kayak you’ve learned to do cowboy rescues on? When I do it I’ll start perpendicular to the aft deck like a regular re-entry but swing my leg to the other side facing the front so my body weight really isn’t much behind the aft hatch, in kayaks with rudders you have to be forward enough to clear the rudder anyway. I don’t doubt you have cracks there caused by a cowbow rescue but I wonder if you’re starting too far aft.
My Mariner Express isn’t particularly lightly built and it’s got gell coat cracks along the top edge of the sheer on the aft deck from a few hundred rescues, the hull has gel coat cracks from various incidents,the foredeck has cracks from rescueing a double.
Sounds like you got cracks. $10 of materials could reduce the flexing but gel coat cracks don’t necessarily indicate laminate failure.
The cheapest “solution” is to lay down a couple layers of 4" 9oz tape under the deck area where you see the cracks. Make sure to sand the rough edges after it cures.
er
good thing there’s a range of conditions between flat water and “rock garden use”. If there were only those two then most composite boats would be relegated to flat water.
I have no
concern with my Q700 in the ocean - but then I would not choose to use an 18’ sea kayak for rock gardens either. But I don’t have any rock garden here. Waves and surf - it can take it.
Compared to my Surf Ski (designed for ocean use) it’s built like a tank.
FYI - QCC has been using buckles on the hatch straps for a year now.
When you say “it” you should mention which model - maybe the wider more rec oriented ones flex more? All QCCs are not the same.
well
Not a problem on my 700, but I cant do cowboy cockpit entrances anyway. “to big” .as I have to bench press my self in. its easier to come in sideways with the water and twist around then pump the boat out…
QCC not suitable for ocean use??!!
That is a new one. I spent a lot of time researching sea kayaks before ordering a Q700. Of all the makes out there, the QCC seemed to have the least amount of complaints for a composite boat of its class (Including the snobby brit boats). I wonder what kayak your friend decided on after returning the QCC? Or did he up the ante and spend a thousand or so more for a more “seaworthy” boat?
Uh oh! Where’s that extingusher!
Just when we had a nice armistice between the QCC and Brit paddlers!!!
Don’t go there Jim!!! It gets entertaining - but is a waste as they are all nice kayaks. Though we may hate to admit it - they’re more similar than different (at least the longer skinnier ones), with the differnces being mostly on finer points and “personality”. Any debate seems to arrise mostly from assumptions - not much from experience.
Some folks have both - or have at least paddled both (and may be the only ones worth reading comparison type posts from).
There’s plenty in the achives on this stuff. Given your anxoiusness/eagerness over your new boat, I sort of assume you’ve already searched and read all posts on anything QCC related by now - I did before and right after ordering mine.
I really hope yours arrives OK. I’m sure we can trust you’ll go over every millimeter of it! Be sure to advise arrival and launch dates - might be able to attend! Get someone to take a picture of your expression when you unwrap it. I had everyone at work come out in the warehouse to look - and most just stared as if transfixed (and none are even into paddling). Pictures can’t do them justice.
Not to worry, JIm…
I’m sure your boat will be just fine in the ocean. You’ll probably be staying close to shore anyway… GH
Maybe, if I can
learn to paddle my ski, my balance will make a cowboy rescue without any float support an option.
I think my ski is tippier than sitting up on the rear deck/coaming of the 700 with feet up on the thigh braces/foredeck!
For now - well, actually I haven’t tried, but I assume it sits too high and I’m not nimble or light enough.