My 12' Perception kayak, which is about 1.5 months old, is already leaking from the main part of the kayak into the rear compartment. I knew eventually it would happen but so soon? I noticed a few bubbles when cleaning up after a camping trip and sure enough, a leak. I looked into the rear compartment and some water is in the rear hatch and more is bubbled under the sealant around the foam.
Crap. I figure I'll cut out the sealant and replace it with my own. The question is, what sort of sealant is best? Standard silicon? I know it has to be able to handle some flexing, changing temperatures, etc.
Lexel Others too, but that type of stuff. You regularly have to renew the seal around those foam bulkheads, but over the long haul they tend to be less prone to cracking than some of the alternatives that are tighter.
Ah thanks… Typically a yearly ordeal? While searching Mr. Google for products it did seem “no big deal” to people that this happens. Just part of the ownership I suppose. Shocked it happened so soon though.
I had a leaky bulkhead My Current Designs boat has ABS plastic bulkheads. The bulkheads are sealed with what looks like silicone caulking. The stern bulkhead always leaked water from the cockpit into the stern compartment. I used a 4-inch wide piece of ‘flashing tape’ which is like really thick electrical tape, available at your local home depot.