Hi everyone! I’m brand new to kayaking, I bought a Pakboats Puffin Saranac from Craigslist, and managed to rip the gunwale channel from the reinforced end my first time putting it together (see the attached picture). The collapsible rod got stuck inside the channel and while trying to separate a section of the rod to get it out, it poked through the fabric.
It’s in a really awful spot because the rod can’t be secured anymore. I’m still waiting to hear back from Pakboats on their repair suggestions, but wanted to get some other opinions too.
I’m thinking about trimming the frayed bits, holding the edges as close to the tear as I can, and using brute force t-Rex tape to secure it. Do you think this will be an adequate fix? Or is there a better way to go about this?
Thankfully the reinforced rubber bit is recessed and will take most of the tension on the end of the gunwale rod, so I think I mainly need to keep it from slipping out. I’m still nervous if taping it will be enough though.