Hi All,
When you put your kayak back on a storage rack is there any concern with a little water left in the cockpit? The last time I went paddling I did some wet entry and recovery practice. I temporarily lost my sponge but I did pump out as much of the remaining water as I could. But the thought did occur to me that leaving any amount of water in there might not be good procedure?
Depends on the climate. As hot and dry as we are now, I don’t worry about it. If the water doesn’t dry quickly, biological critters and crud could take up residence.
A little water, or crud won’t harm a plastic or composite boat.
@ string, Thanks, good to know. I left my Dagger, deck side facing up. Will not back to the location for ten days or so. It just occurred to me that a little water (from a lake this time) in there might impact bulkhead seals over time? In the future I will sponge out as much as I can. This is up on Orcas Island, temps are in the 70’s with low humidity…
We open hatches, open cockpit covers when we place kayaks on the rack in the garage.
If they are stored outside - think mosquitos breeding !
We always sponge ours out and then put cockpit covers on them since spiders love to hide in them
All composites will absorb some water/weight over time I just don’t like helping. I store upside down and hatches off to air out.
I do the same.
Mine pretty much always are put away a bit wet. Usually salt water, so not good breeding grounds for skeeters. I am not too worried about crud growing in it - will get washed out next time I swim in some sort of surf hydraulic. I do open hatches on the boats stored inside to let things air out, but one boats lives on a rack where I work so I leave that one;s hatches closed.
Agreed, salt water really isn’t a concern, though I still don’t leave puddles in my boats. However, fresh water should be removed as much as possible, at least to the point that it will evaporate within a few hours.
Aluminum, carbon fiber and salt water left in a boat will lead to corrosion very rapidly.
-From experience -with aluminum housing on sliding rudder pedals!
I don’t use rudders or foot pegs, so I don’t have that issue. If you do, you should be rinsing the sand and other crud out of the tracks after use.
Any time carbon fibers make direct contact with aluminum in the presence of _any _moisture, you will get galvanic corrosion. Salt water just speeds the process. That’s why it’s important to make sure that carbon fiber parts are covered with epoxy, gelcoat or another type of resin or barrier material wherever they make contact with aluminum. As long as there is a barrier between the fibers and the aluminum, you won’t get galvanic corrosion.
Agreed and I am not looking for an argument. That is why Smart Track switched to plastic.
I also did not want to pick you up on the salt water, but over a period even stainless steel will rust . That is why it is best to rinse the cockpit out or at least sponge it out after each salt water paddle
Just wanted to mention that humid air is actually less dense than dry air. Because of this, evaporation of water from an open cockpit will occur more readily if the boat is stored with the cockpit facing up.
It sounds counter-intuitive, but air is mostly diatomic nitrogen (Molecular Weight 28) and diatomic oxygen (MW 32). When water vapor is present it displaces some of both. Since water vapor has MW 18, the aggregate mixture becomes slightly less dense, and a humid air mass will rise if surrounded by dry air at the same temperature and pressure.
I’ll take your word for it.
Is Michigan the only state with invasive species? We’re constantly reminded of that so I always rinse my boat when I get home and wipe it down. Including the cockpit if it has gunk and sand in it. And check the hatches to make sure there’s no leaks.
@Rookie said:
Is Michigan the only state with invasive species? We’re constantly reminded of that so I always rinse my boat when I get home and wipe it down. Including the cockpit if it has gunk and sand in it. And check the hatches to make sure there’s no leaks.
oh no… Out West there are inspection stations on interstates where you must stop.
Every state I believe has something invasive
Here in Maine we have infestations in 31 lakes … There are thousands of lakes but still one is too many https://www.lakestewardsofmaine.org/aquatic-invaders/
You have unleashed a torrent of potential responses
@Rookie said:
Is Michigan the only state with invasive species? We’re constantly reminded of that so I always rinse my boat when I get home and wipe it down. Including the cockpit if it has gunk and sand in it. And check the hatches to make sure there’s no leaks.
California definitely has invasive species. They won’t allow boats into various fresh water places unless the boat is clean and dry.
We also have salt water invasives, but there is little concern (yet) of transporting them from place to place.
Jack, I know that you’re not trying to start an argument and neither am I. We’re just sharing our personal experiences here.
@JackL said:
I also did not want to pick you up on the salt water, but over a period even stainless steel will rust . That is why it is best to rinse the cockpit out or at least sponge it out after each salt water paddle
That depends on the particular stainless alloy. Some will rust, but there are some that are completely impervious to salt water. Of course, the more resistant alloys are more expensive, so lower resistance alloys are often found in kayaks. There may also be limitations to how these alloys can be employed. For example, I’ve seen lots of screws, carabiners and other hardware that don’t rust, but I haven’t seen any stainless steel skeg cables that are completely impervious to rust.
@Rookie said:
Is Michigan the only state with invasive species? We’re constantly reminded of that so I always rinse my boat when I get home and wipe it down. Including the cockpit if it has gunk and sand in it. And check the hatches to make sure there’s no leaks.
Definitely not!
I began washing and wiping the boat after every paddle before AIS inspections were established. Still do so. In our dry climate, any remaining moisture evaporates fairly quickly, as long as hatches and cockpits are not sealed.
@bnystrom said:
Any time carbon fibers make direct contact with aluminum in the presence of _any _moisture, you will get galvanic corrosion.
Yep. Not an infrequent occurrence in the cycling community. CF seatpost in aluminum frame, or less likely vice versa. Soaking the parts in Coke sometimes helps loosen the bond.