Repair, or junk?

Hello all,
First time poster, but jumping in head first. I recently procured an old used kayak at a garage sale. Set me back a whopping four dollars. Its got a good crack up top, and some minor cracks in a few spots. I've been looking to get into building boats, and figured some lessons learned on this cheap guy wouldn't hurt. Any thought? I can't reach the crack in the stern from the inside. Should I plan a hatch for access in the rear? Or just split the seam, and rebuild?

 

You can patch it from the outside. I use copper wire tied to a couple of holes to pull the fiberglass close to its shape. Laminate over the area and cut the wires after it cured.

 

repair

Should I just epoxy the other dings, and missing gel coat?

 

With 'glass, you can get as fancy as you like or quick and dirty or even don't worry about those scratches. To make like new, you'll want to paint the whole boat, which is easier than trying to match color by far. There are books on the subject of fiberglass repair, just Google "fiberglass boat repair+epoxy", etc.. Use the opportunity to learn a useful skill that will save you a lot of money in the future.

 

Thanks guys, repair is under way, and definitely sanding down, and painting this guy. I'll enjoy the work, and look forward to more.

 

You can repair the break and the cracks from the outside. If that's a fiberglassed seam and you cut it to separate the halves, you won't learn much about boat building but you will get a chance to do some very disagreeable work involving sticking your head and at least one arm into your fume laden kayak and laminating more than 20' feet of seam that's beyond your reach.

 

Ha, thanks for the voice of reason Sam. Hopefully I'll make some time to get some work done, I'll post shots of my fiberglass butchery as I go. Only one way to learn.

 

You'll learn a good amount fixing those breaks from the outside.

That's a nice looking touring kayak. Do you have photos from the top and sides and inside?

If you do repairs on the inside, or the inside was never coated and is getting ragged, a coat of resin or paint will help keep down any loose fibers that will make you itch. Keep in mind though, if you use waxed polyester resin or paint and have to do more laminating in that area later, you have to sand the wax or paint away first.

I've never used it, but you should use epoxy resin for the repairs. Try not to over build the repairs. The boats are built light for a reason and though parts of them may seem flimsy, they're good enough for the purpose. They're not built to sit on the deck, which it looks like something like that happened, and that one is not a whitewater kayak, from what I can tell.

 

Nona kayak

The boats intended purpose will be cruising the local high mountain lakes. I've been contemplating a wood strip build from CLC for some time now. I was raised on the Great Lakes, and I miss paddling. Still being a younger man of 29, I figure I should have time to work on some techniques, knock on wood. Looking forward to learning repair, and boat construction. I'll get some more shots of the boat today too.

 

Back to it.

Well, after a bad bout of life popping up, I have time for the boat again. Haven't made much head way, but work doesn't stop for fun. Here's more shots of my project. Lemme know what you think.

 

I like it. Simplicity. Form and function at the crossroads. You might want some inflatable flotation bags if you ever might swamp it in a running river, they are real fragile when submerged and run into something. When finished, caulk the seam and cover with tape from a boat or auto supply place.

 

Nona kayak

I was thinking about epoxy along the whole seam, then tape. I doubt she'll ever be pretty, but it's just gotta get me back into paddling. Nothing crazy, got Injured in combat a few years back, so I'll just paddle, fish, and enjoy northern California's lakes. Having trouble finding supplies locally, I live in a Podunk little town. Lol

 

Fed-Ex or UPS will bring you stuff.

 

Wow, you mean there are logistical companies that deliver packages? Please explain this ground breaking feat more thoroughly! Thank you for making presumptions about my mental aptitude. I'll now r e move myself from this forum, and find one with less condescending prices. My apologies if I don't write eloquently enough, I was a soldier, not an English professor. Some people actually believe in supporting local companies, instead of saving a few dollars to buy crap in a completely different area.

 

Don't be so ******* touchy. What does being a soldier have to do with anything? Where have I made presumptions on your mental aptitude? If you don't have the supplies locally, it's only sensible to order them from somewhere else.