Composite Kayak Repair - Fixing the Whisky after my Charlston Rough Water Classes

While at the East Coast Paddlesports & Outdoor Festival this year I took a few classes offered through Sea Kayak Carolina. These were rough water courses from Kayak Waveology and a surf course with Dale Williams. I had a great time but my Whisky 16 did not handle it as well.

In a review of the Whisky 16 I defended the light lay up of the fiberglass. It actually gives a little flex and can prevent sever damage when you have a close call among the rocks. It has a hex core bottom that gives the rigidness the hull needs. I love the design of the kayak but it has a flaw.

You will see in the picture that the fiberglass flexed enough to crack the gelcoat and the resin in the glassing. This happened when the kayak slapped the water after I had to shot over a 4 foot wave that was about to break outside the zone we were surfing, basically breaking on top of us. So, upon inspection I noticed two things that contributed to the cracking. First, it cracked just past the hex core where it does not cover the full length of the hull. Second, the fiberglass in the hull of the front hatch does not appear to be fully impregnated with resin.

So, I found out that the glass hull cracked and now had flex in it by the cracking of the gelcoat. 

 You can see that it really does not stand out much until you zoom in. I actually did not notice it until we got home and we were unloading the kayaks.

You can see by the way it is cracked and the lack of scratches or other signs of impact that this was caused by stress.

It is actually an easy thing to repair since there are no holes in the hull. The area just needs some resin in the stressed area and some added glass for reinforcement. Then a gelcoat repair.

First thing you need to do is prep the area. I start with a 230 grit sandpaper to clean and rough the area then I clean out the dust and wipe the area down with Acetone.

You want the surface to be well cleaned for the resin to adhere to the surface. The sanding will also open the original fiberglass the was not well impregnated with resin. This will allow you to force additional resin into the original glass.

 Next thing is to get your fiberglass and cut it to the size you need for the project. I use a 6 ounce fiberglass instead of cross layering sheets of 3 ounce. This is a repair and not a structural build.

Your glass should cover the area of damage and continue a couple inches around the damaged area. The kayak had stress areas along the sides as well as the large area on the bottom so, I cut a piece big enough to cover the sides as well as the bottom cracking.

Next I spread the resin on the area that is cracked and force it into the cracks. this will fill in any gaps in the original glass and fill in areas that were not fully impregnated originally. This will created a stronger bond with the new fiberglass.

Then you lay the new glass onto the area and work it into the resin. Then you start adding more resin into the new glass and forcing it in with a squeegee. You need to use enough resin to fully saturate the fiberglass.






On this repair I added some additional glass on the bottom where it was the weakest form the cracking. This will add additional support for the area and give it added strength.

As you work the resin into the glass you will also work out the air bubbles and press the fiberglass flat and into any corners. It should lay as smoothly as possible and have full contact to the area of coverage.

In the photo below you can see the repair with the double layer of fiberglass on the bottom and a couple additional patch areas on the  left side.


Once you have the fiberglass full of resin and smoothed out you need to let it cure. I use an epoxy resin that cures in about 6 hours at 80 degrees fahrenheit. I generally let it cure over night to be on the safe side. The resign can nor over cure but it can be an issue to try and sand it before it has cured enough.




Now you will sand the area you just patched. Not to much. You do not want to sand away the fiberglass you have just applied. You just want to sand down the edges where the fiberglass willbe rough and rough up the resin on the top of the glass to add a finishing coat.

  After the sanding to smooth the edges you will want to clean out the dust. Then once again clean the area with acetone to remove any grime and grease left by your hands.






After you have the surface sanded and cleaned you will notice the sharp hard edges of the fiberglass. Also the surface will have an uneven texture to it. To get a smoother surface you will add some additional resin around the edges with a paint brush. then you can brush on an additional  layer on the surface to get things relatively smooth. Since this is the inside of the hatch I do not get overly particular with it. I just do not want any rough edges to abraid my dry bags when I slide them in and out.

Now you need to let the resin cure. After it cures it should be fairly smooth without sharp edges. You and apply more resin as needed.







Now, it is time to repair the gelcoat. This is where you get particular about the sanding and smoothness. First, you have to do some prep work by removing the cracked gelcoat and and prep the surface. I use a polyester gelcoat paste for this type of repair. Also I don't have the area to use a sprayer and painting the gelcoat on with a brush can be problematic. The paste has issues of itself. You have to be really careful about air bubbles and after the first sanding you may find that you need to apply paste again to fill air bubbles.

first thing you want to do is chip off any loose cracked gelcoat and open any cracks. This will allow you to have an area to apply the new gelcoat and it will be attached to gelcoat that is tightly bonded to the fiberglass.






Make sure you do not dig into the fiberglass base. You do not want to compromise the strength of the glass.  After you have chipped out all the loose gelcoat and scraped open the cracks you will need to sand the surface. I use a 300 grit sandpaper. Then thoroughly clean the area with acetone.




Now you mix and apply your gel paste. My hull is white but not a true white. I do not bother trying to match the color. I pigment my gelcoat with a true white. This allows me to inspect the repaired area over time but you have to look closely to notice the difference.

When you spread the paste on try to keep it smooth to prevent air bubbles and do not over work it. You are not trying to get it even with the original gelcoat. This is done during the sanding.

 Then you let it cure. Some people like to let it cure to a firm state but, not fully cured. The idea is it is easier to do the initial sanding. I like to let it cure for at least 12 hours so,I generally leave it overnight.

I find it is less likely that I will oversand the patched areas if the gelcoat has fully cured.

Next is the initial sanding.

I start with a 300 grit sandpaper and sand the patched area until the are almost flush with the original surface. I sand in a circular motion trying to stay on the patched area and following the kayaks contours.

The sanding block I use is cut from a piece of closed cell structural foam.

You can see in the photos that the sanding gets almost flush but not quite. The reason for this is to allow for the wet sanding that will go through 3 grades of grit to get a smooth finish.

The finish will be the most time consuming depending on how much of a smooth finish you want.

For the wet sanding I use sanding sponges I get from HomeDepot.

I have a 320 a 400 and a 600. I start with the 320 and sand the patched area pretty much flush then I move to the 400. When it is fairly smooth to the touch I move to the 600 to finish the surface.

The surface will still have a dull look to it. Next I use a fiberglass polish to start giving it a little shine.

Take you time with the wetsanding and polishing. This will be what defines your work. This is the surface that people see and notice. It will also be the deciding factor of how much you can charge if you decide to do the repairs for others.  In my area there are very few choices of places to go for composite boat repairs.

 Polishing can be done by hand or with and electric car buffer. I chose to do this one by hand because it is my boat and I was not concerned about a high gloss shine. If you want a high gloss shine use an electric buffer and go over the area a couple time with the polish the add a couple coats of boat wax.

 Give it a good wipe down and a coat of wax.

I use a spray on boat wax. If you want a high gloss shine use paste wax and a power buffer.

This is the finished surface. If not for the light color difference you would not know a repair had been done.

This should help you get started on your own repairs. Or, if you are in the Washington Metro Area you can look me up. Reasonable rates but I have a real job so repairs will take atleast a week.

Nigel Foster Paddle

While my wife and I were at the East Coast Paddlesports & Outdoor Festival in Charleston, I found Nigel Foster on the Masters Beach and got to chat with him about the Whisky 16 and other things. He also let me borrow his paddle to give it a try. My wife and I both liked the paddle but with neither of us having the skill with it that Nigel does.

We are going to order one to share between the two of us. If we bothe find we like it as an everyday paddle we will purchase another. We found the paddle to be well designed and nice to handle.  Well worth considering for your next paddle. 

You can find it here.

Practice Day on the Occoquan Reservoir

On Tuesday we headed out on the Occoquan Reservoir form Fountainhead Regional Park.

We paddled to an area we call fall out of your boat cove. It has a gravel slope going into the water up to about chest deep. This makes an excellent area to stand and help people with their balance brace and such.

We feel that you should take a day every few weeks to just spend time practicing paddle strokes and braces and rescues. Tuesday was a perfect day for it. It was overcast and about 64 degrees when we got on the water. The water temperature was 56 degrees so not too cold to hang out in a drysuit.

We enjoy the calm waters of the reservoir.

We played around with strokes on the way to the cove and while I was goofing around I went over. At this point I discovered that I could not roll with my pogies. The pogie on the sweep hand takes in water at the cuff causing drag and stalling my roll. First time I tried to roll while wearing pogies. You learn things about your equipment when you take a practice day. My wife was kind enough to give me an assisted rescue.

After this we made it over to the cove. I was not wearing my neoprene cap and got a little brain freeze while hanging upside down under my boat. Dress for the water!

Then once at the cove we both spent time in and out of our boats playing around.

It was an excellent few hour on the water.

Easter Sunday Paddle on the Potomac

For Easter we went kayaking to avoid any giant psycho bunnies in paisley suits. It is a phobia I have from childhood. The things parents do to scar there kids for life. I wonder if that is their plan. Well enough about that.

So, we launched from Leesylvania State Park. We launch from the beach because their car top launch is crap. The new ranger stopped me as we were getting ready to launch and asked if I knew they had a car top launch. When I said yes he asked what I disliked about it. Apparently he wants input to get it changed/fixed. Nice guy. He said launching from the beach was fine, he was just looking for input.

We paddled to the wildlife refuge then across Occoquan Bay in 14 knot crosswinds and broaching waves. That was fun. We stop at the beach under the cliffs at High Point then paddled back across the Occoquan Bay and played in the waves before heading to shore. We also to a moment to shoot some short tow video.

All in all a good day on the water.

It's Been a long winter.

Last week we made our first paddle out on the Potomac this season. We paddled up to Belle Haven Marina and across to National Harbor and back. The group was a little slower than I prefer so I took a couple detours to get in a little exercise. A chart and google earth image of the track.

Paddle on the Potomac

We did make a trip down to Southport, NC in February. The water was not frozen and we got to do a couple nice paddles and look at some real estate. Looking for a vacation place.

Paddle from Southport Marina to the point of Cape Fear

Paddle from Southport Marina to Fort Fisher Ferry Dock

I also attended pool sessions to improve my roll and just play around in my boat. I also spent some time indoors playing around with my video editing. This first video is just me playing around in the pool. My wife pointed out some errors with spelling but who cares? It is just me playing around with editing. I use Openshot Video Editor since I only use Linux on my computers.

Please ignore the stylish dive mask. I really hate chlorine in my eyes.

This second video is just me rolling my Point 65 XO16. A friend of mine in Sweden told me several years ago when I bought it that it was a hard boat to roll because of the high volume deck. Well, I had to make a video of me rolling it just to get her goat. Several rolls (extended paddle and not extended) and a reentry and roll. It is not a bad boat to roll for a high volume touring kayak.

I also spent some time doing kayak repairs for a friend and working on my equipment. Playing with different tow system ideas. Planning trips for the spring and getting ready for my ACA L3 assessment. So I have managed to keep myself busy. I just want the weather to continue on a warming trend.

Deck rigging

So, this is what I have to say about deck rigging.  These are my opinions and I am no expert.

First deck rigging is a personal thing. You should attach your deck rigging in a style and pattern that works best for you. You should have enough deck line to enable your kayak to be easily attached to for towing a line a location for you to be able to easily hold onto your kayak while swimming. You should also have line in the correct places to assist you in re-entry. In my opinion this means lines completely around the front and back of the kayak.

As for bungee you need enough to keep your stuff on your deck if you put stuff on your deck. I have gotten to the point where I like to keep my deck fairly clean, especially the rear deck. I need bungee for my spare paddle and my chart and maybe a water bottle. I keep my paddle float and bilge pump in my cockpit. The float goes behind the seat and the pump between the seat stabilizer and the side of the kayak, when possible.

I prefer to use Bluewater 4MM NITELINE™ REFLECTIVE CORD. It comes in several colors and it is durable and strong. Bungee is so generic and easy to find in a variety of colors. I have not found one that performs better than another.

When I bought my Point 65N Whiskey 16 it had the factory deck rigging.

As you can see the rigging is basic black without reflective properties. The line does not wrap completely around the front deck, there is a gap at the front hatch. There was only a small X of bungee on the front deck and a single piece on the front near the compass mount. In replacing it, I rigged it to my liking.

 As you can see the deck line goes all the way around the front deck. The rear rigging is pretty much the same as the original rigging because of the hatches. Where the original deck line came to a point behind the front hatch is now bungee. Better for keeping my paddle on the front deck.

Below you can see that the back rigging at the cockpit area is tied off using a bowline with a Yosemite finish and a double fisherman. This allows for easy adjustment of the line.



On this kayak I tied off the front deck line in front of the cockpit. One side is a bowline and the loop is attached to the other rope as a square knot and a double fisherman. I chose this connection setup because it allows for adjustment and the knots are easily undone. I hate the location of the connection. The knots get in the way of the bungee when working with a chart. I prefer my adjustment knots at the bow of the kayak. You can not adjust your deck line alone on the water so there is really no need for it to be accessible from the cockpit. I will change this next time I replace the lines.

So, there are no major changes, just some modifications. Now the boat has deck line all around the front to make the kayak easier to hang on to and it has some additional bungee for convenience.

As for the adjustment/connection point for the deck line being in front of the cockpit, I did it that way because the original deck rigging was done that way but just with a pair of triple fisherman knots. This setup is common practice that has no real functionality. People will say it is for ease of adjustment when on the water but the two people I asked about it were unable to actually adjust their rigging this way while in the kayak. Your mileage may vary. It is all a matter of what you like and/or prefer.

Here you can see where I have the line adjustment/connection set to the front of my Point 65N XO. This is my preferred placement of the knot.

Now there is nothing in the way of my ability to use the cross deck bungee. Well, except for my contact tow line. We will discuss that later.

Also the red as well as the blue line are reflective.

Here you can see there is no knot in front of the cockpit. Using this setup you can still have the ability to adjust your deck line and with the aid of another kayaker it can be adjusted while on the water if needed.

Your deck lines should be tight enough that they will not easily get snagged but loose enough to be able to get your fingers around the line.

 My wife had me redo the deck rigging on her NDK Romany Surf.

Things she did not like about the way it was rigged was, no adjustment points for the deck lines. They ere just attached with knots at the guides. Second, she did not like just having 3 straight bungees on the front deck.

A you can see the deck lines are stretched and sagging. It was also a braided cord that was rough and abraded. It was basic black and non reflective. If you have not noticed I like visibility. Reflective cord is only a few cents per foot more than regular deck line sold in most stores. I am surprised that more places do not carry it. I buy mine from a mountain rescue supply company. You can also buy it direct from Bluewater.

As you can see in this photo I did the bungee in a crisscross pattern on the front deck. My wife likes this better for securing things to the deck and keeping her charts in place.

When I did the back deck I extended the deck line at an angle across the deck behind the day hatch. This allows for mor line to grab on the back deck and it allowed me to be able to use my favorite connection and adjustment knot.

The adjustment and concretion knot for the front deck are at the front of the kayak. One of the people in our kayak group started telling her that this was wrong and should be redone.

There is one of them in every group who thinks they know it all and have no problem telling you that you are wrong. Don't listen to them. Do what works best for you and be ready to tell the know-it-all why it works for you and why it is just as safe and secure as the way they believe to be the only correct way to rig a kayak deck.


Keep in mind that every one has an opinion and opinions vary. Just understand what you are doing and be able to explain why you did it and be able to show that it does not hinder safety.

Safety is the reason for the deck lines in the first place.

And lastly a close up of my preferred adjustment and connection knot.