Well I agree with both of you
Posted by: pblanc
on Sep-24-12 8:24 AM (EST)
I agree that if esthetics is the primary concern, building a new boat from a kit would yield a better looking kayak. But I certainly don't agree that it would be cheaper or cost no more than restoring this one.
It all depends on the condition of the wood. If the wood is mostly sound and the exterior of the hull has not been 'glassed, you can fiberglass it yourself after sanding it down. You can buy an entire gallon of West Systems epoxy and hardener from Sweet Composites for $130 and 6 yds of 6 oz/yd E 'glass would cost about $26 more. You might need some fairing compound which would be another $29 max. If the boat does not have a seat (the Pygmy kits just used a small Thermarest pad velcroed to the bottom of the hull) or foot braces, you might need to spend another $50 or so for those.
In addition, you will need a good bit of sandpaper and finishing materials (paint, varnish, foam brushes, rollers, etc) but those are not included in the kits anyway, and constitute an additional expense.
So if the wood is sound, you could have a serviceable boat for a few hundred bucks, much cheaper than the cost of a kit.