The Xplore Posted by: Spaf on Oct-07-12 9:41 AM (EST)
It's not a new boat. I bought it used at New York Kayak Co. and have informed the owner of the issue. He says Tiderace would fix if a manufacturing defect but not if it was a result of impact. The boat does not sit well in the J-bars I had on the trailer and did bounce a bit. Also the rounded hull puts the seam directly on the pad of the J-bars. I was taking the boat off the trailer to put a set of saddle racks on when I noticed the damage. The damage is behind/at the bulkhead resting very near to the rearmost J-bar. From the visible hole hairline cracks run at a forward angle to the seam from where a single hairline crack runs down a few inches alongside the bulkhead. As I wrote in the first post I did haul the Xplore over a half mile of rough gravel road. Did it three times. The bouncing may have been the impact that caused the damage. If I can figure out how to fit the boat in the house I will attempt a repair this winter. In the mean time I have an Eddyline Fathom that will see some use this fall.