Repair damaged fiberglass kayak - Canoeing / Kayaking

Table of Contents

Repair damaged fiberglass kayak - Mayfly - Nov-21-12 2:27 PM
- one option - pblanc - Nov-21-12 3:42 PM
- Motor boat repair joints, or DIY? - Celia - Nov-21-12 4:55 PM
- Car repair place - AdrianRoth - Nov-21-12 5:43 PM
- See if Impex knows local repair guys. - g2d - Nov-21-12 6:07 PM
- Jersey paddler - Andy_Szymczak - Nov-21-12 8:07 PM
  - I had a local auto repair shop repair - shirlann - Nov-21-12 11:22 PM
    - Donno but contact local Yacht Club - onnopaddle - Nov-21-12 11:58 PM
- fiberglass repair - nickjc - Nov-22-12 1:59 AM
- What a Great Story - Kudzu - Nov-22-12 5:36 AM
- where in NJ are you? - lyngo - Nov-22-12 8:27 AM

Messages in this Topic

  one option
  Posted by: pblanc on Nov-21-12 3:42 PM (EST)

Blue Mountain Outfitters in Marysville PA (near Harrisburg) does boat repair. I haven't used their services, but I have heard positive reports from a couple of people who have.

Have you considered doing it yourself? Fiberglass repair is really not that difficult if you have the time. You can find many short instructional videos on youtube, or the Jamestown Distributors website, or the websites of some of the major epoxy distributors like West System and System Three. You could watch a few of these and see if you feel inclined to tackle the repair yourself.

  Motor boat repair joints, or DIY?
  Posted by: Celia on Nov-21-12 4:55 PM (EST)

Places that do glass repair for motor boats should be able to manage a kayak if it requires extensive work.

But - if you post a good description of the damage and photos here - there is a good chance that you could get pointed to instructions for how to do it yourself. If it went beyond the gel coat it is still quite doable, just requires more steps, materials and time. I have paddled with many people showing patches all over the bottom of their kayak and the boats seem to work fine.

If it is only gel coat damage, it is just some goop and the patience spend the time sanding well. How nicely the final sanding needs to be done depends only on your tolerance for solid but aesthetically imperfect repair jobs. As my boats attest, my tolerance for aesthetic imperfection is quite high. :-)

  Car repair place
  Posted by: AdrianRoth on Nov-21-12 5:43 PM (EST)

K&H auto repair in Trenton does fiberglass boat repair in addition to their car collision work. I have not used their boat repair, but their collision work is superb.

Good luck,

Adrian

  See if Impex knows local repair guys.
  Posted by: g2d on Nov-21-12 6:07 PM (EST)

You could also contact Kaz at millbrookboats.com

Kaz makes composite ww boats, and if he can't fix it, he may know someone who has the time. Kaz's prices are likely to be fair.

I could tell you how to do it, but we'd need to start with pictures and then ordering materials.....

  Jersey paddler
  Posted by: Andy_Szymczak on Nov-21-12 8:07 PM (EST)

They have a repair shop.

  I had a local auto repair shop repair
  Posted by: shirlann on Nov-21-12 11:22 PM (EST)

an OT Castine that hit a hard clay shelf on one of our Michigan rivers.
I was able to acquire the correct gelcoat products from Old Town and because the 'body man' had experience on glass boats, he did a great job.
I hope you can get your jewel repaired.

  Donno but contact local Yacht Club
  Posted by: onnopaddle on Nov-21-12 11:58 PM (EST)

Usually they will have contacts of guys who do quality repair work ... If they do junk work, their name gets tossed ....

  fiberglass repair
  Posted by: nickjc on Nov-22-12 1:59 AM (EST)

look at boat yards that do fiberglass boat work.
If you want to learn, its not that tough. just a little stinky and messy.

  What a Great Story
  Posted by: Kudzu on Nov-22-12 5:36 AM (EST)

"See that repair there? Hurricane Sandy did that back in '12. Fixed it myself."

Ta heck with that pristine finish.

  where in NJ are you?
  Posted by: lyngo on Nov-22-12 8:27 AM (EST)

My kayak was also damaged during the storm. I live in NYC so have no access to a heated garage or space large enough to do winter repairs. I have all the tools and supplies and can do the work, but am just missing a warm, sizeable work space. If you don't live too far away, and can provide a place for the repairs, I can get a small group together to do a repair workshop.

If not, duct tape is working fine as a temporary fix.

Lyn

	one option Posted by: pblanc on Nov-21-12 3:42 PM (EST)
	Blue Mountain Outfitters in Marysville PA (near Harrisburg) does boat repair. I haven't used their services, but I have heard positive reports from a couple of people who have. Have you considered doing it yourself? Fiberglass repair is really not that difficult if you have the time. You can find many short instructional videos on youtube, or the Jamestown Distributors website, or the websites of some of the major epoxy distributors like West System and System Three. You could watch a few of these and see if you feel inclined to tackle the repair yourself.

	Motor boat repair joints, or DIY? Posted by: Celia on Nov-21-12 4:55 PM (EST)
	Places that do glass repair for motor boats should be able to manage a kayak if it requires extensive work. But - if you post a good description of the damage and photos here - there is a good chance that you could get pointed to instructions for how to do it yourself. If it went beyond the gel coat it is still quite doable, just requires more steps, materials and time. I have paddled with many people showing patches all over the bottom of their kayak and the boats seem to work fine. If it is only gel coat damage, it is just some goop and the patience spend the time sanding well. How nicely the final sanding needs to be done depends only on your tolerance for solid but aesthetically imperfect repair jobs. As my boats attest, my tolerance for aesthetic imperfection is quite high. :-)

	Car repair place Posted by: AdrianRoth on Nov-21-12 5:43 PM (EST)
	K&H auto repair in Trenton does fiberglass boat repair in addition to their car collision work. I have not used their boat repair, but their collision work is superb. Good luck, Adrian

	See if Impex knows local repair guys. Posted by: g2d on Nov-21-12 6:07 PM (EST)
	You could also contact Kaz at millbrookboats.com Kaz makes composite ww boats, and if he can't fix it, he may know someone who has the time. Kaz's prices are likely to be fair. I could tell you how to do it, but we'd need to start with pictures and then ordering materials.....

	Jersey paddler Posted by: Andy_Szymczak on Nov-21-12 8:07 PM (EST)
	They have a repair shop.

	I had a local auto repair shop repair Posted by: shirlann on Nov-21-12 11:22 PM (EST)
	an OT Castine that hit a hard clay shelf on one of our Michigan rivers. I was able to acquire the correct gelcoat products from Old Town and because the 'body man' had experience on glass boats, he did a great job. I hope you can get your jewel repaired.

	Donno but contact local Yacht Club Posted by: onnopaddle on Nov-21-12 11:58 PM (EST)
	Usually they will have contacts of guys who do quality repair work ... If they do junk work, their name gets tossed ....

	fiberglass repair Posted by: nickjc on Nov-22-12 1:59 AM (EST)
	look at boat yards that do fiberglass boat work. If you want to learn, its not that tough. just a little stinky and messy.

	What a Great Story Posted by: Kudzu on Nov-22-12 5:36 AM (EST)
	"See that repair there? Hurricane Sandy did that back in '12. Fixed it myself." Ta heck with that pristine finish.

	where in NJ are you? Posted by: lyngo on Nov-22-12 8:27 AM (EST)
	My kayak was also damaged during the storm. I live in NYC so have no access to a heated garage or space large enough to do winter repairs. I have all the tools and supplies and can do the work, but am just missing a warm, sizeable work space. If you don't live too far away, and can provide a place for the repairs, I can get a small group together to do a repair workshop. If not, duct tape is working fine as a temporary fix. Lyn