Scratches, Tracking, Leak

[Mr_Fixit]

Greetings all,

I am sure there have been discussions on this, but...

Scratches:
My Kayak is well loved, but it bothers me that I have managed to get it scratched up. I was thinking of ways to fix this. My current thought is: Careful application of a heat gun.. Perhaps melt the scratch down? Anyone have another good solution?

Tracking:
This is a bit of a point of frustration for me while fishing. I have to constantly adjust my rudder to maintain a fairly straight course. If I take my hand off the rudder and pedal, I tend to track off to one side or the other.

Leak:
Since I dont know what a "Normal" amount of water is in a kayak (Only been kayaking since June?), I dont know if this is normal or acceptable. At the end of a fishing trip of 4-8 hours (Average 6ish), I get about two cups of water accumulated in the bottom of my Outback. I have been unable to determine where its coming from. Is this normal? Is it a problem?

[kirkdavis]

1. I don't worry about the scratches... they are like battle scars, wear them with pride. If they really bug you, I would recommend a soldering iron more than a heat gun. It will keep the heat localized and so reduce the chance of deforming the hull.
2. Tracking is an issue with my outback also. I have just learned to live with it, and I do the constant corrections without really thinking about it. Kind of like an old truck with sloppy steering.
3. The only time I get any water in the hull is when I surf launch. I always take a few waves over the bow, and I think the water leaks in through the front hatch.

[Dave Legacy]

Is water coming up over the top of your deck at all over the course of your outings? I have noticed with my Malibu Kayak, which has hatches that don't seal all that well, that if water comes up over the top I'll get a small amount of water in the hull. If I'm cruising around the bay and don't take any wakes I'll have a dry interior until I hose it down at home.

What you are experience might be "normal" water ingress. Maybe rinse off the kayak at home and see if water is getting in?

Try to deal with the scratches, because they'll just be back. I have heard that warming them up with a heat gun might smooth them out. I have scratched off the burrs from deeper scratches with my thumbnail and just dealt with the rest.

[Mr_Fixit]

Scratches:
Yeah, I may do the soldering iron approach on some of the ones that are eating at me. I am no perfectionist in any way, but... yeah... some of them really bother me. hehehe

Tracking:
Ok. I guess I can deal with it. I have also become fairly accustomed to adjusting without conscious thought. Its only really an issue when I am heading to a location while tying on a rig or something similar. I was with an awesome guide (Captain Wade), and he kept telling me Peddle Peddle Peddle after telling me to switch rigs. Peddling, steering, and tying on a line is WAY too much multi tasking for my simple mind. Without steering, I end up going way off course... Oh well.. dealing with it.

Leak:
More often than not I launch from a dock in Oceanside and rarely have water coming over my kayak.. Shore launches, yeah. Last trip I had no waves crash over me but still had two cups of water. Perhaps I should spend some time really taking a close look at my boat and see whats up. I have looked at it before, but was unable to tell anything useful.

[Jizzling]

Originally Posted by Mr_Fixit

Scratches:
Yeah, I may do the soldering iron approach on some of the ones that are eating at me. I am no perfectionist in any way, but... yeah... some of them really bother me. hehehe

Tracking:
Ok. I guess I can deal with it. I have also become fairly accustomed to adjusting without conscious thought. Its only really an issue when I am heading to a location while tying on a rig or something similar. I was with an awesome guide (Captain Wade), and he kept telling me Peddle Peddle Peddle after telling me to switch rigs. Peddling, steering, and tying on a line is WAY too much multi tasking for my simple mind. Without steering, I end up going way off course... Oh well.. dealing with it.

Leak:
More often than not I launch from a dock in Oceanside and rarely have water coming over my kayak.. Shore launches, yeah. Last trip I had no waves crash over me but still had two cups of water. Perhaps I should spend some time really taking a close look at my boat and see whats up. I have looked at it before, but was unable to tell anything useful.

If you really want to find out if you have a small hole somewhere, you could always fill up the inside of your kayak with water and see if any water starts to come out. Yeah it sounds like a hassle to drain out, but you'll get a definite answer.

[Hunters Pa]

going over the scratches with a razor will trim off the raised portion, making them appear a lot smaller

If you are going to put water in your kayak to find a leak, do it on dry concrete. A lot easier to find where it is coming from