Kayak Maintenance

June-July 1999

This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web

by Doug Lloyd

One of the undeniable pleasures of owning a small, nimble craft such as a touring kayak, is the minimal maintenance required compared to a larger pleasure craft. Kayak maintenance is pretty easy, can be fun, and will connect you with your chosen boat more intimately. Good routine maintenance is, of course, also essential to safety.

Maintenance can be broken down into four levels: General Care, Routine Inspection, Small Repairs, and Large Repairs. Variations obviously exist with respect to care and repair of folding, wooden, or polyethylene boats

General Care

While I don't wash my kayak after every use, I do try to "give it a bath" every once in awhile. Typically I will use automotive detergent with a cloth or soft brush, then rinse it all off. At a minimum, I at least use fresh water. It helps get rid of salty accumulations, that otherwise may never dry, especially at a damp time of year or just prior to winter storage. Salt also corrodes ALL metals eventually. Don't forget to rinse out the inside cockpit area, with particular attention to the pedal sliders.

Occasionally a stain or two may appear. If regular cleaning will not work, I sometimes resort to Acetone. I recommend using gloves and a mask, as the stuff is rather strong. Use it VERY sparingly. Refrain from using this liquid near stickers, as it will dissolve them, and may also harm some plastics.

A "wax n' shine" job usually happens twice a year. I prefer formulations designated for a marine environment/ fiberglass for use on my fiberglass kayak. UV inhibitors will protect your kayak to some degree, and certainly keep the colour looking brighter over the years, though gel-coat finishes will eventually fade, as will most of your gear when exposed to the sun. Think of it as sunscreen for your boat! I use one of the newer Teflon protection agents, but use it cautiously near anything you intend to grip, grasp, or sit on!

I like to use automotive vinyl and tire cleaners like Armour All on my rubber hatches, as they last a lot longer and are easier to open and close. Do check with your retailer for suggestions regarding their specific hatch/seal maintenance requirements. Many will indicate just soap and water, as other methods and substances like silicon may cause premature wear and eventual leakage. Remove or loosen hatches when not in use, to increase their life span and decreases the chance of deformity and leakage.

Rudder and skeg controls will require a shot of WD-40 lubricant or equivalent, every so often. Certain cable housings do become brittle over the years, so don't exacerbate the situation with the wrong lubricant. Again, check with your retailer or manufacturer.

Routine Inspection

I always give my kayak a good look over before setting out and again upon return home. As your boat ages, it is subject to wear and minor breakage of various components. You need to decide what level of inspection and frequency is right for you and your boat. Replace anything worn or defective ASAP.

Check for hull damage and excessive wear, toggle lines and grab loops, frayed or worn deck lines or bungies, rudder connections and lines, hatch hold downs, deck eyes and other fittings, and parts like seats and backrests. Try to inspect foot braces or sliders every spring. Rivets may wear out, and you could lose rudder control or bracing ability unexpectedly.

I would also suggest checking around your kayak's cockpit coaming once in awhile, as it tends to receive a fair bit of stress. A small utility bulb can be utilized by running it up into the various compartments of your boat in a dark room where you can often find signs of impending trouble where too much light is coming through. (With my boat, I can sometimes see the actual light bulb!) You may also wish to pressure test your bulkheads, seams, and compartments once a year or every other year, especially with older boats. Simply fill the cockpit with water, ensuring the hull is properly supported, and visually inspect adjacent compartments for leakage. You can also fill the compartments with water and check other areas with the kayak right side up and then down. I use air pressure with a special hatch and valve, and cover the boat with soapy water. Bubbles appear where a problem exists. I wouldn't do the air test with a lightweight lay-up.

Small Repairs

Dings and scratches are all part of the fun, but the cumulative total over the years is irksome. Deep scratches or missing chunks of gel-coat do require your attention. Stores that sell fiberglass materials can set you up with all the necessary stuff, and most are more than delighted to explain to customers, the proper and safe use of resins, fillers and hardeners. Preparation is key, so don't expect to rush through the job, though total repair time is minimal once through the learning curve. A word of advice in using gel coat fill: only mix small amounts of gel-coat fill at a time and apply sparingly, unless you like hours of unnecessary sanding!

Large Repairs

Composite kayaks made from fiberglass can suffer occasional damage of a severe nature. Low ceilings, heavy surf landings with a loaded boat, etc, will damage even the toughest boat. I would suggest taking any damage, where the structural integrity of the kayak is in question, to a professional, even if it is just for advice. Fiberglass repair shops can also prep and spray on new gel-coat to that tattered, scratched up hull, and make it new again.

Do-it-yourselfers often attempt moderate repairs. One common operation is to fiberglass a small keel strip, using resin and fiberglass tape, to restore a section of worn hull. For colour match and superior abrasion resistance, substitute clear resin for actual gel-coat, but do ensure the thickening agent is well saturated into the cloth tape. Repairs can be buffed out, restoring a good shine if you so desire.

If maintenance and repair sound like dirty words to you, they aren't. Your boat will love you back if you take care of it, and reward you with many years of safe, enjoyable paddling. And don't forget the rest of your gear too, like spray-skirts, etc. All the same maxims apply. And come to think of it... don't forget to do some maintenance on your body too!

Editor's Note: Given the limited space and time available, Doug has not attempted to discuss maintenance for folding kayaks or wooden boats. For information on folding kayak maintenance, see the recent issue of the Folding Kayak Newsletter by Ralph Diaz.

Doug Lloyd is a frequent contributor to WaveLength and donates his honoraria from each article to the Georgia Strait Alliance