Topic: Perception Pescador Pilot (Read 2228 times)

June 19, 2019, 08:31:43 AM

I am so bummed right now

The Pilot I ordered from Amazon 2 weeks ago finally arrived yesterday... badly damaged.

The Amazon freight delivery guy was nice enough to point out the "scuffs" as he called them. He admitted that the kayak was dropped as they were getting it off the skiff in the warehouse. The packing used by Perception to protect it during shipping was inadequate to say the least - I mean it was completely shredded. I would have refused delivery if I had noticed how bad the damage to the kayak actually was...

Once I got it up on my car racks and was eye-level with the keel, I could see that it must have been dropped from a considerable height. The hull had actually cracked from the impact. The drain plug was missing and threads inside the drain looked stripped, most likely due to the plug popping out when the yak hit the ground.

After 2.5 hours on the phone with Amazon customer service (I was mostly on hold and I'm not exaggerating), I finally reached a nice girl named Erika who agreed to do an exchange for me at no cost.

At this point I'll most likely be landlocked for another 2 weeks until the replacement arrives and I have 0 confidence that it won't be at least a little damaged. Can anyone recommend a good retailer in Western Washington where I could buy a decent pedal drive that won't break the bank?

Edit: so I called Amazon back and cancelled the replacement order. They were able to offer me a 20% price reduction so I decided to repair the damage myself. Most of the damage is cosmetic and the crack is very small. I was thinking about filling it with some kind of epoxy and then sanding it down a bit afterward (don't have a garage so can't use a welding kit - I'm keeping the yak in a storage facility for now). Any suggestions?

June 19, 2019, 09:07:16 AM #1

This is the exact reason why I would never buy a boat online. It is good that Amazon sounds like they're taking care of you, but ultimately they're setup for shipping boxes and not kayaks. I am not sure about dealers up in your neck of the woods, maybe try Kayak Academy? I have dealt with them for drysuit stuff and they've been really helpful. I know Dick's sporting goods sells the Perception line and last time I was in they had a Pilot, also they price match Amazon, at least they have for me in the past.

Best of luck and sorry for all the trouble. In talking with dealers it's not uncommon for them to have issues in shipping too, the difference is they catch it more often than not and won't sell the badly damaged models.

June 19, 2019, 11:27:47 AM #2

Sux man. Hopefully the next one isnt damage. You'll be out on the water in no time!

June 19, 2019, 12:02:39 PM #3

Up until about 6 months ago, I had a Perception Pescador Pilot that I bought from West Marine when they had it on sale. I think I paid just under $1600 plus tax for it, and I could inspect it before I took it home. That model doesn't seem to be on sale right now, but there should be multiple options for pedal kayaks within the Pescador Pilot price range or lower now, unlike a couple years ago. Outdoor Emporium had a couple of last year's models that they were selling at a nice discount off of retail. If they still have a Hobie Compass or something from last year's inventory, I'd choose that over a Pescador Pilot in a second.

With that said, the Pescador Pilot is a solid kayak design and the layout is really great. The only reason that I don't have one now is that the 2019 Outback was a bit better suited to how I use a kayak, and the remodel for 2019 was just enough to entice me into switching. I still miss the instant reverse ability from the Pescador Pilot pedal drive when I have to reach down and pull a cable on my Hobie pedal drive.

June 19, 2019, 02:20:55 PM #4

Quote from: Noob Noob on June 19, 2019, 08:31:43 AM

Edit: so I called Amazon back and cancelled the replacement order. They were able to offer me a 20% price reduction so I decided to repair the damage myself. Most of the damage is cosmetic and the crack is very small. I was thinking about filling it with some kind of epoxy and then sanding it down a bit afterward (don't have a garage so can't use a welding kit - I'm keeping the yak in a storage facility for now). Any suggestions?

Sorry to quote myself on this one. Here is a high-res picture of the damage.

June 19, 2019, 02:27:13 PM #5

Are you sure you can find an epoxy that sticks well to HDPE that kayaks are made from? There's a reason that we usually use the little soldering iron type of plastic welders to repair cracks in kayaks. It would be worth taking it to someone's house/shop/garage to do it right. Here's the link to the Harbor Freight version ($17) of the tool itself.

https://www.harborfreight.com/80-watt-iron-plastic-welding-kit-60662.html

June 19, 2019, 02:41:35 PM #6

Quote from: JasonM on June 19, 2019, 02:27:13 PM

Are you sure you can find an epoxy that sticks well to HDPE that kayaks are made from? There's a reason that we usually use the little soldering iron type of plastic welders to repair cracks in kayaks. It would be worth taking it to someone's house/shop/garage to do it right. Here's the link to the Harbor Freight version ($17) of the tool itself.

https://www.harborfreight.com/80-watt-iron-plastic-welding-kit-60662.html

Unfortunately I don't know anyone offhand with an adequate work space I can use (I'm kind of a loner). The crack is well above the waterline so I'm mostly wanting to seal it to keep it from getting any wider and to keep any water out that may be caused by splashing. You suppose a sticker or decal of some sort would be ok as temp fix until I can use a plastic welder on it?

June 19, 2019, 02:53:06 PM #7

It's up to you, but I wouldn't try it. You don't need a "work space" to accomplish this. Fifteen minutes, the plastic welder and an extension cord that reaches to wherever the kayak is sitting for that 15 minutes (half of which is just letting the welder warm up) is all that's needed for this. You're just melting the plastic together there, and the welder is just a bigger version of a soldering iron with a flat tip.

I live pretty far away from you up in Snohomish (actually closer to Monroe), but I have one of those welders and some clear HDPE "welding rods" that we can use. My schedule is a bit crazy so it may take a week or two before I can commit to a specific day/time. If you live in a non-ground floor apartment but have access to a normal outlet in a parking garage or anything, this is a really easy repair to do. I'd hate for you to have to drive an hour round-trip, but I'm happy to help if needed.

June 19, 2019, 03:13:31 PM #8

Quote from: JasonM on June 19, 2019, 02:53:06 PM

<snip>
I live pretty far away from you up in Snohomish (actually closer to Monroe), but I have one of those welders and some clear HDPE "welding rods" that we can use. <snip>

That is really cool of you to offer, JasonM!

I think I may have found the solution though. The HOA of the condo I live in won't allow me to do any work on anything on the common grounds and there's really no outlets outside or even in the hallways I can use. I did find this thing though:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PJJR7DB/?coliid=IR6XFFPS008Z0&colid=2VJTK657JXGR2&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it
I could just run a cord from my car to the inside of the storage room and do the repairs in there.

I really appreciate all the help. We should totally meet up and do some fishing the next time you get down this way

June 19, 2019, 04:02:29 PM #9

Quote from: Noob Noob on June 19, 2019, 03:13:31 PM

Quote from: JasonM on June 19, 2019, 02:53:06 PM
<snip>
I live pretty far away from you up in Snohomish (actually closer to Monroe), but I have one of those welders and some clear HDPE "welding rods" that we can use. <snip>

That is really cool of you to offer, JasonM!
I think I may have found the solution though. The HOA of the condo I live in won't allow me to do any work on anything on the common grounds and there's really no outlets outside or even in the hallways I can use. I did find this thing though:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PJJR7DB/?coliid=IR6XFFPS008Z0&colid=2VJTK657JXGR2&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it
I could just run a cord from my car to the inside of the storage room and do the repairs in there.

I really appreciate all the help. We should totally meet up and do some fishing the next time you get down this way

You might want to check the power needed for the plastic welder, I have a much larger inverter in my truck and it don’t run a lot of power tools or equipment. Check the wattage required and make sure the inverter can maintain that wattage plus some.

June 19, 2019, 04:05:48 PM #10

You might blow some fuses on that 12v adapter. I think those welding irons draw a bit of current to stay heated.
If you lived closer, I'd surely help you out - but I'm way south in Oregon. Just repaired my neighbor's kayak - they dropped a kayak off their car in the parking lot --the damage looked similar. I think you'll have great success repairing the damaged kayak, and you'll be on your way soon!

June 19, 2019, 04:15:44 PM #11

Quote from: bb2fish on June 19, 2019, 04:05:48 PM

You might blow some fuses on that 12v adapter. I think those welding irons draw a bit of current to stay heated.<snip>

So the welder I'm ordering is this one:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RG8K18D/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It says 80W and the cigarette lighter adapter output is 150W. You think that will be ok? Certainly don't want to be repairing my car in addition to my brand new kayak LOL!

Edit: just got the answer to my own question (totally forgot you can get the amps from using wattage/voltage). It only draws about 1 amp of power max which the adapter should be more than capable of handling.

Edit #2: Unsure of my math but I'm going to try it anyways. I'll let you know how it goes in a few days.

June 19, 2019, 05:15:51 PM #12

Harbor freight has plastic welding kits and Home Depot has HDPE buckets.

June 20, 2019, 05:36:08 PM #13

Quote from: workhard on June 19, 2019, 05:15:51 PM

Harbor freight has plastic welding kits and Home Depot has HDPE buckets.

More great tips from one of the pros - thanks, workhard

Funny because when you mentioned the bucket I realized that I had a blue one I bought from them a few years back. One bucket will give you a lifetime supply too! If you buy HDPE "welding strips" from just about anywhere, they'll cost you 10x more than a $3 bucket you could just cut up yourself.

I ordered the same model welding kit from Amazon. It was $12 more but I have Prime so I get free one-day delivery.

June 20, 2019, 06:44:24 PM #14

If you need some specialty plastic welding items, check out Jacks Plastic Welding online.
https://www.jpwinc.com/?v=7516fd43adaa

What i saw for supplies is down towards the bottom. Mostly they make rafts and inflatables, and a few other things

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