Crack Repair

So, most of you know about the roof rack failure... While repairing the Trident 15, I decided to do a bit of filming. As it turns out, a busted up scupper is not the end of the world if repaired correctly. I already had a heatgun, so I spent another $15 on the Harbor Freight plastic welder. The welder itself isn't that great, but it will get the job done if you don't push it too hard. It carries twice the wattage of most soldering irons, so don't expect them to do the job.



The video isn't all that great, but it can help you get the job done.

Being anal about potential failure, I lined the inside of the scupper and repair area with fiberglass and G/flex epoxy.  G/flex, ounce for ounce, isn't cheap, but, damn, it is some good stuff. I got a lil heavy with the epoxy in another spot and I can't even scrape off the resin from an unprepped area of the kayak. When it comes to polyethylene, I won't use anything else in the future.

In the end, I did repair the Trident 15, as shown in the video. I filled it with water and, after not having any leakage over a weekend (verified by weight), took it out for some fun at PC the other week. Despite a large yellow patch by the bow, it's looking good and holding out water just as it always did (if you want it, i've since replaced it, make an offer).

Hopefully this will help others that will eventually face a similar repair. Rotomolded kayaks are easy to repair and, after this experience, I might even say their easier than others might suggest.