SeaKayakNE

It has been a busy season so far! We have been lucky enough to work on many NSPN members boats! Currently we are fully booked and looks like it will be that way through April! However occasionally we have openings so please reach out if you need repair work and I will do my best to fit you in. Additionally we will have a more limited availability this summer, I have quite a few trainings I will be doing so it will limit my repair times somewhat.

Since some asked for the before:

Sure, I can provide photo's today.

I have a interesting opportunity for someone who may be looking for the no longer produced Valley Pintail. Last summer I acquired a very worn pintail, it is very serviceable but has been loved on. If someone may be interested in the boat I will be doing a complete refurbish on the boat, meaning new gelcoat in all areas, new skeg, new seat, new hatches and rim, just about everything! If you may be interested in a refurbished pintail, contact me before May and you will be able to pick your gelcoat colors and any other options you might like.

I’m similar height and weight. I can paddle a Cetus LV but only as a day boat. At my size the boat is playful but I’m slightly tight in it. Paddling it with kit would be pushing it too far. I would suggest a Cetus MV.

I have done this. My honest suggestion is it really depends. The biggest factors are do you have the space and equipment to do it? In order to do it you need about 6 working hours not including cure time. Essentially you would need to sand the top few layers of gel down, then route any and all spider cracks. If you miss just one it will cause the new gelcoat to crack. Then it needs to be sanded again to smooth out the filler. The difficult part, laying new gelcoat. I have rolled it and sprayed it. Spraying is the only way so you need a good air compressor and gun. Then it needs to be sprayed and cured to about 75 degrees. Then it all needs to be wet sanded and buffed. In all it’s time consuming and pretty expensive, especially if your not doing it as part of a business. So that’s really just the basics of it all. So to answer your question, yes you need to sand and route every crack or you will see the cracks reappear.

Hi all! I hope you are all enjoying winter and maybe even getting some paddling in! We are still offering repair services throughout the winter season helping folks get some much need repairs done before we have some warmer weather. We do have very limited availability right now so if you are in need of repairs, keel strips or any other maintenance items please contact us as soon as possible to get on our schedule. We also are now offering a few new services including free total inspections where we can check your boat for any structural damage, pressure test the hatches and check over the entire to make sure nothing needs to be addressed. Additionally we are also now offering a detail service where we will clean your boat, buff, polish and coat the boat in a UV resistant spray to help protect it from UV damage. We have updated our website as well so you can easily see the services we offer and some base pricing, you can see that by clicking here. Attached is our newly updated repair section. If you have any questions or need any work done you can contact me here: https://www.seakayaknewengland.com/contact

Dave, do you have any photos? I do quite a bit of composite repairs and may have some suggestions.

I believe that may of been me? I know I have pulled out the bothy bag on a few of those trips. I use the terra nova bothy 4. It can be purchased on amazon I believe! Here’s the link below: https://www.terra-nova.co.uk/storm-shelters-bothies/bothy-4/

I have used this method for a few years now it seems to work well for me. I take along 3 pairs of glacier gloves and switch out when I can’t regenerate or keep warmth in my hands. I also will occasionally use a light pogie I got from the UK. Although none of that seems ideal I look to the Alaskan fishing boats for advice. Where they are working in a cold, wet and windy environment they have a good idea of how to manage this best. A friend of mine who worked a few seasons on a crab boat would wear glacier gloves and switch them out every few hours. I actually sell a heated glove used in construction but it’s not ideal for wet environments.

Steady Andy! I just bought a clear Carbon Kevlar Volan which lives outside and will be paddled in just about everything. Most boats these days have gelcoat mixed with duratech which has a UV protectant in it, as long as properly cared for no UV damage should occur. Additionally the occasional wipe down with 303 will protect from UV. UPDATE: P&H is not using one of these gelcoat additives listed above, however P&H has assured that polyester gelcoat offers more then enough UV protection. I do know a few surfski manufactures, stellar and epic are using these additives, however most of those are a epoxy based system. Regardless I would be all that concerned with carbon Kevlar being stored in direct sunlight just try to keep it shaded and use 303 every few months.

Good Morning, We are now booking appointments for slots from November to December for repair work. Currently we have space available after December 1st, if you are in need of repairs please get in contact with us as spots are filling quickly.

Hi Ranger, any interest in a Romany Excel?

Hi Folks, Its almost fall which for us in the Northeast typically brings some fun conditions! If you boat is in need of some repairs or modifications I have a few spots open from now to the end of October. Once Nov 1st comes we will go into our limited run of spots due to the increasingly colder temperatures. Please reach out if you are in need of repairs!

Second this advise!

Hi Liz, So sorry to hear about the incident. If you’d like to bring the boat by my house in Wells Maine I can take a look over the boat to see what would need to be done to repair it. Let me know. Jonathan

Bob welcome back! Glad to see you are wanting to get back out again. I just sent you over a email, take a look and let's touch base!

Jason, ill be in touch shortly!

Hi Leslie, Likely the cable is pinched, no lubrication will fix this. The cable will need to be replaced. Usually on the older tahes the skeg and wire are all one piece so the whole thing would need replacement.

Hi John, I just sent over a email to you!

We will have two slots available for repairs starting the weekend of May 1st.

We are now full, next slots available around April 25th.

With weather warming up and some people deciding to stay off the water for a bit now is a great time to address some of those cracks, bumps and ouchies on your boat! Whether your boat needs some gelcoat, a keel strip or is leaky we are here to help! We have appointments for repairs opening up currently! With social distancing we make the process easy, just send us photo's of what needs work and we will provide you with a quote! From there we can schedule a pick up or drop off of your boat. When your boats finished we sanitize the boat and provide nitrile gloves. You can even pay by credit card so no contact is needed! If you need repairs, please send inquires to our email, seakayakne at gmail dot com or visit our website seakayaknewengland.com.

Hi Folks, This week I am placing an order with Kajak Sport for hatch covers and some parts. If you are in need of hatch covers please let me know and I will add them to my order for you! If you unsure of sizing just send me a photo and I will quote you a price. I plan to place the order by Wednesday. Jonathan

We are about to place our spring order for repair materials. Currently we have a few slots open for those needing keel strips or repairs. If you are need of a keel strip or any repairs this is a great time to do it as most of us are off the water with social distancing! Prices are below: $250 for white fiberglass keel strips $300 for custom colored keel strips For Repairs please send photos to seakayakne@gmail.com for a quote.