Bullhead repair on plastic Tempest- looking forward someone to do the work

[Barbara Ryan]

Time to properly reseal the bulkheads on my plastic Tempest. Does anyone know who does such repairs? I will check the kayak shops but wondering if anyone in our group has had experience and can offer recommendations. Thanks!

[Paul Sylvester]

 3M 5200 sealant and plan on a week before it fully cures.  Have you tested to see where the problem is?  Really not hard to do yourself.  I do not have time myself but there are others here who do this work.

Edited July 22, 2021 by Paul Sylvester
spelling,

[Dan Foster]

Every few years I buy a 5 oz squeeze tube of Lexel Clear waterproof sealant and reseal the bulkheads in my Tempest 170. It's pretty easy to do. Basically, spray out the kayak with a hose and get all of the sand and grit away from the bulkheads. Peel off any dangling, loose sealant strips. Let the boat dry in the sun. Squeeze the Lexel tube to run a nice bead of goo along the edge where the foam meets the plastic hull. There's usually a gap right at the keel line, and I start by squirting a bunch under there. You've got a fair number of minutes to work with the sealant before it sets up. I usually put on a nitrile glove and run a wet finger down the bead to smooth things out and get a good seal. Repeat on both sides of each bulkhead.

Sashco 13013-2 13013 5oz Sealants Clear Lexel Adhesive Caulk, 5-Ounce: Adhesive Caulk: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

Edited July 23, 2021 by Dan Foster

[Dan Foster]

You can find gaps by shining a flashlight through at night. Or, dry the inside completely, set a hose in the day hatch, and look for water leaking into the cockpit and rear hatch. By repositioning and edging the boat on your lawn and wiping away the leaks you can usually figure out how far up the foam the problem goes. Repeat for the front hatch.

[Dan Foster]

I leak-tested my boat this morning (it got a perfect score - all bulkheads leak to some degree!) and since we've finally got some dry weather and I've got a trip coming up next week, I decided to fast-track the resealing project. Some tips for others, and especially for me for next time:

Lexel gets tacky in 30 minutes, and cures completely in 1-2 weeks, according to the label. I put the boat and the tube of Lexel out in the morning sun to dry and warm up. I always end up wishing I cut a wider opening on the squeeze tube - I'd go about halfway up the tapered nozzle next time.

Start with the easy-access bulkheads - behind the seat and in the rear hatch, and once you've got the technique down, move to the more confined spaces. I don't bother trying to crawl up behind the foot pegs to do the inside of the forward bulkhead. Train a small child for that.

I like to put the boat on its side and lay a bead of sealant down from the top/side edge of the bulkhead down to the keel line, then swap sides, flip the boat on the other side, and squeeze another bead down the opposite side. Before smoothing with a gloved finger, go squeeze a second seam on a different bulkhead. Then come back and smooth all of the Lexel in using a nitrile-gloved finger. For the nicest lines, swap to a clean finger on each pass. Discard the gloves and put on new ones and go squeeze and smooth two more seams.

If the foam bulkhead is so separated from the hull that it freely moves, I would probably engage a helper to push it forward or aft so you can lay down a thick puddle of sealant, and then push it the opposite direction and work sealant well under the foam itself.

I used an entire 5oz squeeze tube of Lexel to seal five seams on my three foam bulkheads with a fairly generous bead of sealant. It took about 15 minutes to do.

I let the boat sit and dry in-place without moving it at all for at least 24 dry hours, and try not to cartop or paddle it for at least a week.

Edited July 23, 2021 by Dan Foster

[Barbara Ryan]

Thanks so much for your terrific, tried and true instructions Dan. With them and your and Paul's encouragement my boats are now done too! I will do the water test this week to be sure. I did spend many hours trying to remove as best I can the mess of silicone from previous sealing attempts that was really all over the place. THAT was truly the hardest part and from what I've learned I'll never ever use silicone to seal anything again if it may need to be re-sealed in the future since nothing sticks to silicone including silicone. Never knew this! Have a GREAT paddling adventure this week and hope to meet up with you sometime soon on the water!