Fiberglass work needed in Portsmouth area

[Grajan]

After some 'flamboyant abuse' of my Tempest 170 Pro, I am in urgent need of a fiberglasser to fill in the small holes and then put on a keel strip.

Can anyone recommend someone in the Portsmouth area that could do this sort of thing in a hurry? This is no time to be off the water.....

Thanks a lot.

Graham

[Pintail]

Someone else will doubtless fill in the details; but Tim Straz is very close to Kittery, which ought to foot the bill for you...his work is awesome.

Here you go -- (found it):

(207)451.9519 and he's at 185 Depot Rd., Eliot, ME 03903.

[Michael_Crouse]

Tim does nice work, but I thought he stopped doing repairs. His website seems to have disappeared.

Brad at New England Small Craft does repairs, probably 30 - 40 minutes from Portsmouth.

[Grajan]

Thanks guys,

Tim's number is out of service so I guess he is out of play.

Anyone had any experience (good or bad) with standard boat repair shops? There are plenty of them around here.

Graham

[thief]

i still would push Osprey down in Westport....i can deliver down there from the north shore if needed/wished....easy nuff to plop another tempest on my roof...

Carl did the k-strip on my tempest....not the new liner stuff a normal glass strip....good price...great quality..

rob

http://www.ospreyseakayak.com/index.php?section=76

[Michael_Crouse]

Have you tried calling the local shops (Portsmouth Rent & Ride - Seacoast Kayak) to see if they do repairs or to find out who they use for repairs?

[Deb Millar]

i still would push Osprey down in Westport....i can deliver down there from the north shore if needed/wished....easy nuff to plop another tempest on my roof...

Carl did the k-strip on my tempest....not the new liner stuff a normal glass strip....good price...great quality..

rob

http://www.ospreyseakayak.com/index.php?section=76

I second Carl down at Osprey. He repaired the ding from hell on the bow of my Romany and put on the truck bed keel strip, too. His prices are excellent.

As for the keel strip: it's been on the boat for 2 years and has held up to being run up on rocks , although I never drag it across the beach.

Deb M

[Bill H]

Seacoast Kayak and Portsmouth Rent & Ride are out of business, the only local place would be

New England Small Craft in Rowley Ma. on Route 1.

Bill H

[Grajan]

Thanks to all for the advice.

Rob,

That is a kind offer and seems like a good idea. I was hoping to get it turned round quickly locally but I'm a bit leary about going to a boatyard that does not have a track record with Kayaks and hoping for the best. The problem I have is that I'm off on a paddling trip next weekend so I am inclined to patch the damage now and get the keel strip later (to cover up my probably ugly repair.....).

The damage appears to be more cosmetic than structural. Here are some pictures.

How often do you go down there and where from? How long do you think they will need it for? I paddle nearly every day so I might wait until I am going away for work in July.

Graham

i still would push Osprey down in Westport....i can deliver down there from the north shore if needed/wished....easy nuff to plop another tempest on my roof...

Carl did the k-strip on my tempest....not the new liner stuff a normal glass strip....good price...great quality..

rob

http://www.ospreyseakayak.com/index.php?section=76

[Brian Nystrom]

It's a bit hard to tell from the photos, but the first one looks like structural damage to me. It appears that the glass has been crushed and the resin matrix has failed. The easiest way to tell is to push on it with a thumbnail; if it gives at all the glass is damaged and you need a structural repair. In the second photo, it appears that the gelcoat has completely flaked off the surface of the glass or perhaps there was an air pocket there. It's unusual to see gelcoat come off that cleanly, but the fact that the glass is clear indicates that the resin matrix is undamaged.

As for who should fix it, I strongly recommend going with someone who works on kayaks specifically. General boatyards could fix a kayak, but they're not used to working on thin-skinned vessels. The tools, materials and methods they use are all geared toward working on thick, heavy hulls. I have yet to see a good kayak repair done by a general boatyard.

[thief]

Thanks to all for the advice.

Rob,

That is a kind offer and seems like a good idea. I was hoping to get it turned round quickly locally but I'm a bit leary about going to a boatyard that does not have a track record with Kayaks and hoping for the best. The problem I have is that I'm off on a paddling trip next weekend so I am inclined to patch the damage now and get the keel strip later (to cover up my probably ugly repair.....).

The damage appears to be more cosmetic than structural. Here are some pictures.

How often do you go down there and where from? How long do you think they will need it for? I paddle nearly every day so I might wait until I am going away for work in July.

Graham

Morning Graham

first I would drop a note to Carl at Osprey with those pix....he can give you an idea of time....$ et al.....

i head down to that area almost every weekend for some amount of days....

drop me a note on email for faster responses since i do not check this forum all the time: corgimas AT gmail . com

rob

[Grajan]

Rob,

I will get in touch with Carl.

Brian,

Neither impact point is at all soft. The round one is a grazing blow from a rock and is mainly scraped but the glass looks largely OK. The long dark one was caused by being dropped onto the road. It looks like resin that was put over the glass to shape the bow has sheared off down to the first glass layer. Still no softness so I think I will stay afloat.... Might just use duct tape for the weekend to prevent doing more damage with a temp repair.

To be honest the worst leak on the boat is still the skeg box due to lousy build quality.

Graham

[Bill H]

Hi Graham,

I have some WS gelcoat if you want to repair yourself I've done a few repairs and could help some night this week. If you have a leak in your skeg box that's a warranty issue and the kayak should be checked out. If the skeg box leaks they might send you a new kayak.

I had mine checked out at Suncook Kayak and He sealed all my hatch rims but I still Get some water in my rear hatch.

Bill H

[Roger Turgeon]

Graham; That looks like it's just gelcoat damage, though I can't tell from the photos. I can patch the 'glass for you this week if you want to bring the boat by my house after work some day. Looks like a very small job. May even be time to add a keel strip if you like. Call me at 207-833-0601 Monday--I'm up at Orr's Island for the weekend--or at 978-388-1516 after Monday evening--I'll be back home in Bradford (Haverhill).

Roger Turgeon

Night Heron--cedar-strip

[Grajan]

Thanks a lot Roger,

Peter took a look at it over the weekend and it is down to the glass but there is no softness at all so I (we) think you are right. I will call you when you get back. Hope you are having a good time up there. We just got back from a night paddle down the river that was a complete delight - starry sky and no wind. Less light pollution where you are I suspect.

Graham

Graham; That looks like it's just gelcoat damage, though I can't tell from the photos. I can patch the 'glass for you this week if you want to bring the boat by my house after work some day. Looks like a very small job. May even be time to add a keel strip if you like. Call me at 207-833-0601 Monday--I'm up at Orr's Island for the weekend--or at 978-388-1516 after Monday evening--I'll be back home in Bradford (Haverhill).

Roger Turgeon

Night Heron--cedar-strip

[Grajan]

Bill,

I did not notice, you also offered to help out this week. Thanks a lot. I will talk to Wilderness about the skeg box. It had to be repaired a week after I bought it. I should have replaced it then but a two month wait to get one to Newfoundland persuaded me.

Graham

Hi Graham,

I have some WS gelcoat if you want to repair yourself I've done a few repairs and could help some night this week. If you have a leak in your skeg box that's a warranty issue and the kayak should be checked out. If the skeg box leaks they might send you a new kayak.

I had mine checked out at Suncook Kayak and He sealed all my hatch rims but I still Get some water in my rear hatch.

Bill H

[chetpk]

Yes looking at the photos it looks like gel coat damage only. If that is the case, two options that should work is either use the "White" version of the Marine PC two part epoxy that I know you can get at most hardware stores (at least Ace Hardware), mix it up, apply then put clear packing tape directly over it to smooth it out and make it flush to rest of the gel coat till the epoxy cures or simply get some gel coat, mix and apply then wet sand smooth to the rest of the hull.

PC Epoxy

http://www.right-tool.com/noname20.html

Local source for Gel Coat just off of the Portsmouth traffic circle.

http://www.newenglandmarine.com/

If you have any concerns about the glass cloth having been damaged then I think you could put some tape width fiberglass patches on the inside of the hull. Once again New England Marine will have all you need in stock.

[thief]

To be honest the worst leak on the boat is still the skeg box due to lousy build quality.

there is an issue with the skeg control tube and how it runs into the top of the skeg box.....just goop the crap out of it with lexel and you will have no problems with it after that....

good luck on the trip!

[Grajan]

Yep,

That may well be it. There is a sleeve over the entry point that is now sliding on the cable so I guess it got dragged off when I was pulling gear out. I will goop it up and see how that goes. Never heard of Lexel - I will Google it.

Thanks

Graham

there is an issue with the skeg control tube and how it runs into the top of the skeg box.....just goop the crap out of it with lexel and you will have no problems with it after that....

good luck on the trip!

[thief]

Yep,

That may well be it. There is a sleeve over the entry point that is now sliding on the cable so I guess it got dragged off when I was pulling gear out. I will goop it up and see how that goes. Never heard of Lexel - I will Google it.

Thanks

Graham

lexel is the stuff that Wildy uses to put their bulkheads in RM boats....silicone would work-but nothing will ever stick there after if you do use it....

[Grajan]

I just googled it and it looks like great stuff, not just for this but as a regular part of an emergency repair kit.

Thanks

lexel is the stuff that Wildy uses to put their bulkheads in RM boats....silicone would work-but nothing will ever stick there after if you do use it....

[thief]

http://f1.grp.yahoofs.com/v1/wNkbSh7sEjlK7...ck/IMGP0109.JPG

that is a pic of Steve Scherrer's (tempest designer) skeg box....mine looks the same.....just goop the heck out of it....i am not certain if the reason of the leak has been identified or not...but this is simple.......

[Grajan]

Rob,

Having taken a better look at the skeg box issue, I don't think goop is going to do the trick. The tubing is too short and very tight through the middle of the stowage space. The result is that whenever I pack the boat it is going to get pulled out of the skeg box fitting again. I don't think even Lexel is going to prevent that. I have posted a couple more pictures here.

Time to talk to Wilderness I think.

Graham

there is an issue with the skeg control tube and how it runs into the top of the skeg box.....just goop the crap out of it with lexel and you will have no problems with it after that....

good luck on the trip!

[glad]

Rob,

I will get in touch with Carl.

Brian,

Neither impact point is at all soft. The round one is a grazing blow from a rock and is mainly scraped but the glass looks largely OK. The long dark one was caused by being dropped onto the road. It looks like resin that was put over the glass to shape the bow has sheared off down to the first glass layer. Still no softness so I think I will stay afloat.... Might just use duct tape for the weekend to prevent doing more damage with a temp repair.

To be honest the worst leak on the boat is still the skeg box due to lousy build quality.

Graham

I'm giving my vote for having Brian Nystrom fix your boat. He is incredibly knowledgeable [is writing a book on repair] and I have numerous friends extremely happy with his meticulous work.

[thief]

Rob,

Having taken a better look at the skeg box issue, I don't think goop is going to do the trick. The tubing is too short and very tight through the middle of the stowage space. The result is that whenever I pack the boat it is going to get pulled out of the skeg box fitting again. I don't think even Lexel is going to prevent that. I have posted a couple more pictures here.

Time to talk to Wilderness I think.

Graham

Graham shoot me an email and i will get you in contact with Steve....he is a great person to talk to and a great way into confluence.

rob