rwolson

I agree, best paddling practice, learn to edge. I always test my skeg just in case finding it bound up. I think I'll pull it and lube just so I understand the process. Lots of good info on the thread. Thanks

Thanks Brian, I saw the WD40 at the hardware store thinking a good choice. Funny, I didn’t see any Teflon spray or I didn’t look hard enough. I'm considering pulling the cable and spraying with Teflon. The 3M 5200 threw me. I only found tubes online or at Lowes. A bit expensive considering I might use just a dab and rest of tube sits around. The epoxy sounds like a good way to go provided it sticks to the skeg. However, I don’t need to replace the cable at the moment.

I thought I'd bring up an old thread and relay my findings. I just fixed my skeg on a For Cat 5. I washed my boat twice since my last trip into the salt about three weeks ago. My skeg hung up. I sprayed the slide area with WD40 Silicone. Last night I found two great articles describing skeg repair on the Force boats and other kayaks. I'll post here in case someone needs the info. http://www.kayakacademy.com/pages/tips/Skeg_Repair/Impex_Sea_Kayak_Skeg_Cable_Repair.html - Force specific http://www.kayakacademy.com/pages/tips/skeg_cable.html - articles for Impex Force Above link), Valley, Tiderace, Wilderness and others. http://impextest.blogspot.com/2008/07/skeg-cable-troubles.html - Impex specific. Looks like a very simple procedure to remove the skeg. I don't know about installing the cable; maybe some "fun". I hope the info helps someone, Rich

Have fun tonight. Spending my time working

Kestrel I own two because I thought I lost one. Well made, but not cheap

Loking forward to the sessions. I'm trying to improve my bracing skills and maybe start rolling.

I carry extra straps just in case one of my straps looks bad I can readily replace it. Also, you never know if another kayaker may need to "borrow" a strap

Definitely more good advice from Brian and Peter. My intent, post my experiences in case others decided to perform their own repairs and learn from my stupidity. BTW, I wore the respirator when sanding, but since I basically worked outside removed it when mixing the epoxy and applying the FG. Next, time I'll need to practice more caution and wear the respirator. BTW, steer clear of the paper masks because they're hard to breath through and fog your glasses. The real respirators work much better.

Just a quick update. I completed the FG reapirs. I found some of the damage I expected didn't exist, but decided to still add FG under the crazed gelcoat. Also, fixed one section which made a creaking sound when pushed. So, the deck's secure, but I may fix the gelcoat this fall. I found working with FG and epoxy very easy. However, a couple of cautions. Wear good gloves and a long sleeved shirt. My left forearm broke out in a rash. I had washed some epoxy off my forearms, but still received the rash. I believe I wiped epoxy on my arm when tugging on the sleeve of a gaunlet glove. Also, if you do FG in sections over a few days wear new gloves. I encountered some problems with epoxy wetted FG sticking to my gloves and failing to stick to inside of the hull. So, new nitrile gloves each session. I wore two pair; one for contamination and another for cleanup, etc. I'm more cautious after looking at the rash on my arm Overall, an easy job. No patching holes, etc. Thanks for all of the advice because I learned a lot here. Brian, looked at your photos on WebShots too; thanks for providing all the details on the site.

Enjoy tomorrow night. I'm donating blood tomorrow and heed the warnings re: no exercise, no liquor. I learned the hard way a long time ago. Hopefully, next week I can join you. I finished the fiberglass repairs on my kayak and need to wet the decks again. I'll do the gelcoat later this fall.

Congrats on your first roll

Hopefully, I can catch up with you next week. Bad day at work

Brian, I picked up a 3M cloth at Home Depot. Hopefully, the right sutff. If not I'll just order some online Thanks, Rich

Brain, I'm, assuming your talking about the following product - http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10001&storeId=11151&partNumber=9860495&langId=-1 I'll just need to find a smaller quantity if yes. Also, I believe you're talking about the epoxy on the same link? Rereading your response I searched for 6z glass cloth finding some at Amamazon - http://www.amazon.com/Fibre-Glass-Evercoat-100912-Fiberglass/dp/B002MJDTM8 which maybe what you recommended. Thanks, Rich

Nate, I placed the flashlight and mirror inside the hatch. Also, I can catch a fingernail on a crack. I suspect the cracks didn't break thruough the FG. The deck around the cracks feels solid when pushing against it, but probably weakening the FG. I watched another video on Youtube. I believe I'll add some patches using a few layers for added strength. Thanks, Rich