Regular readers know that I am really thrashing my beloved NDK on this Atlantic Odyssey. The poor boat is just taking a beating with every beach landing and launch, not too mention the current rocky New England coast. Given the damage I am doing, I continue to search for additions to my repair kit that will make field repairs, especially emergency ones, easier to accomplish.
When I was down in North Carolina (Ed, self proclaimed nicest Republican I would ever meet), turned me on to this epoxy in a tube. I quickly added a tube to my kit and went on my way. Last week, after suffering a complete 5" tear through the hull, I was obviously taking on a great deal of water. Out of my space age Rec'Repair patches, I was forced to try the putty.
The putty comes in a sealed tube, that you simply take out, twist off as much as you need, and then begin to need. The putty has two layers, the epoxy and the filler, and you simply work it together like play-do until it is a uniform color. When this happens you then have a few minutes to work with it before it Kicks, and becomes un-useable. I first applied a section to the inside of the cockpit, working it over and into the crack. Using a little water on your hands you can actually smooth it out as if you were working with clay. After doing the inside, I flipped the boat and did the outside of the crack as well as a few other spots on the keel.
Paddling the next day resulted in a significant reduction in water leakage. In fact, it may have completely stopped it as I found tears in my spray skirt yesterday which may have been an additional source of water. Either way, the putty made for a simple and strong patch that made the boat sea worthy until repairs could be made. Yesterday, as I was removing the putty from the boat, I was really impressed with the hardness and the durability of the patch. Interestingly, the patches on the outside/bottom of the boat required sanding to remove, they were that hard and that firmly attached. The internal patch, while still attached, came off with a putty knife. The only thing I can think of is that the external patches, when applied, were baked in the sun, possibly making them more durable?
There are several manufactures of this putty, and one of the great features is that the will cure under water. This makes for a fantastic emergency patch material that can be used in almost any situation. The Rec'Repair patches are certainly way more durable, but you can not beat the convenience of the putty. The tube is small, and nothing is needed to attach it to your boat. Something that anyone doing kayak trekking should consider adding to your repair kit.
For long distance tripping my repair kit now includes:
- Marine Epoxy Putty
- West Systems repair kit (glass and resin)
- Additional Glass
- 3 4x6 Rec'Repair sheets
- Duct Tape
With these items I am able to perform just about any type of emergency repair out in the field without adding a great deal of weight or taking up too much space in my day hatch.