Under Pressure

Sometimes it feels that I am on a crusade. Although most of my gear is in waterproof containers or bags, I just hate paddling a kayak that leaks. Worst are the poly-ethylene kayaks; very few of those actually are and remain dry, so it is not impossible! Glass-fiber sea kayaks with round rubber hatch-covers and glass-fiber bulkheads should NOT leak, PERIOD! And IF they leak (poor quality control or by damage or wear) they can be (again) made bone-dry. I found the round rubber hatch-covers the only ones I can truly trust on every pressure or vacuum.

I used to borrow pressure hatches, but this week I made my own. Tubeless car-tire valves bonded to the hatch-covers with SikaFlex.

Having been in and around bone-dry kayaks for a while now, I have now found another issue that needs sorting. The pressure build-up can be so great because of temperature differences (i.e. warm air / cold water or hot sun / car rooftop), that this can produce cracks in the gel-coat or 'awaken' any other weak-spot, a new leak. Any kayak has a zillion 'weak-spots', it is just a matter of time before the stronger weakness shows up. I drill 1 mm holes high in the center of each bulkhead, and tape them shut when I need another pressure test. Yep!, if my cockpit is full of water for a long time, my hatches will take in water drop-by-drop. Yep!, I swim a lot, but generally only for a very short time...

Oh, forgot to tell... How to find the leak with the pressure hatch-covers? Just as finding a gas leak, brushing suspected areas with washing-up liquid. And when you find the leak? Just read Ocean Paddler Magazine for expert advice on how to work glass-fiber repairs.