Slick finish dangerous?

Posted by Kyle T on Jun 30, 2006

I refinished my 17LT last weekend with clear spar polyurethane. This is the first time in four years but I felt like I really needed to cover a couple of recent scratches on the deck. I had to look at them while I paddled around and they finally got to me but I put it off as long as I could because I wanted to avoid a couple of days of sanding. I can tell you that all that wet sanding was well worth it because the deck came out slick as glass and just as deep a finish. I just love the way the water beads up on that finish too.

That brings me to the subject line. I took the newly refinished kayak out with a group to show it off yesterday afternoon. After our 90-minute loop I was feeling pretty sporty (and warm) so I decided to practice my self-rescue. Falling out of the boat was as easy as usual. Getting back in was unbelievably difficult because of the super slick surface. It was like trying to hold onto a wet watermelon seed and it kept getting away from me. My friends had a great laugh at my antics seeing as I was the one that had taught them. It took me three tries to get back in that darn boat (cowboy style) and that was in a calm lake.

So, can you make a boat so pretty that it becomes more dangerous?

--KT--

Replies:

• Re: Slick finish dangerou by LeeG on Jun 30, 2006
  • Re: Slick finish dangerou by Kyle T on Jul 5, 2006
    • Re: Slick finish dangerou by LeeG on Jul 5, 2006
      • Re: Slick finish dangerou by Kyle T on Jul 5, 2006
        • Re: Slick finish dangerou by FrankP on Jul 6, 2006
          • Re: Slick finish dangerou by Kyle T on Jul 7, 2006
      • Re: Slick finish dangerou by Kyle T on Jul 5, 2006
        • Re: Slick finish dangerou by LeeG on Jul 5, 2006
          • Re: Slick finish dangerou by Laszlo on Jul 6, 2006