CLC Chesapeake 17 Hull Damage

I am sick!  Just got home from teaching a group of Boy Scouts Kayaking merit badge and when I took my beautiful Chesapeake 17 off my truck and was sitting it on the sling saw horses the boat got out of balance and bumped hard against the top of one of the saw horses knocking two holes in the hull.  My first project will be to add some foam to the top of the saw horses.  Then I'll go about repairing the hull.

My question to the forum is, what is the preferred repair method?  I do have some scrap pieces of 3mm okoume left over from the build that I can use for a patch.  Since it's above the waterline I would like it to be as unnoticeable as possible.  Any suggestions?

Thanks, Bob, aka Paddling Pop


6 replies:

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RE: CLC Chesapeake 17 Hull Damage

In my opinion there are two considerations; structural and cosmetic.  The 3mm ply can be used as a scab patch (layered on top of the damage ((some fiberglass over the top))).  The cosmetic is much more difficult. I would suggest that you add some type of graphic or fabric over the patch.  Hiding a patch with a design is much easier that trying to blend in a perfect piece of wood grain. Good luck. 

RE: CLC Chesapeake 17 Hull Damage

Bob,

This is very similar to the damage that was used to demonstrate kayak repair at a CLC showroom event a couple of years ago.  That kayak also had a pushed-in puncture wound.

What Joey and the gang did was use fishing line or wire to pull the wood back into place (thereby keeping the matching grain) and glued and faired the whole thing back together.

There was, of course, some prep work removing the old glass, getting the wood to fit together, etc., but even before they did all the final work it was an invisible-from-10-feet repair.

I'd suggest that you call CLC support (use the contact us link at the top of this page) and talk to them to get the exact details of what they did at the demo. But if you repair it the way they did, it should be invisible, or almost so, and need only fiberglass patches, not wooden ones.

Good luck,

Laszlo

 

RE: CLC Chesapeake 17 Hull Damage

   Guegon (West System) has a very good repair manuals on line. You are intersted in the cored fiberglass repair - as a CLC boat is fiberglass skins with a wood core.

Good  Luck.

RE: CLC Chesapeake 17 Hull Damage

Thanks to all for the information about making this repair.  I took some additional photos (see attached) showing the inside and a closeup of the outside.  Since the plies on the okoume have separated and a large part is intact on the inside I like the idea of pulling the plies back together with wire or fish line.  I'm not sure how to easily remove the fiberglas from the outside before trying to re-sandwich the plies.  I will contact Joey and ask if there is any documentation on how they did the repair in their clinic.  I also have read the cored fiberglas repair at the West Systems website.  Lots if interesting info there.

Again, thanks, this forum is great!

   

RE: CLC Chesapeake 17 Hull Damage

Bob,

Joey's moved from Annapolis, so he's no longer with CLC, but the other folks there should be able to help. In the meantime, I found these 2 pictures. The first is the damaged kayak (I believe that Pocket Ship dropped on it), the second is the jig they made to pull the punched-in wood back into place.

The area inside the duct taped rectangle has been cleaned and sanded down to bare epoxy, i.e., the varnish removed.

Wire was threaded through holles drilled in the punched-in piece and joined into a loop. As the wedges are moved in, the piece is lifted into place.

Sorry for the picture quality, but it was hand-held with no flash so I wouldn't distract the folks giving and watchingthe demo. It should give a general idea of what's going on, though.

Good luck,

Laszlo

 

RE: CLC Chesapeake 17 Hull Damage

One key trick is to use a sharp razor to very slightly trim the bits of wood that are preventing the rest from sitting flush. I have had to make a similar repair. Be patient and you will be the only person to notice it. JRC.  

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