: I just boat a 5 year old Necky Arluk II Kevlar and I love the upgrade from a
: poly. Here are my questions...

: It has some scratches on the top half that I would like to buff out. Is there
: a way to do that? Like car wax?

You can buff out small scratches with a buffing compound. Sometimes the scratches go a bit too deep and you end up having to sand the areas smooth and recoat with paint.

Wax is generally used as a protectant over a surface that is already finely finished. Don't expect to fill scratches with wax and have them look good.

there are several postings on this boartd relating ot getting a high quality varnish finish. The processes are essentially the smae for paint. Put on several thin coats, rather than one thick one and you'll avoid sags and runs. Don't try to fill scratches with a single, thick, coat of paint.

Marine supply and boat dealers handle marine paints. You are looking for a paint that will stick well to fiberglass. Since fiberglass is so common in boatbuilding you will find many brands and varieties. if you can't make it into a boat supply dealer, check out some of the online boating suppliers. Two that come to mind are West Marine and Defender. Their URLs respectively are:

www.westmarine.com

www.defenderus.com

For your uses you can choose almost any topside paint they have. Even though your boat's hull is going to be IN the water, you do not need a BOTTOM coating paint. Those are for boats that spens ALL their time in the water and need protection from barnacles and algae. Since you will store your boat out of the water between uses there is little likelihood of barnacles growing on it -- and anything else you'll probably rinse off with a garden hose and sponge.

: How do you repair the bottom when there is a small spot the size of a dime
: where the paint was scratched off from a rock? Is it necessary?

It is not necessary to repair such a cosmetic blemish, as long as the hull is intact and not actually leaking. If you have a leak you patch it temporarily with duct tape until you have the time to do a permanent repair with a piece of fiberglass cloth and some epoxy resin.

After patching any leaks you will need to smooth the patch and repaint the area. If you can find paint that matches, or comes close to matching the original colr then you can just do the repaired area. Otherwise you have two options: paint the entire boat, or paint a decorative design element over the repaired area to disguise the repair.

: How about repainting the kayak, is that a good option for somebody with very
: little experience with kayak building?

The work is similar to painting a house, or a car. First you prepare the surface with the proper sanding or scraping. Then you prime (if necessary for the paint you are using). Then you put on 1 or more finish coats. Then you stand back and admire your work, usually while consuming a cold beverage. Painting is a skill which can be learned easily, and while we consider it to be a boatbuilding skill, you don't need to know any more than this to do your repairs. So, YES, this is a good option (a very good option) for someone with little or no experience in kayak building.

: Thanks for your help.

Glad to help.

Paul G. Jacobson