Robert,
Good luck. I can't wait to see the transformation. Sounds like it's going to be a "guardian phoenix" as well, rising from the "ashes" of the old kayak. This is going to be very interesting. Thanks for sharing.

--Tony

I have started doing the rebuild of my Lightening 17. If you recall, I
: accidently ran it through a class 6 rapid in the Canadian Rockies last
: summer while paddling the North Saskatchewan. The yak was broken into 11
: pieces that I was able to recover while other pieces were lost. The gossip
: is that if I had given the kayak a name this wouldn't have happened: the
: new one has a name: Guardian Spirit. This new one will have one just in
: case the gossip has some basis in reality. I'm not getting superstitious,
: just old and careful.
: I am using a dremmel to cut any jagged edges that can't be tightly glued. Any
: new pieces of wood that have to be added will be added without being laid
: out under weights; I'll be using wood and screws to hold the new pieces in
: place wherever I need to put them. I have removed the forward deck due to
: the severity of the damage. The forward bulkhead is badly damaged and will
: have to be rebuilt. The right forward sheer panel has been ground to
: splinters from the cockpit (least damaged) to the bow (severely damaged)
: so it will have to be built up to its proper size using plywood. The only
: thing that held the bow together was the generous end pour. Fortunately I
: won't have to work on it because it remains as solid as ever. The seat was
: broken in half but the pieces are useable. The back reast has a hole in it
: and is useable. The hull has two major breaks and one large hole so they
: will have to be cleaned up and new wood added. The coaming and risers are
: missing so I will replace those. The footpegs are still in good condition.
: The stern half remains in useable condition so I won't disassemble it. My
: major challenges will be to rebuild the hull first by joining the bow and
: stern in such a way to keep the hull straight. The next challenge will be
: to rebuild the deck so it fits to the hull as well as it did before. I
: think the hull is the biggest challenge for me. The rest of it seems
: pretty straight forward.
: As I progress I will post pics. This is gonna be a labour of love coz the yak
: was my first. That should explain why I am even bothering. If anyone
: has any advice please offer it. I am planning on buying a heat gun to
: facilitate the removal of damaged epoxy/glass: is this a good idea?

: Robert N Pruden