: Hey pros -

: I've got a problem with the hull on my Redfish Silver kayak.
: There's a spot (~24L" x 6w") in the center of the
: hull, underneath the seat, where it loolks like the glass has
: started to separate, or "bubble". I can see the glass
: underneath the finish, it's more yellow-ish, and that area is
: raised a bit (1/32"). Don't know what its from, or if it'll
: spread. I'm thinking of repairing it. But wonder if it's worth
: it for now.

: I haven't done any touch-ups or coatings since I built it ~5 yrs
: ago, so the rest of the hull has a few minor scratches also.

: If I took the finish off and got down to the glass I presume I
: would be taking that section of the glass out and replacing it.

: So my questions are:

: If I repair a section in the middle of the hull how do I take that
: section of the glass out without compromising the rest of the
: hull?

: What's the process for taking it out safely and cleanly?

: Will it be "simple" enough to overlap the new/old section
: of the glass and feather out the epoxy finish?

: Also, what's normal repair for scratches in the hull? Is it sanding
: them out with xtra fine paper and just adding another coat of
: varnish?

: I have pics available if I can figure out how to attach them.

: Thanks for any input.

: Tom

It's likely from abrasion from the seat, also possible that if you didn't varnish the inside of the cockpit and it sat outside alot uncovered it's got UV degradation of the epoxy. I'd knife cut the glass then use a heat gun to heat the bad section and with a knife at first then pliers pull it free from the wood, the epoxy softens with heat.

Feather the edges then overlap the new glass onto the old by a couple inches. Might want to double the glass under the seat, gets alot of abrasion.

Your method of fixing scratches will work, but if the boat hasn't been revarnished in 5 years, it's probably time to re-varnish the whole thing anyway.

Bill H.