First, I want to thank all the regular contributors to these forums. Pretty much any Hobie kayak issue or need I have has already been covered and usually with multiple options. And that continues with my recent run-in with a shallow oyster bed with moderate current and Evolve motor running. It was a hard hit to be sure. But these forums provided the necessary steps for repair. Let’s start with the damage:
Repair consisted of following steps (from past forum posts) and took 2 hours:
1. Thorough cleaning.
2. Scrape off strands and chunks with razor blade.
3. Clean debris out of gouges with sharp objects.
4. Clean with alcohol.
5. Build surface up with welding tool and red stock.
6. Orbital sander coarse.
7. Orbital sander fine.
8. Clean again with alcohol.
9. Use heat gun to restore shine.
Here is the after photo:
I am not a perfectionist so did not take the sanding time neccessary for a perfectly smooth surface. And there were some spots slightly discolored from the black sandpaper. But I am quite pleased with my first rotomold repair.
Peter