Xfactor Leaking - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

BassYackwards · 11-03-2015, 11:16 AM

Hello all,
I am new to BWE and about 6 mos into Kayak fishing. My first Kayak was a Cobra Navigator XF, great kayak, had it out about a dozen times on the lake and once to LJ (A story for another time...) The Navigator was great , had plenty of tackle storage in the hull and when I got done fishing the hull has always been dry, even in and out of LJ surf. A few days ago I bought a newish blem X-factor from a friend and immediately rigged it up to go. He had mentioned it had a repair and it looked ok from what I could see. Took it out on the lake Sunday and it is leaking. Slow steady leak until I stood on the flat side areas just stern side of the bait tank then it would take on water faster.
Upon close inspection with a flashlight I found a U shape crack in the seat pan with the bottom of the u shape going slightly down the scupper edge in the seat. Also the bottom of the scupper had a crack from 2/3 back to the front where there is a 1cm hole. The whole thing was covered in white deck sealant looking silicone. So I removed all the silicone and started to scrape at the repair to see if it was solid. layers of plastic came off with chunks of some other clear more brittle plastic. also some calcium mixed in there here and there. After flaking the garbage off and cleaning the area some I am left with this

The lower front of the left seat scupper
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f310/rmccomb/20151103_075715.jpg
The lower inside of the left seat scupper
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f3...103_075726.jpg
The seat pan left scupper top cleaned some and drilled cracks
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f3...103_075625.jpg

My question is what next?
I see powder, rods, and 4" square pieces for sale.

BTW: I called Malibu to get there opinion and after that exchange it took me 6 hours to talk myself back into keeping the boat. Which may change...

"Patrick" mentioned the special epoxy powder they sell and how it reacts with heat when applied to a welding rod? WTF is that? They would not take my order over the phone for repair materials. He referred me to the website 3 times, laughed plenty and left me plenty po'd. He should have said do you have google? go to our site and goodbye I would have appreciated that much more.
I asked what are these foam blocks I see? "Oh that is the standing platform" What? Are these areas on the side of the yak not a standing platform?
"They reinforce the hull"

That presupposes some $#1*

What is the best what to repair this? Will it be sea worthy? I fish often and would like to do a Catalina crossing a few times in my life.

To be clear I am not upset with Malibu for not offering any assistance of any kind, I understand if you buy something and sell it to someone else the manufacturer has no more warranty obligation whatsoever.

I had planned to repair this but I may be in over my head here.
I see these: http://www.codpaddlesports.com/collections/repair-kits
The "Standing Platform"
http://www.codpaddlesports.com/colle...cks-for-kayaks

Also had a look at these:
http://www.harborfreight.com/welding...ure-96464.html
http://www.harborfreight.com/9-pc-he...kit-68695.html
http://www.harborfreight.com/1500-wa...112-96289.html

From what I can tell from the first repair the seat pan edge of the scupper was heated and the scupper pushed up (possibly from the lower repair) and bulged the area slightly where the scupper hits the seat.

I planned to heat the top of the scupper and get it repaired and sitting right then do the lower repair with a cut piece of plate, rods, powder?

I had planned to add blocks under the seat and reinforce the scuppers in question somehow after the repair, maybe carve up some lobster floats to go under the seat and reinforce the scupper posts.
The left seat scupper also looks like it attaches to the hull at an angle not flat like the right side. Will have to address that maybe it will straighten out when I get the rest back to shape.

Does anyone have any good resources or links for kayak repair?
Would like to keep this one afloat for a year or so until I can afford something better.

Thank you in advance, Great Forum, like the fishing reports, webcam , weather links,

Dave Legacy · 11-03-2015, 11:37 AM

That damage is far worse than I had expected pre-opening the pics. I am far from an expert, but I have seen others recommend a scupper repair where you insert a section of PVC pipe into the scupper and seal with epoxy. The PVC sleeve gives structure and acts as a plug. I'm not sure this would do the trick in your case.

I think the deal with Malibu Blems is it's a limited warranty that is only valid for a very short term. I'd be curious to know if the leak has anything to do with the blemish, but it's my understanding that Blems are just as seaworthy as the normal production boats.

Last thought is you might want to re-evaluate your friendship.

jruiz · 11-03-2015, 12:36 PM

I would find new friends, seriously.

octico · 11-03-2015, 01:07 PM

Did you talk to your friend and try to work something out?

BassYackwards · 11-03-2015, 01:11 PM

I Googled this more and it appears a lot of people are in the same boat with cracks in the same places. Super....

BassYackwards · 11-03-2015, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by octico

Did you talk to your friend and try to work something out?

I told him no big deal since it was holding water, it looked ok and I shttp://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwevb/showthread.php?t=27540aid would deal with it so that's what I am gonna do.

If I had seen under the silicone, or moreover read these horror stories from other owners on other forums, no way.

Have never seen a Kayak need foam blocks installed, purchased separately or otherwise to keep the kayak from self destructing.
If I buy a truck with running boards I do not want to find out I need the companies "standing platform" to put inside them after I step on them and they give way.

DanaPT · 11-03-2015, 01:29 PM

i wouldn't take that thing out without a bilge pump and I wouldn't go far. seems to be in a spot that may continue to give you problems. think loading unloading, surflandings, a hammer head bumping you.

how much water do think you can bail from the hull 4 miles from shore, while paddling?

BassYackwards · 11-03-2015, 01:39 PM

It went to the lake first run out for a reason.

The included hand bilge pump was broken and failed to operate.
If I did not have a red party cup in the bait tank I would have been in a lot more trouble.

You notice I pulled all the bad repair off and am not out at LJ again yet....

tacmik · 11-03-2015, 02:07 PM

Think you should take it to OEX and have them evaluate it. They can tell you if it is worth fixing or not, how to fix it, or they might be able to fix it. Don't know where you live, but there is one in Mission Bay and one up in the Newport area.

BassYackwards · 11-03-2015, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tacmik

Think you should take it to OEX and have them evaluate it. They can tell you if it is worth fixing or not, how to fix it, or they might be able to fix it. Don't know where you live, but there is one in Mission Bay and one up in the Newport area.

Appreciate it, I'm out by Lake Perris, may head down Sat.

BassYackwards · 11-03-2015, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tacmik

Think you should take it to OEX and have them evaluate it. They can tell you if it is worth fixing or not, how to fix it, or they might be able to fix it. Don't know where you live, but there is one in Mission Bay and one up in the Newport area.

Saw your "HOW" sig. and it sent me back, I remember wounded warriors when I was in and they did a lot of good for a lot of soldiers. Not sure you guys know how much it means to be on the receiving end of your work.
Thank You.

Iceman · 11-03-2015, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Have never seen a Kayak need foam blocks installed, purchased separately or otherwise to keep the kayak from self destructing.
If I buy a truck with running boards I do not want to find out I need the companies "standing platform" to put inside them after I step on them and they give way.

Malibu, Hobie and Jackson install blocks in all their kayaks now, they help retain the shape, add flotation if swamped and create rigidity where needed.

Scuppers are usually ones I will not attempt to fix. Yours looks to be on the outer edge and looks reachable with welding iron. I may be able to patch it with scrap polyethylene, heat gun and a welding iron. Bring it by this weekend if you can and I will look at it.

Good video for crack repair, you need to patch it though. Heating up the scrap plastic and the area applying the patch then feather it with an iron to meld them together.

tacmik · 11-03-2015, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BassYackwards

Saw your "HOW" sig. and it sent me back, I remember wounded warriors when I was in and they did a lot of good for a lot of soldiers. Not sure you guys know how much it means to be on the receiving end of your work.
Thank You.

If you ever want to join us at an event, we are always looking for mentors.

BassYackwards · 11-03-2015, 04:03 PM

That would be an honor, Thank You!
Will pm you for info.

11-03-2015, 01:39 PM	#8
BassYackwards Junior Join Date: Jul 2015 Posts: 13	It went to the lake first run out for a reason. The included hand bilge pump was broken and failed to operate. If I did not have a red party cup in the bait tank I would have been in a lot more trouble. You notice I pulled all the bad repair off and am not out at LJ again yet.... Last edited by BassYackwards; 11-03-2015 at 01:57 PM.

11-03-2015, 02:07 PM	#9
tacmik Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: East County Posts: 914	Think you should take it to OEX and have them evaluate it. They can tell you if it is worth fixing or not, how to fix it, or they might be able to fix it. Don't know where you live, but there is one in Mission Bay and one up in the Newport area. __________________

11-03-2015, 11:16 AM	#1
BassYackwards Junior Join Date: Jul 2015 Posts: 13	Xfactor Leaking Hello all, I am new to BWE and about 6 mos into Kayak fishing. My first Kayak was a Cobra Navigator XF, great kayak, had it out about a dozen times on the lake and once to LJ (A story for another time...) The Navigator was great , had plenty of tackle storage in the hull and when I got done fishing the hull has always been dry, even in and out of LJ surf. A few days ago I bought a newish blem X-factor from a friend and immediately rigged it up to go. He had mentioned it had a repair and it looked ok from what I could see. Took it out on the lake Sunday and it is leaking. Slow steady leak until I stood on the flat side areas just stern side of the bait tank then it would take on water faster. Upon close inspection with a flashlight I found a U shape crack in the seat pan with the bottom of the u shape going slightly down the scupper edge in the seat. Also the bottom of the scupper had a crack from 2/3 back to the front where there is a 1cm hole. The whole thing was covered in white deck sealant looking silicone. So I removed all the silicone and started to scrape at the repair to see if it was solid. layers of plastic came off with chunks of some other clear more brittle plastic. also some calcium mixed in there here and there. After flaking the garbage off and cleaning the area some I am left with this The lower front of the left seat scupper http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f310/rmccomb/20151103_075715.jpg The lower inside of the left seat scupper http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f3...103_075726.jpg The seat pan left scupper top cleaned some and drilled cracks http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f3...103_075625.jpg My question is what next? I see powder, rods, and 4" square pieces for sale. BTW: I called Malibu to get there opinion and after that exchange it took me 6 hours to talk myself back into keeping the boat. Which may change... "Patrick" mentioned the special epoxy powder they sell and how it reacts with heat when applied to a welding rod? WTF is that? They would not take my order over the phone for repair materials. He referred me to the website 3 times, laughed plenty and left me plenty po'd. He should have said do you have google? go to our site and goodbye I would have appreciated that much more. I asked what are these foam blocks I see? "Oh that is the standing platform" What? Are these areas on the side of the yak not a standing platform? "They reinforce the hull" That presupposes some $#1* What is the best what to repair this? Will it be sea worthy? I fish often and would like to do a Catalina crossing a few times in my life. To be clear I am not upset with Malibu for not offering any assistance of any kind, I understand if you buy something and sell it to someone else the manufacturer has no more warranty obligation whatsoever. I had planned to repair this but I may be in over my head here. I see these: http://www.codpaddlesports.com/collections/repair-kits The "Standing Platform" http://www.codpaddlesports.com/colle...cks-for-kayaks Also had a look at these: http://www.harborfreight.com/welding...ure-96464.html http://www.harborfreight.com/9-pc-he...kit-68695.html http://www.harborfreight.com/1500-wa...112-96289.html From what I can tell from the first repair the seat pan edge of the scupper was heated and the scupper pushed up (possibly from the lower repair) and bulged the area slightly where the scupper hits the seat. I planned to heat the top of the scupper and get it repaired and sitting right then do the lower repair with a cut piece of plate, rods, powder? I had planned to add blocks under the seat and reinforce the scuppers in question somehow after the repair, maybe carve up some lobster floats to go under the seat and reinforce the scupper posts. The left seat scupper also looks like it attaches to the hull at an angle not flat like the right side. Will have to address that maybe it will straighten out when I get the rest back to shape. Does anyone have any good resources or links for kayak repair? Would like to keep this one afloat for a year or so until I can afford something better. Thank you in advance, Great Forum, like the fishing reports, webcam , weather links, Last edited by BassYackwards; 11-03-2015 at 12:26 PM.

11-03-2015, 11:37 AM	#2
Dave Legacy Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Hacienda Heights, CA Posts: 427	That damage is far worse than I had expected pre-opening the pics. I am far from an expert, but I have seen others recommend a scupper repair where you insert a section of PVC pipe into the scupper and seal with epoxy. The PVC sleeve gives structure and acts as a plug. I'm not sure this would do the trick in your case. I think the deal with Malibu Blems is it's a limited warranty that is only valid for a very short term. I'd be curious to know if the leak has anything to do with the blemish, but it's my understanding that Blems are just as seaworthy as the normal production boats. Last thought is you might want to re-evaluate your friendship.

11-03-2015, 12:36 PM	#3
jruiz Large Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: La Verne, CA Posts: 1,002	I would find new friends, seriously.

11-03-2015, 01:07 PM	#4
octico Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: The city of Orange Posts: 1,278	Did you talk to your friend and try to work something out?

11-03-2015, 01:11 PM	#5
BassYackwards Junior Join Date: Jul 2015 Posts: 13	I Googled this more and it appears a lot of people are in the same boat with cracks in the same places. Super....

11-03-2015, 01:29 PM	#7
DanaPT Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: South OC Posts: 1,605	i wouldn't take that thing out without a bilge pump and I wouldn't go far. seems to be in a spot that may continue to give you problems. think loading unloading, surflandings, a hammer head bumping you. how much water do think you can bail from the hull 4 miles from shore, while paddling?

11-03-2015, 04:03 PM	#14
BassYackwards Junior Join Date: Jul 2015 Posts: 13	That would be an honor, Thank You! Will pm you for info.