Caulk for plastic boat

[Wheatonkayak]

I have a Moten 10 foot boat that I bought used and beat on pretty good over the past few years. It’s got a cracked main hatch. I really wanna seal it and I don’t mind if the hatch itself is sealed permanently shut. I’m just trying to get another season out of it. The biggest crack in the hatch is about a quarter inch or so. What sealant should I use to do the repair. I’ve googled around and it’s a little bit confusing. Some of the sealants that are recommended it doesn’t say on the label to be able to use it on plastic. What sealant or caulk should I use to try to do this. Thanks a lot in advance

[Wheatonkayak]

Can you share a pic of the crack? If its just the hatch cover, maybe a cheap replacement can be found? Otherwise i would think any waterproof strong sealant could work. If it's the kayak itself, I think your best option will be plastic welding with HDPE.

It is a crack in the hatch itself. I bought the boat used four years ago or so and it was pretty used when i got it. I am gonna try one of the sealants recomended in other fourms and see how it goes. The boat is so old i tried to find a replacement hatch and it is tough. i dont even know exactly what year it is. But it sure is durable. The previous ownber beat it up-I beat it up-I do a lot of small river fishing and am hitting rocks all the time. The wheel in the keel is fantatstic. great boat

[J.A. Veil]

If your main goal is to seal a crack/repair a damaged spot, and you are not worried about the repair looking beautiful cosmetically, consider applying Goop. I have used Goop to repair hairline cracks on a scupper drain.

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I also repaired a hole in the back end of the keel using a knitting needle bent in a 90 deg angle and coated with Goop.

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Both repairs worked well. You can buy special Marine Goop, but I have used regular Goop that seems to work as well.

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[Wheatonkayak]

[QUOTE=J.A. Veil;n322989]If your main goal is to seal a crack/repair a damaged spot, and you are not worried about the repair looking beautiful cosmetically, consider applying Goop. I have used Goop to repair hairline cracks on a scupper drain.

cool that is exactly what i am looking for. what you did is exactly the kind oif repairs i am looking to do. many thanks

[dsitka]

As gshappell suggested, welding with HDPE is a good repair. This is actual molecular bonding and bonding is THE issue with our HDPE kayaks. There are You Tube videos on welding repairs on Kayaks using scrap HDPE, like Home depot buckets etc. and heat from a torch or hot air gun. Goop and adhesives won't chemically stick to HDPE, but they may serve for small cracks because of a mechanical bond.

[ski357]

The last two digits of the Hull Identification Number (HID) denote the vessel's year of manufacture. This is usually found on the stern starboard. If it's faded, taking a rubbing may help. As noted above, do some research on the material your boat is made from, adhesives react differently to different materials. Beat of luck, keep us updated.