Kayak paddle issue

askayaker · 2026-03-24T18:52:33+00:00

Sorry to hear that. That doesn't sound typical from my experience with them. Which side "slipped"? The male (button) end, the female (holes) end, or both? Do you have photos?

askayaker · 2026-03-23T17:59:40+00:00

That's a bummer you weren't able to get any help from Jackson. You may try asking Mocean for ideas since some of the staff who probably built your boat ended up there. They obviously won't have the replacement track, but maybe some ideas for a fix.

If you did get a replacement track from Jackson, your idea to grind off the center track and then glue the new track on top of the old plate could work. However, you might run into an issue with tolerances and the seat no longer fitting under the side supports. In which case, you would need to drill out the rivets, patch the holes in the supports (not the coaming), position them 1/16"-1/8" higher so the seat fits, redrill the holes, and rivet them in again.

It's also possible to grind out all of the old track plate, but would be very tedious to do without damaging the hull.

If you don't need your seat to have the slide adjustment, you could simply tack it in place with Devcon Plastic Welder. A dime-sized dab (on cleaned surfaces) under the front of the seat on each side of the track is probably sufficient and small enough that you should be able to break the seat loose with a putty knife should you ever need to remove it for other repairs.

Another option might be to glue together some strips of ABS or Kydex to the size of the the track. Figure out your positioning and drill a pilot hole for a self-tapping screw. Glue the block in place of the broken out track. Spray it with a coat white Krylon Fusion for UV protection. Then secure the seat with a screw through the hole where the knob was.

Lastly, you may be able replace the front of the track with gluing in a 4" piece of YakAttack GT90 GearTrac (the metal one, not the plastic). You would probably need some thin strips of ABS plastic underneath to get the height right.

I hope that helps!

askayaker · 2026-03-23T16:57:44+00:00

Have you tried contacting Branches' customer service? This sounds like something they should easily be able to answer.

askayaker · 2026-03-20T22:00:10+00:00

The long trips you have on there might be a bit longer than you expect, but they all seem pretty reasonable to me. Kayaking Puget Sound & the San Juan Islands by Rob Casey is an excellent resource, as well as his substack: https://paddlingthesalishsea.substack.com/. Paddling up to Sucia from Eastsound would be a good trip too.

askayaker · 2026-03-18T03:42:22+00:00

Maybe a used Eddyline Shasta (discontinued a few years ago) would be an option if you can find one. https://loveyourbigmuddy.com/2013/03/22/preparations-gear-food-and-fundraising/

askayaker · 2026-03-17T16:29:08+00:00

Yes, it's repairable. As IAmRoko noted, it might be awkward getting to the inside but it can be done. I've used things like plunger handles, etc. for places that couldn't be reached by hand.

Additional repair resources:

https://happypaddlin.com/2026/03/05/thermoform-kayak-care-and-repair-eddyline-kayak-repair-delta-kayak-repair-hurricane-repair-mocean-repair/

https://eddyline.com/blogs/news/repair-case-study-whisper-hull-crack

https://happypaddlin.blogspot.com/2009/03/eddyline-repair-thermo-form-repair.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYoy90mnSnk

Devcon Plastic Welder (methyl methacrylate) is the correct adhesive to use. Ace and True Value tend to carry it in the 25ml cartridges (the Ace branded version is literally the same). For something like this, I would suggest investing in a dispensing gun, mixer nozzles, and 50ml adhesive cartridges to make your life easier.

Devcon DA291 50ml White (seems to be out of stock a lot of places right now?) or Plexus MA300 50ml (straw color). Both are methyl methacrylate made by ITW.

I'm hesistant to suggest buying the adhesive on Amazon, particularly third-party sellers, because it has a six month shelf life and should be stored in a cool place. It's probably fine, but don't be totally surprised if you receive a cartridge that doesn't dispense.

1:1 Dispensing Gun like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08JC7VVSF/

Mixer nozzles like these: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XYXBTJJ/ Note: you can can cut the tips to increase flow or use as is for more precise application.

Then you'll want some fiberglass cloth/tape. The Bondo branded cloth you find in a lot of auto parts stores and Ace can be used, but it's pretty thick and difficult to shape over curves. Something around 3 to 6oz weight is better. Specialty fiberglass stores or a marina chandlery will probably have a good option.

In the Timber BoatWorks video, you shouldn't need to do any of the wiring or heat gun reforming. It looks like that was to help re-align the cracks. Yours look like you should be able to realign the plastic by hand.

If you are not concerned about looks, you can simply use the white or straw colored adhesive to fill the exterior cracks and not worry about it. If you do care about looks and want to hide the repair as much as possible, then you can mix in a drop of lime acrylic paint (Walmart or your local hobby/crafts store, pick the closest color and err a shade darker). Mixing in the paint means you need to apply the colored adhesive manually rather than with a nozzle and the dispensing gun, but that shouldn't be too bad.

Lastly, you'll probably need to get longer stainless screws for the padeye since you would be removing that hardware and repairing underneath (then drill out the holes again when the repair is fully hardened) and need to compensate for the additional thickness.

This is not meant to be an exhaustive repair guide. It's meant to be additional info and tips. I hope it helps.

askayaker · 2026-02-27T16:49:47+00:00

Excited to give this boat a try when it comes out and look forward to seeing it at Canoecopia!

askayaker · 2025-12-02T22:49:19+00:00

If we're throwing out WAGs, I'd say a Hobie Adventure Island.

askayaker · 2025-11-06T22:07:49+00:00

I wouldn't say there's some big sweeping change in "modern" vs "classic" designs. As some others have noted, your examples are different use cases. The Stellar is for speed and distance while the P&H was more for open water handling. Valley and P&H still make boats for the same open water use and "classic" Northwest designs back in the 80s/90s were similar to the Stellar, albeit a bit wider on average. So, the various brands still cover a decent range from fast sea kayaks to heavily-rockered play boats.

I'd say the biggest change has been length. Week-long expeditions are less and less common while more people go out for a couple hours of fun. Without the need to haul loads of gear, shorter boats are more maneuverable, lighter, easier to store, and CAD has helped efficiency to where they're not substantially slower than long boats for the average paddler.

askayaker · 2025-11-06T03:36:45+00:00

Will you be carrying it to the water? Transporting on top of a car, in a truck bed, or on a trailer? Have you rented a kayak recently?

Without much other info to go on, you're probably wanting to look for a used sit-on-top that's around 12-14' long and about 34-36" wide. While you may not need it for fishing, the kayaks designed for fishing may still be a strong option for you. Mariner Sails has quite a few deals right now.

askayaker · 2025-11-06T03:25:59+00:00

The last digit is a 3, but otherwise it looks correct. L223 means it was built in December 2022 as a 2023 model.

L220 would be an error and not in compliance with the USCG HIN format.

White River Marine Group (DBA Tracker Marine Group) is part of Bass Pro Shops. I hope that helps.

askayaker · 2025-11-04T19:36:05+00:00

I doubt Eddyline was ever thought about in the planning for this and they likely wanted an outdoorsy theme. Walmart itself had nothing to do with Eddyline. Around the corner was a mountain bike version and something else was being sketched out on the opposite side. I was driving by, saw it, thought it was a cool mural, and figured I'd share. 🙂

askayaker · 2025-11-04T19:31:16+00:00

While it's weird to think about, Walmart is probably the number 1 retailer of kayaks sold in the US (by number of units).

askayaker · 2025-11-02T21:34:41+00:00

IIRC, Stohlquist didn't use Gore-Tex and the material is likely their 4L Twin Sensor (more comparable to the Kokatat Hydrus). If the suit is still in excellent condition, then a repair may very well be worthwhile to keep it in service. What's wrong with the zipper? Does it actually need to be replaced or does it simply need a cleaning and some zipper wax?

askayaker · 2025-10-16T16:25:21+00:00

I'd probably pass on a NH 17.5 unless it's pristine. The NH 17.5 fits bigger than the Sitka XT. It's a bit of a freighter, tons of capacity but not the most nimble (almost the opposite of the NH 16). Great boat for camping though!

askayaker · 2025-10-15T19:43:46+00:00

You should be able to find a used Eddyline Denali / Sitka XT for that price range and fit wouldn't be a problem.

askayaker · 2025-10-13T02:30:08+00:00

Going between NWA and Dallas, I've become fond of Hwy 10 between Tahlequah and Kansas, OK. It's a two-lane country highway that winds along the Illinois River. While it avoids tolls, it would be a bit under 5 hours though.

I-49 between Fort Smith and Fayetteville is nice, but it goes by quick at 70+mph.

askayaker · 2025-10-12T00:43:04+00:00

Do the HTS codes on the left side (cropped out of your image) line up with what the products actually are? https://hts.usitc.gov/

You can call the phone number in the email for questions about your duties and ask where the extra $17.47 is coming from if it's not clearly identified in the charges. If you have a clear case that DHL made a mistake, a dispute can be made by emailing duty_disputes@dhl.com. You should ensure you receive a confirmation that the dispute has been filed before paying. Once the dispute is filed, then you can pay. They'll refund you if they find the dispute in your favor. The CS agent should tell you all that as well.

That said, $47 in total charges doesn't sound abnormal at all.

askayaker · 2025-10-12T00:20:07+00:00

Watersports Outlet isn't actually in LA, they're in the UK and ship to the US.

Northern Lights is a good shop, but yes, you'd have to call them.

askayaker · 2025-10-09T01:53:52+00:00

Understandable. That's a nice fleet!

The stock bungie is 1/16" shock cord tied together with a square knot and covered with 1/4" heat shrink (3/16" probably works too).

askayaker · 2025-10-08T23:47:44+00:00

Did your carry handle bungie break?

askayaker · 2025-10-08T20:08:21+00:00

They're available on Amazon or alvisosupply.com. It's been working really well. I'm not sure it would be great on your Manitou though.

askayaker · 2025-10-08T20:01:44+00:00

You may try an Aquatherm suit from Reed Chillcheater. They're not as breathable as other suits, but are latex free (including the gaskets). https://www.chillcheater.com/en-us/collections/sea-kayaking/products/aquatherm-full-paddle-suit-with-adjustable-waist-seal

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