I am heading out for a 3 day S.Llano camping /fishing trip next weekend. Being a father of a 1 & 3 year old I jumped at the chance to leave the house for a few days as I have only been able to sneak out to play golf 2-3 times a year.

I have never owned a kayak but have always wanted one to fish the rivers around the hill country , especially now that my son is getting a little older. I went back and forth with folks on FB marketplace until I settled on a WS Tarpon 120 being sold by an older retired gentleman. Overall the kayak is in good condition with no large blemishes at first sight. However once I got it home I noticed a couple of small cracks where the handle strap screws in to the stern.

Question for OB, Is this something I can patch or possibly plastic weld to seal it up? I am unsure how much water will be let in with a couple small cracks on the top of the stern but sure as spit don't want to be left waterlogged on the first day.

TIA

Definitely. Remove that handle and get a repair kit. Shouldn't be an issue. Even with the cracks you wont get much water in the boat.

If you have the time, plastic weld. If you don't, just a tube of silicone caulk. The caulk won't stick, but should be good enough to keep the water out for your trip. Bring the tube with you in case you need to reapply. T120 is a fantastic boat. I paddled one all over the Texas coast.

I've fixed some cracked kayaks before.
I've tried just adding a 2 part epoxy, but that failed over time due to stress.
I used a kayak plastic weld kit for a hole on the bottom, and that did good. It was a layer of plastic, then wire mesh, then a layer of plastic all melted with a tool. Similar to this kit.
https://www.amazon.com/JOUNJIP-Standard-Certified-Professional-Automotive/dp/B07RG8K18D

With those cracks, if you want to keep using the handles, I would add some strength with a plastic welder that melts a wire into the plastic. I've had success with these on cars.
https://www.amazon.com/WEP-960-V-Red-Plastic-Welder/dp/B0CWH4GZHR/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?crid=1NRXQLZCPZ8JD&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.bqQYgRV7QcSWE_6jeH3V7RSnqvi7m6GI0glwi-zNdaBLnRYNmr9BLeQYewBW7xVGFn4nFepJ9VzHG5IQ4iD6Q3H0d2yOG9Y94NmnRLRbjBcM9sFLVRBYFS6Hfg1QOzSoyF0Dgx3roY-BWFmA9A6m4OrqSzZObMSME1d4O5L48fW5hrpHndJRAhIK7_dahrFupCtj--PQIDDZSQfnRdNOrg.BlDuf9v6YYpM-U1GzSZ9-msoBigk-9SRA47Y6r0DjHI&dib_tag=se&keywords=plastic+welder&qid=1723666343&sprefix=plastic+welde%2Caps%2C105&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfYXRm&psc=1

You could weld the crack together with a wire, then add epoxy/repair on top for a waterproof seal. Or, melt wires in for strength then use a kayak plastic weld kit for the top, or you want to never worry about it again.


As with any thing, practice before you start on your kayak. The finishing it what can give people trouble, so it doesn't look like a horrible melted mess.

Good luck!

Hippo patches are great.

Have also had to cut pieces of plastic and melt them with MSR stove and smear into holes/cracks with knife like puddy while soft.

Was able to finish the last half of the Pecos trip doing these two things. Not ideal but will work in a pinch.

X2 on Hippo Patches. A great temporary fix to get you back home. I keep some in the front hatch, just in case.

I pulled a cheap fishing kayak out of a dumpster and bought a welding kit and SS wire mesh at harbor freight. $15 for a great beater kayak.

Those cracks would be a breeze to fix. I rebuilt the keel where the previous owner would drag it.

It's finally the weekend and my plastic welding kit comes in today, may practice on a HD bucket before working on the kayak. I spoke to a couple of canoe/kayak shops and it was unanimous that I should just pull the handle and repair the spot. They said that putting another handle in the same spot wouldn't last long since the stress cracks have already weakened that area. I feel like I can get by with the side handles and the one in the front. Hell the boat is only 65lbs empty.

The South llano is emptying quicker than a flushed toilet so I think we are either going to float he Llano in the Mason/Castell area or the Colorado from Bastrop to Smithville/LaGrange.

Wish me luck!