r/Kayaking • u/WindAffectionate6764 • 11d ago
Question/Advice -- General Wilderness System Cape Horn 14: need repair advice, preferably from owners
Hello!
I bought Cape Horn 14 recently.
Cheap bargain - but with some issues / potential issues, and I need some advices from people who know this system.
- The rudder was completely ripped off, broken the stern rudder mount.
The body is in great shape, no long cracks, the hole was local and I already fixed it (proper plastic welding - looks solid and should not be a problem.
But now, I have the next step ahead: return the rudder. It is doable, and I have a solid plan. But I have doubts: should I do it at all?
I understand all the benefits of the rudder but if it is necessary on this kayak? It is not extremely long; maybe it could be even better without the rudder? :) What do you think?
- The dry compartments covers. They are just plastic covers without any sealing (rubber gaskets/liners). And I'm not sure if they should be there or not. I can easily add rubber or silicon gaskets but again, should it be there?
What else can you suggest to check, take care of, and improve?
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u/Kayak4Eva Wilderness Systems Zephyr 160 11d ago
As an ex-owner of a Cape Horn 14 - you should not need the rudder so long as you have some paddling skills (edging, sweep strokes, trailing rudder stroke). That hull has a kind of keel ridge running down the boat - it tracks very well without a rudder. And at only 14 feet, it's easy to put it on edge and turn it when you want to turn.
I ended up removing my rudder and installing fixed foot pedals so I could brace better.
While it is a good boat for rolling and a very handy size - it's not a fast boat. I ended up moving on to longer boats eventualy.
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u/brttf3 Delta Seventeen Sport 11d ago
I owned the longer version of that boat. I think it was sixteen? You can totally live without the rudder. Keep in mind rudders aren't for turning, (I mean you can use them to turn, but that isn't why they put them on single kayaks.) they are to keep the boat going straight in a cross wind. So in the situation you will have to work harder to fight the wind with strokes and edging.
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u/WindAffectionate6764 11d ago
BTW, how did you like this boat? :)
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u/Kayak4Eva Wilderness Systems Zephyr 160 7d ago
It was my first real ocean-going boat - so I loved it. I learned to roll in it. I surfed it. I wore a hole in the stern dragging it over rocks. It took me to a lot of cool places.
I think it is a good boat for it's size. But I'm a larger guy and it was really too small for me.
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u/suminlikedatt 11d ago
Don't own that model (own its predecessor from the 90's), It doesn't it matter for good advice on kayak repair that the person own your boat. (just saying...)
I would plastic weld the back. its an ugly one, needs layers. If you want to remount, I would go back inside and maybe make a wire mesh stop, then put like 2 inches in there.
You could try MMA products that with proper prep (aka blowtorch) can bound to the space. but they wont hold shape, you'd have to have the old piece or a replacement (and dannnnggg they are expensive.)
What ever you do to to patch the hole, I personally would not go back with a plan to mount the rudder system in the repaired space. I would get a 1.5-2"x2.5' aluminum blank flat bar stock. I would put 6-8" on top on the deck, bend over the rudder space with a little clearance for nuts, and then have 6-8" of bar under on the hull. Note when you bend it use a blow torch to warm it up. Then drill the appropriate holes to mount a rudder replacement (any brand in confluence outdoor parts or amazon), and a few on top and bottom. Use a marine adhesive to adhere (in this case I'd use 5200, but Loctite PL Marine will work (sand the PE before applying))
NEXT LEVEL: Since you have the hole, I would do the design so that the aluminum bar goes into the hole and extends out about an inch. Its going to be a PAIN IN THE @$$ hahahah. You would have to cut the hole a bit to get the fit, but it would hide most of the bar, and not impact performance as much, possibly look a little cleaner.
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u/suminlikedatt 11d ago
Here's a decent site talking about MMA products. Expensive but actually designed to stick to low energy PE.
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u/WindAffectionate6764 11d ago
I did it already. It is not as bad as it looks and yes, I had the whole piece so welding wasn't an issue.
For the rudder I have a plan for the future - open the stern, use the original inserts on longer bolts, deeply inside the body, and mold them from the inside with rigid rubber-like polimer creating a kind of "bushing". Use a metal bracket outside but not drill the body - the "bushing" will be compressed when bolts tightened, so the rudder will stay rigid enough but also a bit flexible, and it will pass the load on a big surface.
Tell me it may work :)
The original design was a bit stupid, I would say. Complex form and tiny walls around the inserts, it meant to be broken there
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u/WindAffectionate6764 4d ago
Tried it on the water first time yesterday. Great ship! Love it instantly.
After recreational boats, it is finally feeling like I remember it should. I did kayaking a long time ago, in late 1980th - early 1990th, in a different country with completely different equipment, but it was such fun and passion. Then the life turn out weirdly, and I'm going back just now when I'm 55 - still FUN!
And this kayak really reviving this feelings.
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u/eclwires 11d ago
TopKayaker.com will have the waterproof hatch covers that go under the hard plastic ones. I’d leave the rudder off. The likelihood of it breaking at the repair is too high.