2012 vs 2024 Current Designs Solstice GT

Cam, I have a 2012 Solstice GT that I purchased used 4 years ago and it has been a fantastic boat. If you check Facebook Marketplace for the Victoria area there are a few used Solstices currently listed. That may give you a better sense of current prices. Good luck with your search and future purchase.
Which Spray Skirt did you go with for your boat? I believe we have the same hull year, My hull ID is MFPGT8241112
 
Our 2014 Solstice GTS (I mis-typed before, saying 2017) uses a Seals 1.7 spray skirt.
 
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For years I've been using a white epoxy instead of gelcoat for repair. Amazing product, easy to work with and dry fast and outlast any gelcoat repairs. I repaired boats while camping after playing in rock gardens. That product was originally recommended to me by the owner of industrial plastic and paint here in Victoria.
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For years I've been using a white epoxy instead of gelcoat for repair. Amazing product, easy to work with and dry fast and outlast any gelcoat repairs. I repaired boats while camping after playing in rock gardens. That product was originally recommended to me by the owner of industrial plastic and paint here in Victoria.
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Good to know!! I’ll likely pick some up and throw it in my kit for multi day trips so I have a way to seal up exposed fibreglass in the event I find my way through the gel coat!!
 
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For years I've been using a white epoxy instead of gelcoat for repair. Amazing product, easy to work with and dry fast and outlast any gelcoat repairs. I repaired boats while camping after playing in rock gardens. That product was originally recommended to me by the owner of industrial plastic and paint here in Victoria.
Undoubtedly a good product, especially when out on a trip. However, I will note that the image of the repair in which this product was used, as well as gel coat for that matter, for similar damage, could be avoided with the application of a "Keel Strip" applied to the hard angled portions of the kayak, especially bow and stern. All of my boats have a keel strip, this since seeing a friend grind the bow of his Seafarer kayak to a leaking puncture by dragging it over sand beaches on the northern tip of Van Isle many years ago. Prevention first, repair later if needed is my motto.

Cheers, Rick
 
You are right Rick, a Keel Strip is recommended for dragging a kayak over sand beaches. In this case a Keel Strip would had been destroyed as the damage was pretty deep down to the carbon fiber. Narrow rock couloir in 2 meter sea on the outside of Ucluelet, my timing was off by seconds. Repair was done at camp the same day with that product without sanding and I was back on the water the next day. I always carry a bottle of PC11 with a plastic putty knife on all my trips. Every repair I've done over the last 10 years have stood the time. On my GI touring boat for long trips I applied a 2" wide layer of the epoxy along the keel. Another form of keel strip that works great for dragging the boat.
 
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When I started out a few decades ago, I was told not to worry about dragging the kayak. After I wore down the keel gel coat and had it repaired, I put a keel strip on my kayaks. In addition, if possible, I enter and exit in a few inches of water at the shoreline rather than running up on it. These days, the boats are carried, not dragged. It may take a little more time - to move gear to and from the boat to a nearby staging area before the final destination. But I'm not out there to race a clock. Lingering is a feature, not a bug :)
 
Undoubtedly a good product, especially when out on a trip. However, I will note that the image of the repair in which this product was used, as well as gel coat for that matter, for similar damage, could be avoided with the application of a "Keel Strip" applied to the hard angled portions of the kayak, especially bow and stern. All of my boats have a keel strip, this since seeing a friend grind the bow of his Seafarer kayak to a leaking puncture by dragging it over sand beaches on the northern tip of Van Isle many years ago. Prevention first, repair later if needed is my motto.

Cheers, Rick
I very much want to run a keel strip but having a hard time deciding on the method/materials. Do I use a 2” strip of biaxial glass followed with gel coat or do I use a 2” strip of Kevlar? Do I sand it down to fiberglass prior to laying up the keel strip and then gel coat to finish it or do I rough sand the gel coat acetone and then do lay up over the existing gel coat? I’m still trying to wade through the muddy waters of the best method to install a quality keel strip. Any suggestions or first hand experiences would be greatly appreciated! Thank you guys for the wealth of knowledge here in the WCP!!
 
I would lay over roughened gelcoat. My preference would be to use glass. Kevlar is tough, buts it's also a pain when it inevitably starts to wear through. It fluffs up when sanded and generally is annoying.

Given that the keel strip is a sacrificial layer, it will probably need ongoing maintenance.

Regarding installation: I like to get painters tape that's the same width as my final keel strip. I apply that right down the keel and spend a brief eternity fiddling with it to get it straight. I find the best method is to put some on one end as centered as possible and pull the tape to the other end, dropping it onto the keel while sighting down the length of the kayak. Kayaks with a defined keel V are much easier to deal with, and also benefit more from a keel strip.

With that tape in place I can then use it as a guide to apply painters tape on either wide of it. I apply 2 layers right atop eachother. I like to have the bottom layer set back a tiny bit from the top layer. Maybe 1/16" ish. Then remove the center tape and sand the area. I use a small piece to sand right up against the tape, similar to 'cutting in' when painting a room. Once all is prepped I acetone the surface.

Now I have a perfectly prepped surface and a crisp tape line. If using polyester resin I like to mix in a little gelcoat, about 1/3 or so. That makes the wear a little less visible and makes it easier for the final coat to cover up easily. Some colours aren't as big of a deal, but others like red tend to be quite translucent. It's not necessary and I'd you can only get waxed gelcoat I would skip this stage.
Wet out the area with resin, roll on your tape, and brush over it with resin. By the time you're done things should just be setting up. Peel off one layer of tape before it sets.

If all have gone well you now have a keel strip that is somewhat visible, with a sticky layer of resin. We can then mix up some gelcoat with a little wax additive so that it cures hard to the touch. Catalyze as usual and paint it on thick. Extra gelcoat is just more time before you have to do it again. Once happy with your application, peel off the remaining tape (again, before things start to set up) and you should have a crisp line. You want to hit that sweet spot where the gelcoat is cured enough that it doesn't run, but still runny enough that your edges sort of soften out.
 
I have been using a product called "Keel Easy" on all my boats for many years. It is a PVC material that is mated with mechanical adhesive for a bomb proof bond. For kayaks, the kit is a 2 inch strip that is glued to the glass using a heat gun. It is quite easy to install with only a few tools. It can also be removed using a heat gun if need be for any reason. It is tough, comes in many colours and has never come off on any of my boats once installed. I regularly run my boats up on both sand and pebble beaches if there is any surf and it works wonderfully.

Not certain where you might find it in Alberta, but I believe that Western Canoeing in Abbotsford and Comox Valley Kayaks in Courtenay both carry it and will ship it.

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The kevlar method is very good, but requires a lot more work and skill me thinks. Just another possible option to consider.

Cheers, Rick
 
I would lay over roughened gelcoat. My preference would be to use glass. Kevlar is tough, buts it's also a pain when it inevitably starts to wear through. It fluffs up when sanded and generally is annoying.

Given that the keel strip is a sacrificial layer, it will probably need ongoing maintenance.

Regarding installation: I like to get painters tape that's the same width as my final keel strip. I apply that right down the keel and spend a brief eternity fiddling with it to get it straight. I find the best method is to put some on one end as centered as possible and pull the tape to the other end, dropping it onto the keel while sighting down the length of the kayak. Kayaks with a defined keel V are much easier to deal with, and also benefit more from a keel strip.

With that tape in place I can then use it as a guide to apply painters tape on either wide of it. I apply 2 layers right atop eachother. I like to have the bottom layer set back a tiny bit from the top layer. Maybe 1/16" ish. Then remove the center tape and sand the area. I use a small piece to sand right up against the tape, similar to 'cutting in' when painting a room. Once all is prepped I acetone the surface.

Now I have a perfectly prepped surface and a crisp tape line. If using polyester resin I like to mix in a little gelcoat, about 1/3 or so. That makes the wear a little less visible and makes it easier for the final coat to cover up easily. Some colours aren't as big of a deal, but others like red tend to be quite translucent. It's not necessary and I'd you can only get waxed gelcoat I would skip this stage.
Wet out the area with resin, roll on your tape, and brush over it with resin. By the time you're done things should just be setting up. Peel off one layer of tape before it sets.

If all have gone well you now have a keel strip that is somewhat visible, with a sticky layer of resin. We can then mix up some gelcoat with a little wax additive so that it cures hard to the touch. Catalyze as usual and paint it on thick. Extra gelcoat is just more time before you have to do it again. Once happy with your application, peel off the remaining tape (again, before things start to set up) and you should have a crisp line. You want to hit that sweet spot where the gelcoat is cured enough that it doesn't run, but still runny enough that your edges sort of soften out.
This is the route I was leaning towards, however I was wondering if there is any tangible loss of performance when adding this to a boat like mine that has no centre V through the majority of the hull? Only near the bow and stern does it V. I did find the Youtube video that shows the method you describe. Thank you very much for the detailed reply!!

 
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I have been using a product called "Keel Easy" on all my boats for many years. It is a PVC material that is mated with mechanical adhesive for a bomb proof bond. For kayaks, the kit is a 2 inch strip that is glued to the glass using a heat gun. It is quite easy to install with only a few tools. It can also be removed using a heat gun if need be for any reason. It is tough, comes in many colours and has never come off on any of my boats once installed. I regularly run my boats up on both sand and pebble beaches if there is any surf and it works wonderfully.

Not certain where you might find it in Alberta, but I believe that Western Canoeing in Abbotsford and Comox Valley Kayaks in Courtenay both carry it and will ship it.

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The kevlar method is very good, but requires a lot more work and skill me thinks. Just another possible option to consider.

Cheers, Rick
This seems like a very quick install option as well as the added benefit of being able to remove it if the keel strip is no longer wanted? Is the product fairly slippery like UHMW? Or more grippy? I like the fact it probably holds up better to dragging the stern up a rocky beach than a glass/epoxy/gelcoat layup keel strip would. Any chance you would have some pics of the Keel Easy installed on your boat you could post?
 
As always, great discussion!

Consider also the boat's layup, hull shape, and intended loading.

My current boat (NW Kayak Synergy HV) is a very light layup with hard chines and a shallow V hull. The keel line of a shallow V hull is particularly susceptible to wear, tear and damage.

I do a month long trip each year, several week longs, and any number of weekend and day trips. So my boat spends a fair bit of time with substantial loads on board, which increases the amount of wear etc. And now that I'm retiring there will be more long trips.

With these factors in mind I've added a full length, kevlar fleece keel strip. It's extra-wide on the stem to dissipate force and protect from rock smashing damage. You can see this kevlar bumper in the first pic. I put the keel strip on over top of the existing gelcoat and don't apply gelcoat over top. The gelcoat underneath acts as a wear indicator to show when the keel strip is worn through.

Frankly, I'm not too concerned about the durability of the kevlar fleece keel strip, I expect it'll outlast me! I've used both kevlar and fibreglass woven tape in the past. Fibreglass tape wears out pretty quickly, and kevlar lasts longer but will also wear out after enough landings. I've never had issues with kevlar keel strips getting too fuzzy, they seem to wear down pretty smoothly. I'm careful to use good epoxy and really saturate the material. "Kevlar reinforced epoxy" composite is really very abraison resistant!

While fixing a couple of minor hull wounds from last summer's outings I discovered just how light the layup is: two thin glass layers sandwiching 2mm Soric (https://www.lantorcomposites.com/textile-foam-cores/soric/). The Soric sandwich is very rigid, but the light glass layers don't inspire confidence in the boat's capacity to withstand a serious mishap.

Consequently, I sanded the hull down to bare glass and added a layer of kevlar cloth (and new gelcoat) to the bottom. Not a job for the faint of heart! I must admit that I stopped finishing the new gelcoat at 1200 grit. Cam's photos of his gelcoat repair are inspiring, but working up to 2000 and then rubbing compound is more than I've got the grit for. Beside, after another summer of touring it'll be all scratched up again. The Blue Kayak now weighs in at 54lbs, which I consider not bad for a large, fully rigged, bombproof expedition boat.

Here's a couple of pics from last summer's month long. Early in big trips, when there's a lot of food (50kg+!), packing and unpacking afloat can be difficult, especially if the footing is slippery and uneven, as is the case in the first pic. The second pic shows a nicer landing, and we're down to about a week or 10 days of food, so it's easier to pack and unpack afloat if need be.


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This seems like a very quick install option as well as the added benefit of being able to remove it if the keel strip is no longer wanted? Is the product fairly slippery like UHMW? Or more grippy? I like the fact it probably holds up better to dragging the stern up a rocky beach than a glass/epoxy/gelcoat layup keel strip would. Any chance you would have some pics of the Keel Easy installed on your boat you could post?

I tried to stay out of this, but I'm sorry, personally, I have to respectfully disagree with the "Keel Eazy holding up better than fiberglass" part, sorry.
Specially if dragging your boat is a somewhat regular occurance. and once you have worn through the PVC, sand and will accumulate on the leftover adhesive in the void.

I don't have a picture handy, but I've had at least two boats coming through, where that accumulated debris had ground way into / through the gelcoat layer of the hull.

If properly done, you don't see this kind of damage on a composite keel strip, starting to catch on stuff and tear off more:
keeleazy slice.jpeg


This KeelEazy strip has been on for a few years, and while I'm sure that the person did a great job applying it, the adhesive IS starting to let go.

keeleazy stern delam.jpeg


There is a slight texture to the KeelEazy product (this is a sample piece from several years ago, the texture might be different / more pebbled now)

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KeelEazy is PVC based, the adhesive is interlinked with the hard part. UHMW is a polyethylene and is extremely hard to bond to anything. Seaward and Lightspeed / Advanced Elements put on replaceable UHMW keel shoes at the stern (most LS boats also at the bow) using fasteners.

KeelEazy strips are single layer throughout and will need to be fully replaced when damaged (yes, I've tried replacing sections and having two layers in high-wear spots, it didn't meet expectations). PVC is also softer than properly cured resin.
I strategically build up composite keel strips where needed and find them easy to touch up just in the worn areas every couple of seasons.

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IMHO, KeelEazy can be a good solution for basic home application and can provide peace fo mind for boats that are generally treated gently. In my personal fleet it's always going to be either no keel strip at all, or composite.
 
Our experience with Keel-Easy down in the States is that hot weather melts the glue and the strips quickly start separating from the boat, allowing the glue to pick up whatever it encounters on the beach. On one trip, which involved driving from cnetral California to Vancouver Island in July, the second day on the water, my partner wondered why he was constantly having to steer his boat to one side. We quickly noticed about a foot of Keel-Easy dragging in the water was acting as a rudder driving his boat in one direction. It was a bitch to cut it out in the wild, so we stripped the whole thing off and had to carry it with us the rest of the two-week trip. Plus, the remaining glue on the keel continued to pick up stuff from the beaches. I would never put Keel Easy on any boat.
 
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