Pettit EZ Tex Marine Epoxy Repair Compound – review for kayak hull repair

Take Home Points:

- This stuff is way too thick, but it does work.

For repairs of damage to the hulls of my sea kayaks that has exposed the underlying fiberglass, I’ve typically used the same product that the outer shell is made of – gel coat.  (Evercoat Finish Gelcoat or similar).   But using gel coat requires that you buy at least a pint-size can of the stuff ($60+/-), more than is necessary for a small repair.  Also, using gel coat is a bit messy, and smells strongly – you’ve got to be working outside, which is not always possible, or if indoors open windows and consider using an OV respirator to knock down the smell/toxicity of the vapors.

Epoxy, on the other hand, doesn’t smell, comes in small quantities, and is cheaper than gel coat for small repairs.  I’ve used West System epoxy for repairs inside the cockpit of fiberglass kayaks, but I’ve never used white epoxy putty, i.e. “Marine-Tex®”,  for repairs to the outside surfaces.  This type of epoxy comes in small 2 oz. cans for under $20, and is colored white to match the hull of most boats.  The reason I haven't used Marine-Tex before is that, unlike gel coat which has UV inhibitors, epoxies have none (presumably the chemistry of epoxy does not allow UV protection).  So, exterior sun-exposed epoxy repairs should (ideally) be covered with paint or varnish to prevent them from discoloring. This means a second step that I never wanted to deal with.  But, not having a can of gel coat around, for this repair I bought some epoxy putty.  

REVIEW

Instead of Marine-Tex ® Epoxy Putty, I decided on a similar product made by Pettit Paints called – EZ Tex Marine Epoxy Repair Compound.  The advantage of this product is purported to be that it mixes in an easy one-to-one ratio (Marine-Tex uses a hard-to-measure 5:1 ratio) and both the resin and hardener are in the form of a paste, no runny/messy hardener as is the case with Marine-Tex.  

Photo 1

My kayak had a small (pea-size) area of hull abrasion at the stern exposing the fiberglass fibers, so all I really needed was a small dab of epoxy. But since I'd purchased the EZ Tex, I thought I’d apply the epoxy in a slightly larger area, making a short 12-inch keel strip to build up this area on my kayak that experiences high wear.   THIS was a mistake because the EZ-Tex epoxy is WAY too thick to spread cleanly as a keel strip.   It’s described on Pettit’s website as having a “buttery consistency”.   Buttery it is NOT, unless they meant frozen butter!  It’s more like stiff clay – very difficult to spread and not self-leveling the way gel coat is, not able to flow into voids and dry to a smooth finish.  Forget using a brush to apply it, even the spreader I used just kept pulling the dry, clay-like putty into grainy voids (see PHOTO 2, inset).  Worse still, I found that the epoxy putty kept pulling away from the repair surface as I spread it!   After struggling for a while to ensure that the epoxy at least covered the damaged part of my hull, eventually I just left the epoxy to dry all jumbled in rough clumps.  Disappointing. 

Photo 2 - can't spread smoothly, too thick/dense

Photo 3 - thick stuff

The next day I returned to the boat and was relieved that the repair was fully hard/cured.  The one positive attribute of epoxy putty for this type of hull repair is that it’s easy to sand, seems noticeably easier to sand than cured gel coat IMHO.    I used 80/100 grit dry sandpaper, then wet sanded with 300 and 600 grit.  Took about ½ hour to get smooth-enough results.  The color of the cured EZ-Tex is ever-so-slightly off-white, so you can see the repair if you look closely.  Whereas repairs using gel coat are pure white, if properly sanded can be made to blend invisibly with the hull.   Biggest issue with EZ-Tex is revealed after sanding - the thick consistency of the putty creates voids, air pockets that dot the surface of the sanded repair.  (See PHOTO 5, below)  To fix these voids I'd have to reapply a skim coat of ....what?  Thinned EZ-Tex?   I emailed the manufacturer to ask if it can be thinned with denatured alcohol or some solvent, but have yet to hear back.

The last thing I considered was whether to cover the epoxy with some type of paint to provide UV protection.  I’d hazard a guess that it’s not necessary, since the worst that can happen is the nearly-white epoxy putty will turn more off-white in the years to come.  BUT just for good measure, I got some white enamel spray paint at Home Depot, masked the area, and spray painted over the repair, lightly sanded with 600 grit when dry. (Paint didn't fill the voids in the epoxy surface, by the way).  

Will see how the repair lasts.   If I’m disappointed with how it holds up, I’ll switch back to gel coat for future repairs. 

In conclusion, EZ-Tex was indeed EZ to apply, but I would have liked it to be thinner, more like yogurt or smooth peanut butter. 

Photo 4 - final repair

Photo 5 - voids, air pockets dot the surface of repair

Yakima Mako Saddles reborn with T-Bolts

Another in my line of El-cheapo fixes for old kayak gear.  I wanted to make use of my old, but still perfectly functional, Mako Saddles with my newer aero-style cross bars.  Unfortunately, Yakima’s “Universal MightyMounts” necessary for the job are expensive – and apparently I’d need two packs of them (8 mounts) to secure them to aero bars at a cost of $118.  Ouch.  

Yakima and Thule both sell T-Bolts to mount various gear on aero bars, but they’re gear-specific – one type for luggage boxes, another for bike mounts, etc. In the case of discontinued gear like the Mako Saddles, Yakima does not provide a way to attach them via T-Bolts.  So, for $20 I ordered some knock-off brand T-bolts made in China that were the correct dimensions and made of stainless steel, called the “X AUTOHAUX 8pcs Universal Roof Rack T Shaped Bolt” (?).  I drilled holes in the bottom of my Mako Saddles and presto – the saddles are on my aero bars securely.  (See photos) 

Note:  I later discovered that there is a more robust option made by Yakima for the same price as the generic T-bolts I bought.  These are called the “T-Bolt with Nut for Yakima Rack and Roll Trailers” (Item # Y8880184), sold by E-Trailer or Re-Rack online.  Although made for the Yakima kayak trailer, their dimensions would work fine for attaching the Mako saddles to an aero bar, and they’re thicker than the T-bolts I bought (10mm vs 6 mm).  Always wise to buy from the original manufacturer.