I dont care about some dampness inside my kayak.  except it especially sucks if it is saltwater.  smells like something died inside my hull.  I wipe it out after every outing and run a fan inside to circulate the air for a couple of days.  I have extra closed cell foam stuffed into my hull, so the air moves inefficiently.

 

I have some time.  I felt around the inside and felt moisture around the center hatch.  well, I cant have that!!  

 

my fingers are so clumpy from silicon.     I think I got it.  the factory gasket which is foam, was wet and gritty from sand and water getting thru.  I have a positive seal now.  when I tightened the fasteners, it gushed out all satisfying-like.    I'll let it all dry and cure and hit it with my hose.  

What brand kayak do you have that needs to be sealed with silicone?

1 hour ago, RLinNH said:

What brand kayak do you have that needs to be sealed with silicone?

 

Most any fishing kayak has plenty of holes through the hull from rails, rod holders, all the little gadgets that are bolted to the hull from the factory.  Also usually not sealed or just a flimsy gasket from the factory, because they don't really leak too much water inside.

 

My Jackson Bite FD would have maybe a cup of water inside after 2-3 months of decent use.  It has no in-hull storage so that never bugged me.  

 

My OT 106MK has a front hatch, I tend to keep a rain jacket in a dry bag stuffed in there.. but I found out the hard way that it gets a little more water in there and I really need open the hatch to let it air out after pulling out a moldy bag.

I have a Hobie.   I get maybe a tablespoon of water after a day of rough water seas or lakes.  

 

not bad at all, but it is enough to feed the black mold cultures.  I like it to stay dry as much as possible.  

I have two kayaks, one is 15 years old and one 8 years old.  Both have had some gaskets replaced and rigging connections re-sealed.  They still get a little water in there after a few trips, but its on the order of tablespoons. Never had an issue with mold though. 

 

But a couple summers ago, one was taking on a lot more water than usual, so I looked it over and found a crack near the seat. Repair was quite a bit easier than I though it would be: Got some plastic rods from the company in the right colors and a plastic welding kit from Harbor Freight, and that was all I needed. Done in about 20 minutes.