Paddles from Port Erin to Port St. Mary and back with Fiona, and a trip from Peel on Saturday with Christina, left Sunday for those jobs that needed doing. One of those tasks was an essential bit of maintenance on my now 2 year old Rockpool Alaw Bach.The seat in the Rockpool is fibre glass and is suspended in the cockpit by two bolts. The hull is also fibre glass and potentially movement between the seat and the hull during paddling could wear a hole in the bottom. This is compounded by sand which frequently gets into the cockpit from the beach. It is like slowly rubbing the inside of the hull with a piece of sand paper. To overcome this most manufacturers, including Rockpool, place adhesive neoprene padding under the seat to cushion it and prevent it from rubbing on the hull. However, constant moisture eventually allows these pads to break free and the abrasion commences. Luckily with the Alaw Bach the seat can be easily removed and fresh neoprene pads applied. Unfortunately, it is not always easy to remove the seats in kayaks made by other manufacturers. Replacing the padding can be difficult as can keeping this area sand free.
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