Kayaking Security - Preventing Kayak Theft

By Larry S. Kang

Sometimes when kayakers are out on the water, they will want to leave their kayaks somewhere unattended. For example, many great kayaking locations are near trails, beaches, or other interesting places to hike around. It's always nice to be able to leave the kayak and explore a paddling destination. However, kayakers who do this should give some thought to the security of their kayaks and kayaking gear.

One of the more obvious issues with leaving kayaks unattended is theft. Kayaks are vulnerable to theft in a number of situations, such as when left on a shore, on a car-top rack, or even when stored at home. However, reliable statistics on the numbers of kayak thefts that occur in these various situations may be difficult to find. Kayak theft does occur, though, as is sometimes reported in the news, kayaking forums, or stolen kayak databases.

If you are keeping your kayak on your car rack, there are several options for locking your kayak, including locking tie-down straps, or cable locks, which are similar to bike locks. The cable locks loop around both ends of the kayak so they can't be taken off without unlocking them. The middle section can then loop through a secure part of your car rack. Locking tie-down straps simply have a locking buckle so that the strap cannot be loosened when locked.

Some kayakers have used a car club across the widest part of the cockpit of the kayak. This makes it difficult for anyone to sit in the kayak, while providing a place to secure a cable.

It may be more difficult to securely leave your kayak at a beach or other landing spot, since there may be nothing to tie it to. If you have gear in your kayak, you could try using a backpack security mesh to lock up drybags or possibly cover the cockpit of your kayak completely, so that no one can sit in it or take anything out. Another good practice is to take your paddle with you whenever you leave your kayak unattended. This makes it more difficult for a would-be thief to simply get in your kayak and paddle away.

But even with all of these security measures available, the most determined thief will be able to steal the most prudently secured kayak. In case this happens, the best information to have is the kayak's hull identification number. This is a number that can be used to positively identify the kayak in case it is recovered. Furthermore, anyone coming across the kayak (such as a potential buyer) who suspects it may be stolen can check the hull identification number with the police. This is why it is important to know the kayak's hull identification number or have it recorded and kept in a safe place. The hull identification number can usually be found engraved, stamped, or printed on the hull - look for the long string of letters and numbers.

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HOW TO STORE YOUR KAYAK FOR WINTER PROPERLY

ROGER’S NEW PROJECT IS THE BUILDING OF A PYGMY MURRELET KAYAK FROM A KIT TO PUT TOGETHER.

This Pygmy Murrelet Kayak is For Sale

Day-4 more hours

Well, I have sanded the deck and removed it from the hull and started on the underside. The deck really turned out nice. I wish I had taken as long on the hull in sanding out all the drip marks. It does show. Well, I learned for the next boat.

I epoxied all the seams under the deck and filled the area around the rear of the cockpit. Will let that cure and then do the tape and reinforcing glass around the kayak cockpit areas. That will have to wait for another day.

Day 22-23 - 5 more hours

After some sanding, I taped the seams on the hull and put it back on the hull to cure. A very important point to remember: taping the seams epoxy will leak out the wire holes onto your work surface. If you don't clean it up before you place your hull back on the surface, you will epoxy your hull to the work surface. I have a small remnant of my work surface to sand off my hull before I am done. Luckily the hull's surface is tougher than the top of my work table.

Glassed the cockpit area, added the additional glass at the rear of the cockpit and 6 oz. tape at the front and finished with a saturation coat. One more saturation coat after this cures and I am done for the week time to go kayaking.

Day 24-25 -3 more hours

Set up the forms for the adjustable thigh braces. Applied my fillets on the outside edges of the forms. Also applied the epoxy to the stems with their support fillets. I had some difficulty with this. It is difficult to approximate just how much wood flour to use and in the stern edge, being as narrow as it is, I used much too much epoxy and it slowly ran down the keel and I have a lump to contend with. No one will ever see it but me so I have chosen to forget it.

Day 26 - 2 more hours

Couldn't work at all on the 16th. Record heat here, over 100 degrees; too hot in my garage. I do have a suggestion for those of you that have similar temperature problems (it has been over 90 for the last week). To allow me to use the epoxy I have been placing my jugs into an aluminum tray filled with ice water. It has really given me very good working time.

Finished the thigh brace areas by glassing the 4 layers of tape over the forms. I had put all the raised edges on the glass tape to the sheer edge of the deck and had some difficulty in getting them to lay flat. To try to smooth them out I placed a sheet of Mylar over the edge and using a shim to apply pressure to the edge, without actually covering them, I clamped them down. Will see how it worked tomorrow.



A General Note: I dry fitted my bulkheads into the hull tonight and I was amazed how perfectly they fit. Then I tried them on the underside of the deck, which has had fillet places about the recess plate, glass reinforcement about the cockpit area and tape reinforcement on the forward deck, and they don't fit anymore. I will have to, which the manual does state, trim them to fit. If anyone has a suggestion as to how to do this correctly the first time, I would be very happy to hear it. Credit will be given (if it works).

Days 27-28 - 4 more hours

Removed the forms for the adjustable thigh pads. It looks OK. I think I would just skip this step if I knew exactly where I wanted them and just epoxy them in place.

I am very unhappy with the fillets at the bow and stern. It is so hard to judge the amount of wood flour to allow the epoxy to sag and not run. My epoxy keeps running out of the area so I gave up and set my hull about a 30 degree angle and poured it in. It worked finally.

Prepped the hull for the glass reinforcement at the center seam. Installed the glass and applied the saturation coat to the inside of the hull. Finally, I can take the rest of the weekend off and go kayaking. See you next week.

This Pygmy Murrelet Kayak is For Sale