Folding Kayak - PVC Skin

All kinds of coamings - wood and fiberglass - be attached with Velcro on the inside edge of the coaming. The inside Velcro connection is more watertight than the foam seal used with the HDPE coaming / baseplate. This also allows use of the coaming without a base plate, though a temporary base plate is used for construction only.

Due to it's narrow profile, the wood coaming is free standing and uses no machine screw connections as are used with the HDPE and fiberglass coamings. With it's wider profile, the fiberglass coaming can be connected to cross sections 4 and 5 with stainless steel machine screws. The use of machine screw attachments allow more rigidity along the deckridge.

The skin is attached to the coaming base plate with Velcro. The PVC inside the coaming is cut open to allow access to the hold down machine screws attaching the base plate to cross sections 3 and 4. (Symetrik). Remove the skin around the machine screws (4 ea.) to allow access.

Attach the coaming to the base plate with 4 machine screws. Once attached, trim the PVC to within 3 inches of the inside edge of the coaming. This material will fold around the base plate for Velcro attachment.

Cut the PVC along cross section 3 and 4 between the coaming inside edges.

Cut the skin in sections small enough to easily conform to the shape of the coaming edge. Trim the folded under sections to the width of the base plate.

Cut Velcro strips to approximately 3/4" X 2" and glue to the skin. Cover the entire base plate with a strip of Velcro. Baseplate - Be sure the HDPE baseplate is clean and dry. Using the adhesive backing provided with the Velcro, attach to the baseplate.
Skin - Velcro adhesive doesn't adhere well to PVC, so the adhesive backing and PVC must first be prepped with MEK. Dry completely and apply 2 - 3 coats of HH-66 to the skin and the Velcro adhesive backing. After drying, apply heat and pressure to insure a good bond.

After attaching Velcro to the skin and base plate, the skin is tucked under the coaming base plate and attached to the opposite Velcro strip. If needed, heat can be applied to the Velcro of the baseplate or skin for removal and replacement.

The one piece coaming base plate with 2" wide Velcro fitted and trimmed.

PVC is cut into 2" - 3" inch strips to allow wrapping the skin under the base plate. Velcro will be glued to each section and tucked under the plate for attachment. Four small holes are cut in the skin to allow machine screw access.

The 22" X 16" Coaming. Machine screws (4ea) connect to the base plate. All other screws secure lip to coaming.

The PVC skin is Velcro'd to bottom of the base plate. A 1/2" foam seal is glued to the bottom of the coaming, and the coaming is bolted to the base plate.