In 2005, I got my first kayak, a Hurricane Phoenix 140 and soon realized my motorboat was literally taking a back seat to it. By 2016 after a LOT of use I noticed a crack near a scupper and the bow carry handle had all but worn out. Contacted a Lydia McGhee down in the NC home base of Hurricane, and she stood by me and my several emails, shipped me a carry handle for like five bucks and explained the two various methods I could use in epoxying the scupper leak. Continued a lot of use and by 2018 noticed that the proprietary seat with its zippered pockets, rodholders (none of which I used) had really gotten shabby and in researching new seats, found they were all around 200 shimolions. SWMBO sitting next to me on her PC was doing the preplanning for her next Disney World excursion with my SIL, and said, why don't you just get another kayak ?!! Hurricanes are thermomolded, not like the rotomolded stuff in the big box stores. Thermomolding allows a finish that doesn not lose its luster in the sun, and allows kayaks that in comparative size, are 20% lighter than any similar kayaks, albeit 20% more expensive. When you are at the time approaching the big Seven 0h, ten pounds less to under 50lbs., and 20% more for a 12' 8" kayak is a consideration worth considering ! So, fortunately Lydia was still the champion of customer service and after several 2018 phone and email convos, I decided the Skimmer 128 was for me. A local kayak shop, which did not normally have Hurricanes, (the Dinghy Shop) was accomodating and picked up the yak on their way back from a different FL yak manufacturer. I opted to install my own Scotty, rodholders, anchor trolley, and safety flag holder, with some guidance from Rick67 and another yakker herein. From 2019 through last week I have put the yak through a lot of paddling, especially after ridding myself of my last stinkboat on Palm Sunday, 2021. Last Monday after getting blown off the bay in wind and a vicious one foot chop, I noticed a crack just in front of the seat and realized that could be the source of some water getting inside the SOT after washing it down after each outing.
Contacted Lydia. Described the crack and small hole and she quickly said she could have the guys make up a patch, including enough Devcon Plastic Weld, and provided an instruction sheet, no charge. She mentioned that it seems to be an issue with some of the Skimmers and that mine was the fourth one with that specific crack, and that patches had seemed to work. Unfortunately the three year warranty expired long ago. However, unless I opted to have a local dealer (there really aren't any within 20 miles as the Dinghy Shop doesn't normally deal with Hurricane), I would have to cut out the damaged area myself. The patch and glue came in two days. Even with the crack, the thing is build like a tank and I used a mototool, drill, various thin bladed knives, sandpaper, pry bar etc. etc. over a four hour period, avoiding a jig saw due to their vibration, the tight space and inherent "ungainlyness." Lydia stayed in touch, with me emailing photos of each step and she immediately got back to me with advice or approval. Finally, I realized the patch did not quite fit, even after using a belt sander to eliminate a reinforcing ridge on the patch, and I ended up putting it out in the sun in a black plastic bag with sandbags and a hydraulic jack on it to 'almost' get the angle between seat and seat back just right. Almost. I went to HD for some silicone caulk and applied it all around the patch. All along, Lydia kept stating that if worst comes to worst, she could make a "screaming good deal" on a new one but being that this is the middle of my five months of kayak fishing, I stubbornly stuck with the repair. She kept thanking me for the step by step photos saying someone else could possibly put them to good use, and stated she was sending me a Hurricane Kayaks Tee Shirt and said the "screaming good deal" was still available after the season if I wanted. SWMBO told me that it was I that should have been sending Lydia a tee shirt, lol. I have no idea if Eddyline, Ocean Kayak, Wilderness, Perception, Old Town, et al would have dedicated as many hours as Lydia McGhee and Hurricane provided me but regardless this was terrific. Lydia simply stated that she was quite happy that she worked for a firm that took its duty regarding customer service as all companies should. I finally noticed on the emails that she was now titled "General Manager" and not "Customer Service" when I first had contact with her in 2016 and congratulated her. I have paddled three mornings since. All is well in Matzohpizza.
Contacted Lydia. Described the crack and small hole and she quickly said she could have the guys make up a patch, including enough Devcon Plastic Weld, and provided an instruction sheet, no charge. She mentioned that it seems to be an issue with some of the Skimmers and that mine was the fourth one with that specific crack, and that patches had seemed to work. Unfortunately the three year warranty expired long ago. However, unless I opted to have a local dealer (there really aren't any within 20 miles as the Dinghy Shop doesn't normally deal with Hurricane), I would have to cut out the damaged area myself. The patch and glue came in two days. Even with the crack, the thing is build like a tank and I used a mototool, drill, various thin bladed knives, sandpaper, pry bar etc. etc. over a four hour period, avoiding a jig saw due to their vibration, the tight space and inherent "ungainlyness." Lydia stayed in touch, with me emailing photos of each step and she immediately got back to me with advice or approval. Finally, I realized the patch did not quite fit, even after using a belt sander to eliminate a reinforcing ridge on the patch, and I ended up putting it out in the sun in a black plastic bag with sandbags and a hydraulic jack on it to 'almost' get the angle between seat and seat back just right. Almost. I went to HD for some silicone caulk and applied it all around the patch. All along, Lydia kept stating that if worst comes to worst, she could make a "screaming good deal" on a new one but being that this is the middle of my five months of kayak fishing, I stubbornly stuck with the repair. She kept thanking me for the step by step photos saying someone else could possibly put them to good use, and stated she was sending me a Hurricane Kayaks Tee Shirt and said the "screaming good deal" was still available after the season if I wanted. SWMBO told me that it was I that should have been sending Lydia a tee shirt, lol. I have no idea if Eddyline, Ocean Kayak, Wilderness, Perception, Old Town, et al would have dedicated as many hours as Lydia McGhee and Hurricane provided me but regardless this was terrific. Lydia simply stated that she was quite happy that she worked for a firm that took its duty regarding customer service as all companies should. I finally noticed on the emails that she was now titled "General Manager" and not "Customer Service" when I first had contact with her in 2016 and congratulated her. I have paddled three mornings since. All is well in Matzohpizza.
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