Kayak fiberglass hull restoration - How do I get started?

[florida_dave]

I'd like to restore my kayak's hull. The most cracking is at the rear seam on the bottom of the hull and up on the starboard side. That seam is where the rear bulkhead was (in the picture hanging on the rudder cables.)
How would I get started on the prep work? I want it made all nice again. Below is a link to the pictures. I wouldn't mind paying someone to do part or all of the specialized work, but can find no takers.

http://davelott.com/kayak-hull-resoration/

 

[Scott Danforth]

Start by reading the links in the stickies at the top of the forum

 

[sphelps]

Welcome aboard FD !
‘Looks like a pretty simple project . Grind the bad areas down to good clean fiberglass at least 4 or 5 inches out further than the damage . Then lay up new glass . The little bulkhead piece you can just re-tab back into the hull to hold in place . Make some thickened resin filler to bed the piece in where it meets the inside of the hull . A plastic spoon will give it a nice curved surface so you can lay new glass from the bulkhead to the hull .
Use a good respirator while grinding/sanding the fiberglass . Really bad stuff for the lungs ...

 

[Woodonglass]

Now THATS a lot of work. Gelcoat is not ideal for a kayak due to the amount of flex etc. Even if you attempt to fix ALL the issues. They will return sooner than later. If it were mine, i'd just Grind/sand off all the old gelcoat, fix any cracks or damage to the underlying glass, and then use a good 2 part paint on the hull. It's easier to maintain and will work lots better with all the flexing.