Perception Spectrum

 

LENGTH	13′ 4″
WIDTH	24.5″
COCKPIT	16.5″ W	30.5″ L	12″ H
MATERIAL	Polyethylene Plastic
WEIGHT	58 Lbs

 

This was one of those projects where I thought I bit off a little more than I could chew, after picking up this Perception Spectrum along with a Perception (Aquaterra) Sea Lion as a bundle at a price I knew was reasonable for restoration–– the boats seemed in decent shape and were ideal for for the beginner and intermediate paddlers wanting to explore the Intracoastal and mangroves. The Spectrum seemed ideal for a small paddler–– something I had yet to offer.

After getting the boats home and letting them rest a few days, waiting for the weather to warm, I took a good second look and nodded my head questionably; the Spectrum looked beyond restoration with black paint sprayed on the hull, a caved in forward deck and a serious deep soaked rust spot on the bottom with a few more indentations, wondering if this was going to be a throwaway.  

Once the power washer hit the bottom, I felt a little better, as if mending the wing of a bird, I knew this kayak was going to paddle again. It took a few passes with the power washer and then a few more with a buffer and some high grade compound to get out the paint and stains.

To repair the deck, I used a heat gun to slowly heat from underneath until the plastic was soft, then using wooden blocks, I was able to raise t deck to a reasonable height, matching the contour of the original. It’s not perfect, but seriously better than it was. After that, it was a matter of replacing a missing carry handle, re-roping the beck, removing and replacing broken hardware and replacing the cargo hatch strap.

This boat is capable of a having a rudder (rudder line tubing and tail mount holes in place), but I would recommend not installing one. The size and shape of the hull makes for quick turns and a stable ride. This is an ideal boat for exploring the mangroves and gliding down the Intracoastal or navigating the countless springs Florida has to offer. This is for someone no larger than 5’8 and 160 lbs. At 5.9′ the foot pegs are fully extended and at 170 lbs, although there is cockpit room, I feel it’s just a hair over snug in this boat, but I love the fit of the thigh braces.

I must say, I liked the finished product and the boat looks ideal for day tripping with a nice large rear cargo hatch, thigh braces for advanced paddling technique and very comfortable seating with a padded back rest for all day paddling.