I’m Getting around to my new/old Wenonah UL Champlain. Over the past few late afternoons, as the temperatures have come back down from the mid eighties, I have put several light coats of epoxy resin over the entire exterior of the hull. Each time I have gone to put a fresh coat on (after sanding and cleaning)I take note of how few bugs (mosquitoes, flies, gnats, moths, etc) are present. Inevitably, I soon as I start rolling and tipping it’s as though some kind of secret bug signal has been sounded and by the time I’m done with a section I got all kinds of winged nuisances trying to detached themselves from my newly coated canoe.
Is it me? my location? my resin? Or is this fairly typical? I don’t mind dealing with them on these initial coats but with the final resin and then spar varnish coats I may have to borrow someone’s inside space.
Anyone else run into this?
Thanks, Islander
Why did you decide to paint epoxy over
the outside of the hull? Most epoxies are UV sensitive and will degrade fairly quickly with sun exposure.
Epoxy recoat
Had to do the recoat as the old skin had broken down.
The bottom and one of the sides was so thin I could feel the kevlar cloth. Also wanted to fill some bottom scratches. Used West System 105 resin with 207 clear hardener with UV inhibitors. I have given it three light coats of the resin and I will be giving it a top coat of Epifanes varnish with extra UV filters this weekend. Trying to get it back in the water for a trip to Indian Pond, Maine next weekend.
Should be fine
I have used System Three’s Clear Coat low viscosity epoxy for this purpose but I have heard good things about West 105 resin and 207 Special Clear hardener.
How did the epoxy handle in terms of leveling, lack of pitting, sags, and runs, etc?
The System Three stuff attracts bugs as well as does any type of marine varnish I have used.