Have a Mad River Minstrel in Kevlar foam core. Loaned it to a couple friends who ran it over some rocks and logs. Now have grove creases in bottom with slight gelcoat cracks along grove that are about 3/8 " deep. Is there a way to get the creases out with out just filling them in with new gelcoat? There are 2 about 4 feet long. Any help will be appreciated since I have no experience working with a foam core hulls.
good luck
We had similar problems with the Big Blue Minn2 after a
Lumber river race. I made a paste with microball and epoxy, with some 2 oz glass and then used gel coat. Several problems. Gel coat fades if left out in North Carolina sunlight, so Gel lot did not match. Other badly torques stress punctures on the inside. Fun repair job as long as you love functionality and can laugh at your own work. We won in the same boat the following year in our Class so I guess it worked.
Charlie
About right!
– Last Updated: Jan-11-10 11:43 PM EST –
I agree with the other Charlie. Scuff the canyons with 90 grit, acetone clean, then resin and filler, then gel, then sand and sand.
Wasn't that Mistrel rather than Minstral? My mind wonders of late but?....
Have we discussed the benefits of foam cored hulls lately? Cheaper to purchase and lighter to tote, but potential for problematical repair issues.
I wouldn't loan a foam cored hull to anyone. There is no chance it will come back better than before and so many ways it can come back severely damaged or ruined.
Charley I Guess you learn the hard Way!
Thanks for the help. If it ever warmers up to work with the resin and gelcoat I will fix her up. Her is a link to old Mad River info. http://www.madrivercanoe.com/content/madrivercanoe.com/assets/page/1988/page%2012.jpg I will never let anyone else paddle her again. The Minstrel was in pristine condition with all new wood work.
Interesting. I didn’t know MR ever made
a canoe designed by Pat.
That’s a great link
Is there an index page with other year’s catalogs archived too?