Hello,
I’m new to this group but I have found lost of helpful tips so far, now I need help with a canoe I just purchased 2 couple days ago.
I know it’s a Mohawk and the length is about 13ft. I have the SN# (MMN47590M83I) for what I have learned in this group it looks like this canoe was built in 1983.
Now about the repairs, as you can see on the picture I will have to fix that hole before taking her out. I’m pretty good with my hands and used to restore old furniture. I will appreciate any tips from this group on what to use for the repair. It looks like the canoe is made of fiberglass.
Link below for pictures
Thank you,
Jonathan
http://www.flickr.com/photos/36723951@N04/?saved=1
Copy and past the entire link, don't click on it, for some reason its not working.
Flickr
Flickr is telling me "bad link" when i attempt to check out the canoe photo........
If your Mohawk is in fact a 13 footer, 2 of their canoes that come to mind are the Solo 13, and the XL 13. Checking out the Mohawk website may be of benefit in identifying your canoe. There are photos & specs on all their current models available.
BOB
It’s a little square stern, FG.
Don’t know the model. If Mohawk, the glass is pretty good even though they used some chopper gun glass to save money.
I think I only saw a picture of damage from the outside, and I didn’t see an open hole. You’ll need to get some 6 oz fiberglass cloth from a boat shop, plus resin. I recommend spending the ~$60 for West Epoxy 105, 205, and metering pumps, because it works best and lasts years in the cans. You may also find West Epoxy repair kits in pouches, and that’s fine if you can get the repair done without wasting extra expoxy.
You’ll also need a rasp and coarse sandpaper. Adalox lasts longer. Rasp and sand out the damaged glass. You want a shallow depression a little larger than the damaged area. If the hull is holed, you’ll have to tape over the inside until you get the outside patched.
Cut three concentric glass patches, approximatly round. One should be big enough to cover the entire dished out region, the next maybe 3/4" smaller, and the smallest another 3/4" smaller.
Clean the area to be patched with rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol. Mix the epoxy. Contrive to mix no more than you will need, maybe a couple of ounces, and save the remainder (if any) in glass baby food jars or whatever. (I’m assuming you are using the West repair pack, not the cans with metering pumps. I don’t know what ratio is used in the repair pack. If it is 1:5 like the pump version, see if you can weigh or measure the right proportion. Small errors won’t matter.)
Put a little mixed resin on the repair to hold the cloth. Put on the LARGEST patch first, with the fibers “on the bias” or at a 45 degree angle to the gunwale. The cloth will conform more easily that way. Wet out the cloth with a small brush or a plastic squeegee, but don’t soak it.
Lay on the next smaller patch, wet out as necessary, and then the smallest patch. Don’t use excess resin. The patch is strongest when the least resin is used.
To get a smoother result, get some polyethelene food wrap (not Saran Wrap) and lay over the patch. Use stretchy vinyl electical tape around the perimeter of the patch to draw it against the wet cloth. The resin will smooth substantially, and some extra may squeeze out.
If the hole was through the hull, remove the tape from the inside of the hull and follow the same procedure. Wait until the outside has hardened. You might get away with just two glass layers inside.
Started on the repairs
Thank you dsetzer for the link…
Thank you also to g2d, I have purchased the fiberglass cloth and the resin. I just finished sending the large patch that need to be fixed. Now I have more questions.
If you look at the picture title little hole, you can see some tiny holes on the bottom of the hull. Do I need to worry about those? Should I patch them with All-Purpose Filler that I got at the boat shop?
I’m planning on going on an overnight trip in 3 weeks, should I fix those little holes or will I be ok?
Again thank you for all the help,
Jonathan
Pictures here http://tinyurl.com/c6eb92