I have a Old Town Appalachian that I bought new in around 2015. The canoe had some damage when I bought it. It had a gouge that I filled with epoxy, and one side looks slightly flatter than the other. Almost looks like it fell off a truck or something. This is an issue because when you are in it, it feels like you have to lean a little to float straight. That gets old quickly.
So how do I fix that. Is that a bent gunwale that needs replaced, or would the boat hold that shape? If I remove the gunwales, will it straighten itself? I always here the stories about Royalex fixing itself in the heat of the sun.
The seat hanging screws look a little bent. I plan on replacing those too.
Sounds like it could be shipping damage. Sometimes canoes come off roof racks, sometimes they get beat up in rapids. Some pictures would help. New gunwales might help retain the original shape better.
iunderpressure,
Thanks for the photos. Your boat does not look bad at all. It is hard to see any serious problems. I have paddled much more beat up boats for years. Try shifting your weight or adding some ballast. Bring a well trained dog and have him move around until you get it right. It is hard to see anything seriously wrong with your boat.
