Greetings to the paddlers! I just bought my first canoe, and was in it for the first time yesterday, in 12 years, man did I miss soooo much in that time. so here is my question… I have a Ranger Otter 16’ epoly/kevlar canoe… I would like to know the best way and material/kit to patch it if it takes serious damage, as well as best advice for gel coat repair, and to keep the inside new?
The inside mesh is really dry and almost can run my hand over it and collect a few fibers, is this normal? My buddy a bass boat guy… said to use Bass Boat Saver all over to protect it from uv damage, and wear/tear/scratching… any input on this? Great boat by the way, man doeas she handle and respond well!
maybe best thing to do is …
… is give Ranger Mike a call and explain to him what you are concerned about .
Probably no big deal but my guess is they will have the answers you need and good maintenace advice .
Looks like a real nice canoe , has great reviews here on p.net (except for the one who thinks it too tippy) …
http://www.rangercanoe.com/canoes.htm
update
thanks pilot, and appreciate the advice, I did email Mike, but no response yet, so just thought I would check here. No dmg to the boat either, just want to know how best to care for her… took her out today just after a tornado warning, and storm front passed through, took her out on Normandy, and it was great! As for the interior, seems like getting her back in the water was all she needed, guess it was just dry from sitting under a deck for a year or so… thans, and safe paddling brother/sister.
Ranger upkeep/repair
– Last Updated: Mar-02-11 12:35 AM EST –
I owned one for 5 years. The fibers on the inside will mostly wear off with use. They are nothing to worry about. To keep the interior nice just wash it down after each use if it's muddy or sandy. It's fairly durable. As to repairs, I used Bell clear gel coat when needed. Clear fixed what I needed fixed and worked out ok as far as color needs. Last time I inquired Mike would not ship gel coat. If you really need to most any marine glass could be used. I never dinged it to that point so all my repairs were cosmetic gelcoat. I used 303 for UV protection on the outside. It will make the inside slippery.
thanks
thanks JHB… I appreciate it… i missed the mant link on mike web site, and i have fin got in contact with him since… I appreciate the reply and info, esp from a Ranger owner, I will put the info to good use… Happy Padding…
Loose fibers on the inside are OK if
they’re Kevlar. If they were glass, they would cause itching.
On repairs, you need some 5 oz Kevlar for inside repairs, and 6 oz E-glass or S-glass for outside repairs. West 105/205 resin and hardener are handy for repairs. Epoxy resin will keep for several years, though the hardener may thicken and turn reddish. But it will still work. Glass cloth should be used within maybe 3 or 4 years of purchase, because the coating deteriorates from exposure to humidity. You may not see the coating, but it fosters bonding by the resin. Kevlar keeps indefinitely, but might need to be dried with a warm iron before use. Gelcoat I know nothing about, except that I think it is kind of pointless.
I’ll bet you won’t break it for some time.
thanks
thanks g2d appreciate it…