TL;DR - Old WW Tripper in Royalex has extensive creasing from being pinned. Hoping to build confidence in repair method before starting.
Hi,
I am new to this community, but I have been reading many of the existing threads on repairing Royalex as I prepare to attempt my own repairs.
I have a well-used 1987 Old Town Tripper in Royalex that I just purchased. I don’t mind a cosmetically beat-up boat, since I will mostly be using it for a yearly trip down the Flambeau river in northern WI (read: bouncing and scraping off some rocks). I’ll also be puttering around flatter waters the rest of the year.
The boat looks like it was pinned on the right side near the portage yoke at one point. There is a set of creases that are mostly under the vinyl layer, except for one area where it looks like at least the outer layer of ABS is cracked as well. I have an album of the pictures, not sure if I am allowed to post links yet:
My main plan so far is to gutter out the area of the hole and fill with thickened G-Flex, then apply a Dynel patch over that area on the outside. Should I back that up with S-glass on the inside for structure? Or use S-glass on the outside, with Dynel on top?
The extent of the creases concerns me, however. They don’t feel softer than the surrounding areas. Based on what I’ve read, the inner foam core is probably crushed in there, so I am wondering if I should be opening up the vinyl on these creases and attempting to fill them with G-Flex as well. Should I consider a fiberglass/Dynel patch over the entire area to take the stress off the network of creases?
I have read several opinions stating that some creases are normal and to be expected with a canoe in WW use. I consider myself a decent paddler and have not pinned any of the livery boats I’ve used on the Flambeau river over the last 10 years. I don’t expect to stress this area in the same way as it was before, but Murphy’s Law will probably take me to task for saying that.
Lastly, there are a few round holes as well as gouges and scratches that only appear to be in the vinyl. Can those just be filled with thickened G-Flex and painted?
Thanks for your time, I realize this is a long post.