My parents recently dropped this canoe into my backyard and ceremoniously declared it my property. Having some fond memories from back when it actually got used (most recently over 20 years ago), I’d like to restore it to the point that I could use it with my two young boys on the local ponds, lakes and streams. Before I get too far into this project I was hoping to sanity check myself with the members of this forum as my closest relevant experience is turning a few wrenches on my truck. I don’t need the canoe to be pretty, just functional and safe.
Serial MADRE123H192 (this took me an embarrassingly long time to locate).
Pretty much all of the wood is dry-rotted and needs to be replaced. Following along with posts here and this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ka4T3DwUs2Q), that seems doable with my skill set and, more importantly, overconfidence.
There are some cold cracks in the bow/stern that need to be repaired with g/flex as detailed numerous times on this forum. For instance:
What I’m questioning:
There are some cracks visible in the exterior that are not reflected on the interior. Should I cut through and patch both sides with g/flex or only gutter it out on the exterior with a dremel? (Pictures in follow-up comments)
There are some of the deep scratches in the hull. Do they need to be repaired and if so, is that just using a coarse gflex mix? (Pictures in followup comments)
What I don’t know
This canoe has been stored outside it’s entire life, usually upside down and propped up but tied hanging from trees and at least one winter on the ground, right-side up, half filled with ice. Is there anything else I should be inspecting before investing in repairs?
Any suggestions or guidance would be very much appreciated.
None of the scratches/gouges on the bottom look deep enough to warrant patching. Unless you have leftover g-flex during other work that’ll otherwise go to waste, in which case squeegee some in there, I’d just slap some paint on it for UV protection and call it good. I doubt the cold crack you showed goes into or all the way through the foam core. But you might chisel some back at the top where the gunnels will cover it and take a look. If it does or you just want the peace of mind, drill a hole at the bottom of the crack and fill it with g-flex (small fiberglass patch on inside optional).
Also if aluminum gunnels are available that’d be my suggestion. All in all it looks like it shouldn’t be too difficult to restore and put back into use.
Also since you’re already planning to bust out the g-flex this would be a good time to add skid plates. A single layer of dynel to protect the ends from beaching and being pulled up out of the water would go a long way in young boy proofing it.
I had Revelation and liked it a lot. This boat is in rough shape. I am with Barney. Fill all of the cracks you can find and paint the boat. Aluminum gunwales make sense because they cost less and are easier to work with.
I agree that it does not appear that these scratches are structural, though if you want to play it safe, you could add fiberglass to the worst of the cold cracks. I’d do that on the outside, where the cracks actually show. I’m not sure this is worth the trouble, though.
Here’s another thought on methods for filling scratches. On a Royalex boat, I fill even the minor scratches every now and then, just to restore a smooth finish. I usually do it using the method that was recommended on the website of Mowhawk canoes years ago, when they were a semi-major builder of Royalex canoes. I use plain old JB Weld as filler, and if you want to be particular you can use the marine version of JB Weld. I slightly scrape or sand out the scratches to expose fresh, clean material, then mask off an area slightly bigger than the scratch, then smear in the JB Weld, wiping down the patch area firmly so that it is smooth and flush with the surroundings, to the point that there’s practically no thickness (or even none) outside of the area of the scratch (for the final pass, wiping it down with your finger, protected by a layer of plastic food wrap, works nicely). Then if there are any high spots, I sand the material down a bit with sandpaper wrapped around a very small wood block. The total effort for this method really only amounts to a few minutes per one foot of scratch. The reason for the masking is so that there’s less cleanup, and less sanding if you end up applying the material outside of the scratch in a thicker layer than you intended. It might be worth painting over these fill areas for UV protection, but I never do, and I don’t care that the colors don’t match. Some of my scratch fills are more than 15 years old and I’ve seen no sign of degradation. I believe that I will wear out and quit the paddling world before these patches do.
Thanks everyone, I appreciate the time you’ve taken to help me out.
I’ll continue to call around (near Worcester, MA) to see if I can find aluminum gunnels. I didn’t even consider that as an option before due to shipping costs, though I’ve learned now that some shops may be willing to add some to their next order for me. That’s probably the best option as this canoe will continue to live outside… though I haven’t entirely given up on the opportunity to buy some new tools and attempt to build everything myself!
The questionable crack does appear to be into the core. So I guess I should drill out the bottom, channel out the exterior and g/flex it as DeepBarney suggested. I have some other cracks, especially by the lacing holes, that very clearly need attention, so g/flex was already in my future.
