I have recently became the owner of a used Souris River 16 Quetico kevlar canoe. It has some damage but I only paid approx ~$330 USD for it. I am obviously not capable of repairing this myself (I think?) but just wondering if anyone could take a look at the pics and tell me just HOW BAD this damage is and where I would start when trying to find someone to fix it? The manufacturer is approx 18 hours drive from me… Album of pics - https://imgur.com/a/Rwew8fs
Did the abrasions penetrate the hull?
Don’t think so? I am not very knowledgeable on this so just know what I see in the pics.
Can’t pull up the photos.
Kevlar is almost as easily repaired as fiberglass with marine epoxy and fiberglass cloth.
SR makes good boats. If you are going to invest time in repairs start with a quality boat which is what you have.
I have brought several boats back from the dead and made them serviceable. When you are finished just paint em inside and out and get to paddlin.
Keep us posted on this one.
Looks like that canoe may have been wrapped around a rock or a log. You might want to check the hull rigidity by putting it upside down on two sawhorses and pressing down on the bottom to see/feel how much flex (and hopefully not cracking) is there. If that seems ok then take a test paddle in a calm pond to see if there is any seepage. If it is still stiff & doesn’t leek then repairs would be mostly cosmetic. If it lived around my house I’d probably use some fiberglass & epoxy to stiffen it up & maybe patch some of the crackis in what I hope is only the resin.
If you don’t want to take on glass & epoxy then you might consider asking around at marinas for someon that does composite repair.
Was wondering the same, given how the gunnels have a slight angle rather than a curve at a point after midway. If the composite shows stress or cracking under those sections, I would hazard to guess a “wrapping” situation doing the damage. But, yes, glass and epoxy will fix the hull at the expense of time, effort and weight.
-sing
Looks like the hull folded a bit. Definitely needs a little reinforcement. Since nobody has mentioned it yet, don’t tru and reinforcing it with kevlar; it is extremely hard to cut and needs specialized cutting tools. With that in mind think about putting a generous patch (several feet long) on the inside of the boat to stiffen the hull. I would recommend carbon fiber to keep the wieght down. A layer of fiberglass veil will guarantee a smooth surface. If the tears go all the way through the hull, external patches would also be worth while.
Unless you are planning on running serious whitewater you can improve the cosmetics by sanding the abrasions on the outside and brush a thin coat of resin to give you a smooth surface.
Most people find it easier to use a vynalester resin than epoxy.
Good luck on your repairs.