How to Repair Mad River Canoes

Mad River Canoes is one of the world's leading canoe manufacturers. Their canoes are versatile, with more hull designs than any other manufacturer. If you canoe a lot, you understand the abuse even a good canoe can take. Things like rocks in the water, mishaps in transport and outdoor storage can put holes in a canoe and cause the gel coat to wear off. But take heart: your Mad River Canoe can be fixed.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

Gel coat Safety glasses Dust mask Long sleeve shirt Disposable gloves Drop cloth Soft cloth Soapy water Scissors Knife 80 grit sand paper Piece of cardboard Duct tap Plastic wrap Fabric patch material Foam brushes Resin Plastic bucket Paint
Gel coat
Safety glasses
Dust mask
Long sleeve shirt
Disposable gloves
Drop cloth
Soft cloth
Soapy water
Scissors
Knife
80 grit sand paper
Piece of cardboard
Duct tap
Plastic wrap
Fabric patch material
Foam brushes
Resin
Plastic bucket
Paint

Step 1

Assess the damage. Is your repair due to a structural fault such as a puncture, tear or crack? If your repair is just an abrasion or weakening of the hull due to a loss of gel coat, the repair is simply a matter of buying more Mad River Canoe gel coat (either online or at your local Mad River Canoe dealer) and applying it with a bristle or foam brush. Structural faults require more time and should be made on the interior of the canoe. Exterior repair will be for cosmetic purposes only.

Step 2

Prep the area. Make sure you cover your body in clothing and wear gloves, safety glasses and a dust mask. Fiberglass can be dangerous if inhaled, and can irritate the skin, eyes, throat and nasal passages. Put the canoe bottoms up on a pair of saw horses and place a drop cloth underneath the area to be worked on, to catch the fiberglass from the boat and any dripped gel coat or paint.

Step 3

Clean and dry the area of repair and the immediate area around the structural damage, with a soft cloth and some soapy water.

Step 4

Remove any frayed material using scissors. Then remove any flaked gel coat by scraping it away using gentle pressure with the blade of a knife.

Step 5

Sand the affected area with 80-grit sandpaper, to make it as smooth and uniform as possible. Sand 4-6 inches on the outside of the structural damage. Sanding shouldn't take more than 5 to 10 minutes depending on the size of the damage.

Step 6

Apply a piece of cardboard with plastic wrap on the inside to the exterior, over the structural defect. Duct-tape the cardboard down so that the repair will stay localized over the puncture.

Step 7

Cut your fabric patch to fit over the damaged area. Cut some additional strips to fit in the damaged part of the canoe. The strips work almost as a filler, which you can then cover with your first fitted patch. Then cut four to six layers of fabric that will cover your additional patch, going up in size by 3/4 inch each time.

Step 8

Mix and apply resin to each level of patching material using a foam brush. Work from the inside out, saturating each layer. The fabric will change color, becoming darker when it is saturated. Then immediately apply the next layer to the hull interior.

Step 9

Remove the plastic wrap and cardboard patch after you've allowed the inner hull resin to set for 30 minutes.

Step 10

Allow the resin to cure for 24 hours and then paint the patch to match the boat interior.

Step 11

Cover the outer area with gel coat, and paint it the desired color.

Article Written By Patrick Cameron

Patrick Cameron is a freelance writer with 10 years of diverse experience in consumer goods branding, promotions and retail communications. He works out of his home in Denver, Colo. He received his Bachelor of Arts in mass communication from the University of Minnesota.

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