One underhill resident is keeping the art of well-crafted wooden canoes alive. john connell runs a small workshop out of an old 19th century barn where he restores canoes.. Though our canoes and kayaks are built to withstand years of use and abuse, mishaps can occur and your boat may at some point become damaged and need repair. what follows is a basic overview of the recommended repair options available for old town products.. With book matched strips you can not throw out a damaged strip because doing so would disrupt the pattern of the grain. instead you will need to repair the damage. if the strip is just broken you can glue it back together. in this case the edge of the strip was torn up and ragged. i decided to make a "dutchman" for the damaged area..
Wooden kayak or canoe paddles are durable and can withstand a lot of dings, but nicks are another story. if you notice your paddle has a deep scratch or cut, you need to repair the damage immediately or replace the paddle.. If the wood actually has water in it then it might get moldy and deteriorate. you can carefully sand down past the varnish and fiberglass layers to the wood grain, let the wood dry with gentle heat, apply a fiberglass cloth patch with epoxy, add several "fill" coats of epoxy till smooth, sand it even, and then coat with spar varnish.. Canoe repairs: at stewart river we repair a variety of wooden boats, specializing in wood and canvas construction. over the years i have repaired over 200 old wood and canvas canoes, quite a few wood and canvas motor boats, several duck boats, wood and canvas freighter canoes, and a few war canoes, up to 28 feet in length..
