: OK, this can probably be fixed. I am assuming this is a fiberglass canoe. If
: it is wood and canvas the fix is similar.

: The gunwales provide the longitudinal stiffness for canoes. Once you attach
: them to the hull you have a nice base for mounting wood decks. then it is
: just a matter of patching the hull as needed. Okay. But will I need to replace the rusted rivets/screws/whatever holding them on? they're badly rusted and one spot the gunwale popped off.

: There are several books on building canoes which will show you how to attach
: wood gunwales to your hull. I'd suggest going that route instead of
: reattaching the old ones. Oh. Okay I'll read Canoecraft. one of the few canoebuilding books I can find in this town :)

: Check "Canoecraft" by Ted Moores, or the books by Gil Gilpatrick or
: David Hazen. You can get the complete titles of these books by searching
: amazon.com. If you can't find copies at your local library (and you might
: ask them to buy one or two for their collecion) or ask if they are
: available through any interlibrary loan program.

: If the "cracks" go all the way through, then you probably have to
: do some work to clean out any scum that is in the middle of the cracks
: before you fill the opening with thick epoxy resin. If this is merely
: "crazing", with the appearance of many small cracks, and the
: boat does not leak at this point, ignore it or a while.

Yes, some appear to. Especially on the bototm, and a bad one on one side. Its also 'crazed' in places too.

There's one spot I'm worried about though. You can see the crack (its near one end of the canoe) and you can see right through it very easily, like the sides are pulled away from each other.

: Minor crazing and pinhole leaks can be treated simply by painting a coat of
: epoxy resin over the entire hull. It should soak into the smaller cracks
: and fill them. Sand the hull before coating with the resin, lightly sand
: the coating of resin, and paint it with a marine enamel. Do the same on
: inside and out. if there are areas that need reinforcing you an add a
: layer of fiberglass cloth, but you probably don't need to re cover the
: entire hull. just sand over the bad area, lay on a patch that is a few
: inches larger on each side, wet it out with a little resin, and let it set
: up. when it is cured you can sand down the edges of the faric,
: "feathering" them into the rest of the hull shape, and then put
: on a couple more layers of resin to fill the weave in the fabric. sand
: lightly over the patch and your paint will cover all traces. you can patch
: the inside or the outside, or both, as needed.

Okay. That'll be much cheaper too and within my handyman skills.

: the books on building *wood* canoes have chapters on working with fiberglass
: materials as the wood hulls are covered with fiberglass. If your hull is
: really scuzzy, and you decide to cover the whole hull with a layer of
: glass cloth, then the pictures in these books will guide you through the
: process.

: Good luck with your project.

: Paul G. Jacobson

Thanks a bunch for all your help