I have a Mid 40's Chestnut that I refurbished 2 years ago. I know some may scoff, but due to local contitions, I decided to glass it. I used the west system epoxy, and everything came out great. UNTIL.....
This past winter, I was unable to store the canoe indoors. During the winter, it flipped off the storage mounts and filled with snow, and therefore, come spring....water.

It must have froze and thawed a few times.
What I am left with is a split in 1 runner near midship. It did not break any ribs, but the board has lifted (toward the hull) and caused a slit in the hull. approx. 3.5 feet in length, and about 1/8th wide at the widest section.

Due to the lift away from the ribs, the hull has become mis-shapen.

Here is my problem. Do I have to replace the entire board, or can I nail the baord back to the rib and see it it will go back to shape.

In construction, I used 2 coats of epoxy on the hull, then used the fibreglass, then 3 more coats of epoxy.

I would like to minimize my efforts, but at the same time, I would like to retain the look and heritage of the boat by using the same plank.

Any suggestions would be great.

Thanks

Will

I would recommend removing the fiberglass from around the damaged area and try nailing the board back into place. If this works refiberglass the area. If this doesn't work you will have to remove the damaged plank and refiberglass the area. I have never had this kind of problem, but this is what I would try to do. Good Luck!
Lee

With 5 coats of epoxy your canoe must have become rigid and probably considerably heavier than it was before you began. The outer epoxy shell was so rigid your wood didn't have anywhere to expand to, so it seperated. Once it dries out, it may go back in shape a little but will still be delaminated. I feel the best thing to do is strip off the skin, repair the wood with a good quality water resistant wood glue, Fill any voids with a mix of 80 % sawdust and 20 % epoxy.
The problem was caused by water getting at the wood from the inside.
Discoloured wood can be lightened with either oxalic acid or ordinary laundry bleach. Cover with a damp rag or so so it doesn't dry out before doing its job. This can take from a couple of hours to a couple of days depending on your patience and taste. Dry completley before proceeding. Power wash the interior and let dry. Bleach our unsightly damaged wood or replace. Lightly sand out any imperfections. Fill any cracks or voids as above. Sand and apply two coats of any marine grade varnish to the interior.
To keep the weight of the boat down it is recommended to apply the 6 0z. fiberglass can go directly on the wood. Then apply the first of three coats of epoxy. Use a squeegee(working from the keel out to the gunwales)to remove any excess, Do not be tempted to put it on thick. West system epoxy is one of the best but is expensive. Smithcraft in Toronto expoxy resin is 40 % cheaper, less smelly and just as good. A slow cure resin is preferred as it it give you more time to work and doesn't go on as thick(adding unnecessary weight). Before puting on the second coat lightly sand and wipe the surface with either actone(or as suggested by a respected old timer canoe builder se vinegar will do as good of job as the acetone). Make sure you give enough time to dry before starting the second coat. Apply the second epoxy coat, sqeegee off excess resin as you go, let harden, sand and wipe as before. ss.
If you canoe near rocks some builders will add protective skid strips by applying either two or four 2 inch wide stips of fiberglasss (lenghtwise) locared where the canoe will likely hit the shore. Apply first and second coats of epoxy as before, Some canoe purists prefer the performance of a lighter craft so dispense with adding the skid strips.
Take your time to sand/buff to remove imperfections before starting your finish coat. The better the job you do here the better will be the finished product.
Good luck.