Good deal? Souris River Quetico 17 in Kevlar

[icedragonmx]

Found a salvage project that needed a few repairs, bidding went on for a bit and the final price was $650 for the 2011 model. It is in the Green Le Tigre kevlar layup and has some damages that will need some work. Going to get the proper items to do the repair and I will have a nice tripper for when I need to drag a partner and XL gear out on the water.

Am I in for a fun time trying to do these repairs myself? Pics of the damages can be found here-- http://bid.buyinsurancesalvage.com/Bidding.taf?_function=detail&Auction_uid1=3544831 Two major areas (12"x9") of stress and 1 puncture that is 2" across with all the material still there.

I have been watching a few video links for the repairs an am hoping I can manage a nice quality finish when all is done.

 

[memaquay]

It's hard to tell from those pics, but that damage looks fairly extensive. Are the gunwales intact? I ask this because it looks like it was wrapped around a rock or something. Considering that a new one of these is over 3000, if you can make repairs it will be a good find. I just fixed one of these up my self, it had suffered a major trauma in a car crash, but I only had to replace the gunwales, the body was fine. It's a fairly tough canoe. Did you happen to find out what caused the damage?

 

[ppine]

Ice,
I am more optimistic than memaquay. I have repaired some boats in much worse shape with good results. That is a fine looking canoe. From the pictures it is hard to see the gunwales. It is one of the toughest things to make look right because the aluminum has so much memory. You mentioned that the boat fell off a trailer which is consistent with the appearance. Wrapped boats often have pieces missing. I have only repaired one Kevlar boat and used high quality epoxy and 6 oz cloth. It held together fine. From the nameplate it is a 2009 model. Let us know how the repair process goes.

 

[red langford]

I bought an older (2000's) SR Quetico for $500. It's not Le Tigre but it is kevlar and there was just usage marks on it.

 

[icedragonmx]

It's hard to tell from those pics, but that damage looks fairly extensive. Are the gunwales intact? I ask this because it looks like it was wrapped around a rock or something. Considering that a new one of these is over 3000, if you can make repairs it will be a good find. I just fixed one of these up my self, it had suffered a major trauma in a car crash, but I only had to replace the gunwales, the body was fine. It's a fairly tough canoe. Did you happen to find out what caused the damage?

The bid shows that it was trailer damage. The aluminum is in perfect shape and the only damage is to the Kevlar itself and some regular use marks on the bottom. I am hoping to do the repairs myself so the only additional cost will be the materials/consumables. The stressed areas do flex under pressure and will require a patch. on each. Going to be a learning curve for me but am looking forward to fixing it up nicely.

 

[icedragonmx]

Ice,
I am more optimistic than memaquay. I have repaired some boats in much worse shape with good results. That is a fine looking canoe. From the pictures it is hard to see the gunwales. It is one of the toughest things to make look right because the aluminum has so much memory. You mentioned that the boat fell off a trailer which is consistent with the appearance. Wrapped boats often have pieces missing. I have only repaired one Kevlar boat and used high quality epoxy and 6 oz cloth. It held together fine. From the nameplate it is a 2009 model. Let us know how the repair process goes.

Thanks, I am lucky that the rails, ribs, yoke, seats etc. are in great shape. All are with the detachable hardware as well. Where did you source your epoxy and 6 oz cloth from? Will be a while before repairs start but I will update with pictures!

 

[icedragonmx]

I bought an older (2000's) SR Quetico for $500. It's not Le Tigre but it is kevlar and there was just usage marks on it.

Good deal! How do you find it on the bigger waves/winds?

 

[red langford]

To be honest I haven't paddled it yet. But IIRC that is the same canoe Phil Cotton uses on his trips and we paddled one day in some really sketchy weather and it handled and performed quite well. I bought it for use as a tandem canoe and I mostly paddle solo in my Prospector.

I may be able to get you another one. Be patient because it's only a happen chance type of meeting with the guy and I'll try to find what he has left.

 

[Mihun09]

In the past we have purchased 6oz cloth and West System epoxy from Cargo East Marine Supply. They are in Winnipeg at 276 Marion St.

 

[yellowcanoe]

Phil uses the SR Wilderness 18. I've carried it some on his Wabakimi Project trips. It's got higher sheer than the Queticos and rounder bottom. He always used to have the Duralite layup. Recently he may have had to go Kevlar. I j Have the Wilderness too in Kevlar the coating is epoxy. So no it's not the same boat but for repair purposes that matters not

 

[ppine]

Ice,
I like West System epoxy, but there are new versions all the time. Never be daunted by fiberglass.
My first canoe was a fiberglass Sawyer Cruiser that had been wrapped. It was straightened out but had holes in it big enough to put your fist thru and wave your arm around. I paid $25 for it 30 years ago. I paddled that boat everywhere and finally sold it for $300. I had a Sawyer Charger that was Kevlar that needed a lot of work because it was so old. I really miss that boat.

 

[icedragonmx]

In the past we have purchased 6oz cloth and West System epoxy from Cargo East Marine Supply. They are in Winnipeg at 276 Marion St.

Awesome thanks! That's close to me so will save the shipping cost!

red langford -- Only need one! Lol

 

[icedragonmx]

Ice,
I like West System epoxy, but there are new versions all the time. Never be daunted by fiberglass.
My first canoe was a fiberglass Sawyer Cruiser that had been wrapped. It was straightened out but had holes in it big enough to put your fist thru and wave your arm around. I paid $25 for it 30 years ago. I paddled that boat everywhere and finally sold it for $300. I had a Sawyer Charger that was Kevlar that needed a lot of work because it was so old. I really miss that boat.

Thanks, I think this one would be ready for the water with just some tape. Will take the time to fix it proper with the Kevlar patches and maybe two layers deep on each section. If you can fix a wrapped one this should be no problem. I just want to minimize or hide the stress cracks on the outside as much as possible so will detail sand that a bit and then fill in with the epoxy.

 

[ppine]

Ice,
I have been thinking about your boat the last couple of days. The SR Kevlar layup is really beautiful, mesmerizing even. We see few Canadian boats on the West Coast except for Clippers and a few others.

For the inside repair, I think you would probably want to start with 3-4 inches wide Kevlar tape (fiberglass would work fine). Then when the epoxy has had a chance to set up, grind the edges and feather them, with light sanding on the rest of the tape. Then I would lay a piece of cloth and epoxy in a "belly band" that is to say a piece 4 feet wide or so from gunwale to gunwale. It would add some weight, but it would also give you peace of mind. Then you can paint the interior to make it disappear. I like a paint color called "Dead Grass".

It might be useful to try some epoxy in a large hypodermic needle for the outside repairs. I am not sure how to help the cosmetics on the outside. Maybe the thing to do is be proud of your battle scars. I would always rather have a quality piece of equipment that is experienced rather than an average one in perfect condition.

 

[icedragonmx]

Thanks for the suggestions ppine, that sounds a bit aggressive with a full inner layer (belly band). I was just hoping to do the minimum patch areas for the three parts. Is there an advantage to the 4" wide tape strips over a 12"x 8" single patch? I have uploaded a few pics of the three areas. Will be a fun learning curve and if I can keep the cost down it will be a good deal on a 43lb tripper. I do like the look of the color weave on the green Le Tigre model

 

[yellowcanoe]

Get some Peel Ply from Jamestown. It forces the edges to auto feather and does away with grinding its a release fabric so it comes off. I like the strip and single belly band method as the damage is extensive. SR canoes IMO don't have enough bottom layers to provide good protection. They are a good utility canoe though. Not the best but also not the most expensive

 

[oldie moldy]

'Most everyone here writing about how to fix your canoe is talking about patches of one kind or another. That surely may be the way to go, I'm not trying to take anything away from folks who know more than I do.

But something you might think about: Using a hand vacuum pump, is there anyway you could draw glue into the area of the break? It would require a little research, but I'll bet you could find rubber suction cups with a port where the vacuum tube could be attached. Looking at the vacuum pumps on Amazon, I see one at least is able to draw 30"Hg. If that's true, that's some serious suck! I'm thinking of drawing the glue though the hull, I believe the Novus Auto Glass Repair folks evacuate the air and then inject the glue which is readily taken into the crack.

I've only used a vacuum to draw in wood glue using a shop vac, the suction is pathetic compared with the pull from one of those pumps from Amazon. But for my need then it really did work.

If it did seem to fix the fracture you could always back up the repair with a patch as well.

Just something to think about......

OM

 

[ppine]

A vacuum pump is a good idea, but probably not necessary. A syringe and gravity should work fine. Epoxy is as viscous as you want it to be.

Two patches in the neighborhood of 15 inches by 30 inches would probably suffice. A coat of epoxy on the outside may help some of those abrasion marks disappear.

 

[icedragonmx]

Thanks to all for the ideas and for the help. I just need to get some materials and time to do the repair and I will have a two seater for the next years adventures!

ppine- I am hoping that a coat of epoxy will diminish the exterior cracks and marks!

 

[ppine]

I went to the SR canoe website and there is a section on repairing their canoes. I know little about them but have been impressed so far. The outer layer of the Kevlar layup is actually fiberglass on the outside of the hull. Epoxy should help the appearance a lot. The company makes the point about understanding the construction of their boats before starting any repair. They suggest staying out of the Kevlar fibers altogether because of the fuzz problem and difficulty in bonding fiberglass.