Refurbing a Mad River kevlar 49

[RobE30]

Howdy. I picked this canoe up a week or so ago from a barn sale for a price I couldn't refuse. The wood appears solid although incredibly dry and after some white water web surfing, I determined that Watco exterior oil is a good option for this (if this is not a good idea, let me know!). Following the instructions on Mad River's site, I taped off the shiny bits and began gently sanding with 80 grit paper. Between the outer edge and the inner edge (gunwale and inwale) there appears to be a gap. Before I oil it, should something be in the gap or will the wood expand when it's hydrated?

Couple of quick pictures, it was disgusting when I brought it home. Covered in bird crap and barn dust. My trusty helper was up to the task of scrubbing it down prior to sanding.the gap.

 

[pblanc]

Looks like a Kevlar Explorer. There is often a little gap between the inwales and the outwales. MRC used kerfed outwales on that boat so there is a little lip that extends over and hides (mostly) the top of the hull. The hull thickness sometimes varies a bit along its length and sometimes the kerf doesn't quite meet the inwale.

Give the wood a good sanding and then oil it, if that is the treatment you plan to use. You can also go ahead and make sure all the guwale screws are as tight as you can get them.

 

[Cheeseandbeans]

Nice find. It looks in fine shape for its age!

Bob

 

[RobE30]

Looks like a Kevlar Explorer. There is often a little gap between the inwales and the outwales. MRC used kerfed outwales on that boat so there is a little lip that extends over and hides (mostly) the top of the hull. The hull thickness sometimes varies a bit along its length and sometimes the kerf doesn't quite meet the inwale.

Give the wood a good sanding and then oil it, if that is the treatment you plan to use. You can also go ahead and make sure all the guwale screws are as tight as you can get them.

Thanks for the reassurance.

Would it make more sense to tighten the screws up after being oiled? Seems the wood would be a bit more flexible and less prone to cracking?

 

[RobE30]

And realized I posted in the wrong sub forum

 

[Woodpuppy]

Fantastic! Watco Exterior oil is what Northstar uses and sells; it is frequently recommended in canoe fora.

 

[RobE30]

Someone before me got a little overzealous with a DA and heavy grit paper

 

[RobE30]

Sanded down with 80, 120 , 220 and 320. 2 coats on and now it's time for a beer.

More to come with this boat but for now, I'm happy and so is my daughter!

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

And realized I posted in the wrong sub forum

I moved the thread to the appropriate forum.

The MRC Explorer has been a great canoe for almost half a century. My first real canoe was a MRC Royalex Explorer and, after I stopped hitting rocks in whitewater, I always wished I had the Kevlar version instead.

 

[pblanc]

I moved the thread to the appropriate forum.

The MRC Explorer has been a great canoe for almost half a century. My first real canoe was a MRC Royalex Explorer and, after I stopped hitting rocks in whitewater, I always wished I had the Kevlar version instead.

I still have my Kevlar MRC Explorer purchased sometime back in the early 1980s before they started radiusing the outwales.

 

[pblanc]

Thanks for the reassurance.

Would it make more sense to tighten the screws up after being oiled? Seems the wood would be a bit more flexible and less prone to cracking?

Won't make any difference. Despite all the hoopla about "penetrating oils" these are pretty much surface treatments. the oils will penetrate some along grain lines but not significantly into the dense wood. I have whitewater canoes with wood gunwales that I oil. I tend to slide the heel of my hand along the gunwale for some strokes such as stern pries. After one downriver trip of 5-8 miles the oil is completely wiped off that section of the gunwale with smooth bare wood showing. The oil won't get anywhere near any of the wood that the screw tension impacts.

 

[Halpc]

Congrats on a nice find. The bird crap and dust must have preserved it well- it looked better than the one I bought in New Mexico a few years ago before you started on it. Mine had some kind of dry rot on the surface of the gunwhales and took a lot of sanding to get to the condition of yours. It may be the light, but it looks like the oil is wet in the last photos. The Watco instructions say to wipe it off with a dry cloth after the second coat so that it doesn’t get tacky. BTW- nice Cruiser. Mine came home on top of one also.

 

[pblanc]

Congrats on a nice find. The bird crap and dust must have preserved it well- it looked better than the one I bought in New Mexico a few years ago before you started on it. Mine had some kind of dry rot on the surface of the gunwhales and took a lot of sanding to get to the condition of yours. It may be the light, but it looks like the oil is wet in the last photos. The Watco instructions say to wipe it off with a dry cloth after the second coat so that it doesn’t get tacky. BTW- nice Cruiser. Mine came home on top of one also.

Yes, I almost mentioned the same thing. It is important to wipe the excess Watco oil off after you allow it to penetrate for 15-30 minutes otherwise it can form a gummy residue that has to be scraped off. I have used a lot of Watco oil although I usually use their Teak Oil these days rather than the exterior Watco. I have found that with Watco oils you can usually apply at most three coats per day. Any more and the oil will just sit on the surface.

The Danish oil that gave the best cosmetic results in my hands was Deks Olje. I don't know what type of dispersing agents that oil had but it was possible to apply about seven or eight coats in one day if you had the time and patience. You had to lengthen the time between coats as you went but it would not leave a gummy residue like Watco can.

Unfortunately, Deks Olje is difficult to find in the US these days, and tends to be quite expensive when you do find it.

 

[Woodpuppy]

Do you ever thin the oil?

 

[Halpc]

The Watco Teak is also what I now use. They make a Watco “Danish” which looks nice on sanded ash rails, but I discovered that it is for interior use only. I should have read the label on the can years ago! Watco Teak is very liquid and I don’t think it needs to be thinned. I actually enjoy applying it a couple of times a year- the aroma brings back good memories- and the boats look so good afterward. RobE30 what year is your Explorer? Mine almost looks like its twin- dark green 9/89 vintage.

 

[RobE30]

The Watco Teak is also what I now use. They make a Watco “Danish” which looks nice on sanded ash rails, but I discovered that it is for interior use only. I should have read the label on the can years ago! Watco Teak is very liquid and I don’t think it needs to be thinned. I actually enjoy applying it a couple of times a year- the aroma brings back good memories- and the boats look so good afterward. RobE30 what year is your Explorer? Mine almost looks like its twin- dark green 9/89 vintage.

Haven't deciphered the HIN, but I think it's March 86?

Regarding the oil, it was wiped off after 30 minutes from first application and 15 minutes after the 2nd. It's a nice satin sheen as we speak. I was just excited at how nicely the wood came to life once the oil was applied.

 

[RobE30]

This is the only damage I've found on the hull. That'll be a project for the winter unless it should be an immediate fix.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

This is the only damage I've found on the hull. That'll be a project for the winter unless it should be an immediate fix.

I'd just put some duct or Gorilla tape over the spot until ready for a more permanent fix.

 

[RobE30]

I'd just put some duct or Gorilla tape over the spot until ready for a more permanent fix.

I can handle that!

 

[pblanc]

View attachment 132175
Haven't deciphered the HIN, but I think it's March 86?

Regarding the oil, it was wiped off after 30 minutes from first application and 15 minutes after the 2nd. It's a nice satin sheen as we speak. I was just excited at how nicely the wood came to life once the oil was applied.

"MAD" is the manufacturer's identification code for Mad River Canoe. "EX" is a model code for the Explorer. "584" is a serialized number. It might mean that the boat was the 584th Mad River Canoe made that year, or perhaps the 584th Explorer made, or perhaps something else. But it is the number specific to that hull and must be unique.

The "G686" at the end of the HIN indicates that the hull was laid up and certified with the US Coast Guard in July of 1986 to be available for sale in the 1986 model year. The "-K" at the end is not part of the actual HIN. MRC appended this to the end of the HIN on their Kevlar boats.