One of the things I wanted to do to my new-to-me NW Solo was to clean it up and go over it and see if there was anything I needed to do to it before putting it into service.
I started with a good washing. The canoe wasn't particularly dirty, but it did have a pretty solid layer of dust on it from sitting for so many years. I just washed it with a mild car wash soap. Most of the dirt came off pretty easily.
One thing I noticed while cleaning it was that the HIN indicated it was built in 2015. The seller indicated that he had it six years. I had thought he had bought it new, so either he bought it earlier than he thought, or someone else had it for three years before he owned it. I tend to think he just forgot how long he owned it.
In any case, the canoe is in remarkable shape. I had to keep reminding myself that this is a used canoe. There are no longitudinal scratches on the hull, but several ones that look like someone leaned something on or placed something on the upside down hull that eventually fell or spilled something on it.
I would like to clean the hull a little better, if possible. Normally, I would wipe something like this down with mineral spirits, but I'm afraid that might damage the epoxy on the hull. Anyone know what would be a little more aggressive cleaner that would be safe to use? It's not the end of the world if this is the cleanest it can get. I doesn't look bad as it is, but you know.
Next, I decided to re-oil the gunwales. They weren't in terrible shape, but since I am storing this thing outside, and it is the rainy season here, I decided I should go ahead and do it. Plus, I wasn't sure if the gunwales had ever been re-oiled since it left the factory. After I washed it, I temporarily kicked my wife's car out of the garage so I could let the canoe (and gunwales completely dry before I started. They would never get completely dry outside, between the daily rains and high humidity.
Here is what the foredeck looked like before. Really not that bad.
I sanded it down with 120 grit sandpaper. Northstar suggests starting at 80 grit and working up to 220 grit. I tried 220 grit and the 120 grit separately and decided the 120 grit was good enough for me. Then I cleaned off all the sawdust and applied two coats of Watco Outdoor Natural oil, as recommended by Northstar. I had a couple drips, which I cleaned up, but that lead me to the conclusion that I am not the first to oil the gunwales on this canoe. There were a couple stains on the inside of the hull that I could not identify. After cleaning up a few of my drops, I realized those stains were Watco. I assume those stains were not from the factory. In any case, here is what the foredeck looked like after. The lighting is a bit different, but like I said, it was in pretty good shape to start.
Next up, complete the car carrying set up, and a little dog training, and then we'll hit the water with this thing!
I started with a good washing. The canoe wasn't particularly dirty, but it did have a pretty solid layer of dust on it from sitting for so many years. I just washed it with a mild car wash soap. Most of the dirt came off pretty easily.
One thing I noticed while cleaning it was that the HIN indicated it was built in 2015. The seller indicated that he had it six years. I had thought he had bought it new, so either he bought it earlier than he thought, or someone else had it for three years before he owned it. I tend to think he just forgot how long he owned it.
In any case, the canoe is in remarkable shape. I had to keep reminding myself that this is a used canoe. There are no longitudinal scratches on the hull, but several ones that look like someone leaned something on or placed something on the upside down hull that eventually fell or spilled something on it.
I would like to clean the hull a little better, if possible. Normally, I would wipe something like this down with mineral spirits, but I'm afraid that might damage the epoxy on the hull. Anyone know what would be a little more aggressive cleaner that would be safe to use? It's not the end of the world if this is the cleanest it can get. I doesn't look bad as it is, but you know.
Next, I decided to re-oil the gunwales. They weren't in terrible shape, but since I am storing this thing outside, and it is the rainy season here, I decided I should go ahead and do it. Plus, I wasn't sure if the gunwales had ever been re-oiled since it left the factory. After I washed it, I temporarily kicked my wife's car out of the garage so I could let the canoe (and gunwales completely dry before I started. They would never get completely dry outside, between the daily rains and high humidity.
Here is what the foredeck looked like before. Really not that bad.
I sanded it down with 120 grit sandpaper. Northstar suggests starting at 80 grit and working up to 220 grit. I tried 220 grit and the 120 grit separately and decided the 120 grit was good enough for me. Then I cleaned off all the sawdust and applied two coats of Watco Outdoor Natural oil, as recommended by Northstar. I had a couple drips, which I cleaned up, but that lead me to the conclusion that I am not the first to oil the gunwales on this canoe. There were a couple stains on the inside of the hull that I could not identify. After cleaning up a few of my drops, I realized those stains were Watco. I assume those stains were not from the factory. In any case, here is what the foredeck looked like after. The lighting is a bit different, but like I said, it was in pretty good shape to start.
Next up, complete the car carrying set up, and a little dog training, and then we'll hit the water with this thing!
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