Blackhawk canoe refurbishmnt

[gumpus]

Today I completed the refurbishment of the 1994 Blackhawk Shadow 15.8 that I picked up used about a month ago. It was already in good shape overall but the hull had all sorts of marks and drops of goo inside and out, the wood wanted some love, and the seat cane needed replacement.

I did my usual thorough scrubbing inside and out with nonabrasive cleanser and a stiff brush and lots of elbow grease. The exterior cleaned up completely but the inside needed more help so I wiped it down thoroughly with acetone and that helped a lot. Then a couple more scrubs with Spin and Span. Finally, 303 inside and out. Feels good to put 303 on a boat that has had no UV protection in 20 years.

The seam between the ash and mahogany on the gunnels was not flush after 24 years of settling and the ash stood a bit proud of the mahogany in places. So I spent a lot of time sanding the gunnels using both a palm sander and also doing it by hand. The ash on this boat is like iron! I finished the wood with Watco Teak Oil which I have not used before. It dries faster (2 days) than Watco products I have used in the past.

The seat cane needed replacement so I bought a cane repair kit from Ed's since I wanted to maintain the factory appearance of this somewhat rare boat. I had never done a cane repair before but it was not difficult and I'm happy with the result.

I included a picture of a page from a Blackhawk canoe brochure that shows the specs for this boat. The Shadows were Blackhawk's "value" canoes yet they still came with fitted thwarts and carry handles, gel coated flotation tanks, and wood gunnels with mahogany outwales.

 

[Will Derness]

That looks sweet, a very fine job!

 

[Robin]

Nice looking canoe, you did a fine job.

 

[Steve in Idaho]

Well done, sir!

 

[Guest]

That is a well done boat refurbishment. I really like the clean, crisp lines of that canoe.

I did my usual thorough scrubbing inside and out with nonabrasive cleanser and a stiff brush and lots of elbow grease. The exterior cleaned up completely but the inside needed more help so I wiped it down thoroughly with acetone and that helped a lot. Then a couple more scrubs with Spin and Span.

My usual filthy canoe concoction is a mix of Spic and Span, Dawn and whatever car wash grease and grime remover I have available.

DougD recently offered a simple cleaning solution that I am waiting to try, a 50 50 mix of white vinegar and Dawn detergent in a spray bottle. Spray it on, let sit, wipe it off. Essentially the composition of some pricey uber cleaning solution.

I got spray bottles, vinegar and Dawn and am waiting to give it a try.

 

[gumpus]

I'm a big fan of Dawn and that's all I usually use on my boats and vehicles. I'd be curious to hear how it works with vinegar. I've cleaned up other old boats with nothing but Dawn, Bon Ami and a good stiff brush but this boat fought back a little more.

The story behind this boat (SS Special) is that it was commissioned by the son of the owner of Cartwright and Danewell which was a prominent outfitter and canoe dealer in Grayling, Michigan. Not many were made, one friend estimated 6 to 8. I've only paddled it once so hope I like it as I get to know it better.

Thanks for your kind words. I know you all do much bigger projects!

 

[boatstall]

I'd be proud to paddle that one.

 

[dougd]

I can say from first hand experience that the Dawn/Vinegar mix works extremely well. It took 21 years worth of filth off the lip of the hull where the gunwales collected grim!

My better half had bought Powershot a few years ago and it worked so well the prices went up and it disappeared off the shelves of Wally World soon after. She did a search while I hosing down the hull and walked out this that mix. It was amazing! I used to use vinegar with a water mix but will be going with this from here on out. And being frugal it is cheap to make and goes a long way. I'll post pics at some point in time.

And gumpus, a beautiful find and handsome job of making it look like new again. Nothing like it in the world to bring and old hull back to life! Kudos!

dougd