Your emergency canoe repair kit?

[Idiot Savant]

I got a question from Alan that I'm not seeing here, for some reason.
The crack in my NW17 actually looked worse on the inside than the outside.
And yes, there was actual torn carbon fiber.
An inner later must have been relatively unscathed since no water was coming through.
The crack was in a place that probably would have been protected by the internal skid plate had I had it.

 

[Alan Gage]

I got a question from Alan that I'm not seeing here, for some reason.
The crack in my NW17 actually looked worse on the inside than the outside.
And yes, there was actual torn carbon fiber.
An inner later must have been relatively unscathed since no water was coming through.
The crack was in a place that probably would have been protected by the internal skid plate had I had it.

Thanks for answering. That must have been quite a hit!

I was in a hurry when I asked yesterday and was going off memory about what you said earlier in the thread (now quoted below)

I managed to put a pretty bad crack in my blacklite Northwind 17, when I hit a rock while taking a photo, but luckily it didn't leak.

Then, after making my post, I scrolled up a few responses and saw where you talked about sticking a fence post all the way through the hull and, thinking my memory was faulty, this made my question of, "was it a superficial crack?," seem pretty silly. So I quickly deleted my post. Only when I logged in again later and re-read the entire thread did I see there were 2 separate instances.

Alan

 

[Tsuga8]

I was on an overnight trip with a new club member. Colorado River, not in a rapid, but moving along. I stopped paddling, to take a photo, and we ended up turned sideways to the current. Never saw the rock under the surface. I couln't believe how hard we hit. Loud bang. We hit near the bow, so I asked my partner if water was coming in and she said no. But it was bad enough I had to do some glass work when I got home.

Thanks for the info! Everyone says composites are tougher than one thinks, but they sell IXP for a reason. Good to hear of real world experiences of failure points.

 

[Boatman53]

I can’t remember if anyone suggested zip ties. They weigh almost nothing and are very versatile. My friend used one unconventionally, there was a pin hole leak in a canoe he rented so instead of slapping on some duct tape he melted the end of the zip tie and dripped it in the hole. Problem solved.
Jim

 

[Black_Fly]

Thanks for answering. That must have been quite a hit!

I was in a hurry when I asked yesterday and was going off memory about what you said earlier in the thread (now quoted below)



Then, after making my post, I scrolled up a few responses and saw where you talked about sticking a fence post all the way through the hull and, thinking my memory was faulty, this made my question of, "was it a superficial crack?," seem pretty silly. So I quickly deleted my post. Only when I logged in again later and re-read the entire thread did I see there were 2 separate instances.

Alan

How do you delete a post?

 

[Black_Fly]

Small roll of duct tape is all I carry. What’s the best brand? I had a roll of very sticky stuff once, but haven’t found that type anywhere.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

How do you delete a post?

Members can't delete a post. Alan can because that's one of the powers of a moderator. If you want a post deleted for some valid reason, you can request Alan or me to do it. Aside from that, I will sometimes delete a post on my own when it's clearly some sort of mistake or duplicate, as I did with one of your duplicate Therm-A-Rest posts yesterday.

 

[Black_Fly]

If I ever entertained the idea of taking my BL Phoenix down a rocky steam they are now quashed.

 

[Tsuga8]

Three Minutes with a Maine Guide has 4 videos on repairs and repair kits. As with many of her videos, not all of it applies to all of us, but she's got some great tips and real world experience.

 

[ppine]

Large roll of duct tape. I like Gorilla tape. I have used large quantities to for temporary repairs on a fiberglass boat that was really crunched and a wooden drift boat. Some bailing got us home. It would have helped to have some fiberglass cloth and epoxy for both of those wrecks.

For my wood and canvas OT, a kit with canvas, brass tacks and Amberoid cement. The w/c canoes are much stronger than most people think.

 

[Black_Fly]

How much does a proper repair kit weigh? I’m shaving the handle on my toothbrush when portaging is a factor. If I was tripping on a northern river I’d bring wire and epoxy. Everywhere else, it’s duct tape, a letherman, a 3/8” ratchet wrench. I do have a couple SS bolts and nuts in there too.

 

[MyKneesHurt]

I paddle skin-on-frames, so I carry artificial sinew in a little sewing kit (for a potential big tear), and two small tubes of UV sealant with an assortment of Tenacious Tape patches. All that stuff migrated over from my backpacking gear and works very well.

 

[Seeker]

I tend to stick to small ponds and lots of portages with a Hemlock Nessmuk XL (carbon fiber), so all I carry is duct tape, a few safety pins, needles/threads, pliers, a couple rivets, and some buttons, plus my hatchet, knives, and saw.

When I use a wood canvas canoe, it's mostly lakes/flatwater in/out trips, and for that, I have a kit with more stuff in it that I don't have to physically carry much... small nails, glues, wire, drill bit, larger pliers, plug of hot glue, file, rivets, stove o-rings, toggles, cordage, buckles, iron-on patches for air mattresses, needles and threads of various sizes and strengths, that sort of stuff.

If you have a metal container, you can melt pine pitch, charcoal, and rabbit droppings together into a good glue (you can do it in a birchbark container too, but that takes more skill). A stuff sack provides a good patch. A swiss army knife/multi-tool, sheath knife, saw, hatchet, and pliers are invaluable tools for making parts like ribs/thwarts or even paddles.

 

[jdeerfoot]

Regarding Flex Seal tape - my daughter bought a real fixer-upper of a house which is sided with what is probably some of the first vinyl siding available. It is so old it is brittle. I have used Flex Seal tape to patch it a number of spots and am amazed at how well it works and holds up to Wisconsin weather (temps can vary from subzero to near triple digits). I use the white colored tape which matches the white siding well and some of it has been on the house for 5 years without failing. So I assume it would great for boat repairs.

Possible downsides - it is very sticky and somewhat hard to work with. And can not be easily removed.

 

[lowangle al]

Flex tape is thick and stiff and is hard to get it to lay flat on areas like the stems. It's good stuff though, but probably overkill for repairs where regular duct tape would work.