I have a circa 1998 Bluewater Freedom 17 Tripper in their Nylon/Kevlar midweight layup that is showing some wear and discoloration on the interior and am hoping for some feedback and advice on options to refinish the interior.
The Issues
There is wear, exposed fabric, some rough/fuzzy patches and some small voids in the weave in some areas of the football and discoloration (white patches) throughout the interior. The interior has lost its waterproofing and soaks up any paddle drips, wet from feet, and rain. Overall the hull is solid, there are no big voids, hollow spots, or soft spots.
Here are some photos after a scrub with soap and water and two wipe downs with denatured alcohol. I'm not sure why some areas went white and some remained golden coloured, it doesn't always correspond to high wear areas. The fine lines seems to be ridges from squeegees during fabrication.
The Refinishing Options
Here are my thoughts and questions about the options I'm considering to restore waterproofness and hopefully add some durability, listed in no particular order.
1. Varnish only. Are there any recommended varnishes or brands, preferably in a satin sheen? If I find varnish alone is not enough, is it still possible to epoxy over the varnish later or is varnish a one-way street?
2. Epoxy only. I'm thinking West System 105/207. Is varnish really necessary for UV protection of the interior of a garage stored canoe that sees weekend use and a couple of week-long trips a year?
3. Epoxy and varnish. West System 105/207 plus whatever recommended varnish. West System seems to recommend this over epoxy only. The same question of epoxy later over varnish from above applies.
Surface Prep Concerns and Questions
I've read plenty about recoating the exterior of epoxy skin coated canoes like Souris River's models as well as West System's prep notes. Sanding seems to be required to ensure good adhesion of epoxy or varnish. I've also read about the dreaded "kevlar fuzz" that may arise from sanding a kevlar layer. Without knowing the layup schedule of my canoe, how do I know if sanding is ok or if I'll be sanding a kevlar layer? There is already some fuzz/raised fibres (see photos above) and I'm worried about making it worse with sanding. Is there another way I could prep the surface for epoxy or varnish?
Thanks all in advance for your collective wisdom and insight, I appreciate it.