I have a MN II that I bought from an outfitter. It has a large patch on the outside. The tear is visible and rough on the inside. I want to patch the inside for added insurance. Should I use just Kevlar? Fiberglass? Both? Also, the rough part on the inside is hard. Like they put epoxy on it but didn’t smooth it down. I’ll try to get a pic so I can show what I mean.
I just finished refurbishing the entire outside with epoxy and varnish. It looks great.

The pics are taken with the canoe hanging in my garage, so it’s upside down. The gunwale is to the left in the pics. The rough spot is the darker line Toward bottom of the first pic, top of the second pic. It’s a hard ridge. Not sure what to do with that prior to laying Kevlar and/or fiberglass patch over it. I would like to patch the entire area where you see the cracks in the second pic.

Looks like they didn't do a repair on the interior, only on the exterior? I'd definitely put a patch on the inside. Your call if you want to use glass or kevlar.... Since it was a tear you may want to add a fiberglass layer on top of kevlar.

You'll want to use a sharp knife or scissors to trim the jagged fiber ends that are exposed on the inside, then gently sand to smooth any raised bumps from resin that soaked through the hull. I'd use peel ply on top of whatever patch material you choose to smooth the edges of the patch and ensure a gentle transition to the original hull surface.

Does it otherwise feel solid around that seat? Did they tell you what the story is with how it got damaged?

Yes, only the exterior is repaired. There isn’t enough raised area to get with a scissors. I tried with a knife but it’s really hard. I’ll try to sand it down. I did trim some hanging fibers. I’ve never heard of peel ply. I’ll google it. My plan was to use West Systems epoxy.
Your question about the seat is a good one. I need to test it. I haven’t had her on the water yet.

You'll likely get fuzzing since kevlar doesn't sand too well, so be aware of that.

Peel ply is a ripstop nylon fabric that you put on top of a kevlar/fiberglass patch. It allows epoxy to flow through it but the epoxy does not bond to the fabric. You'd use the peel ply in the place of saran wrap or plastic sheeting to smooth & cover the patch while it cures. When removed the peel ply will leave a texture behind that you can brush on a final coat of epoxy to finish filling the weave in your patch. You don't need to use the peel ply or a plastic cover but it will help to keep the edge of your patch from plumping up.

Depending on where you're getting your epoxy from, they may also have peel ply. Its typically sold like other fabrics, by the yard. I have a bunch left over from fixing my canoe last winter, if you're unable to source what you need I could send you a couple pieces. Just drop me a note with the dimensions.

Sorry, Mirth for not responding sooner. Thank you for the help. I was looking on the Jamestown Distributors website for fiberglass mat. There are so many different weights and types. Any advice there? The area I’m repairing is about 7” x 18”. Jamestown Distributors

Hi, no worries. You'll end up with excess material (good for the future, never know what you could use it for) but I'd instead suggest getting a yard of the 6oz glass if you're set on buying from JD. You will also want a brand new pair of scissors as the fiberglass will likely ruin any scissors you currently have.

I got the supplies for repairing my North Star from Sweet Composites and they carry scissors for fiberglass. Should you want to compare, Sweet's item #2112 is most likely a similar product to the glass from Jamestown.

The West System fiberglass boat repair kit also comes with a 15x15 square of fiberglass cloth and you could cut it into pieces to suit your need but I'm not certain that you'd have enough resin & hardener in the kit to fully wet & fill the weave. Also, the hardener in the kit is 205 which has a short open time. I'd suggest getting a combo kit of 105 resin and 206 hardener which has a longer working time before it gels.

Any fiberglass cloth you purchase online, unless you want to pay $$ to have it shipped rolled on a tube, will be folded and in a ziploc bag. Its possible the folds in the fabric will not sit completely flat or otherwise look slightly visually different than the surrounding cloth. Just want you to be fully informed. Also, you'll want to keep the fabric in a dark place until you're ready to use it as it yellows when exposed to UV.

Thank you, Mirth. I called Sweet Composites today and placed my order. They had great prices and fantastic customer service.

Sounds good & good luck! I noticed my reply yesterday got chopped off due to a bad html tag. I edited it to uncover the missing text.