Hello everybody. I am brand new to the world of canoeing, and I fear I have made my first mistake. I purchased this Clipper solo 16' in Kevlar yesterday. It is hard to find solo canoes out here, and this one was half the cost of other options. I quite like the boat, and would prefer to make it work, but I could also sell and try to find another before it gets to be warm. I do have a 1961 smoker craft 17' as well, but wanted something built to solo.

On to the boat:



The owner told me that he had stored it inside for 14 of the last 15 years. It is very dirty right now. I am not one bit concerned with the aesthetics of the boat, only it's reliability and durability.

My question to everyone is this: if you had this boat, would you sell and look for something newer in better shape? Or is there something I could do to help preserve / restore what I have here? Perhaps I am too worried and it could be used and enjoyed as is?

I'd clean it, sand, and coat with Epihanes gloss varnish.

Sand it down...epoxy it...sand some more...varnish...sand...varnish...sand varnish.

Boom done. Almost new boat.

Billconner and airmorse: thank you very much for the replies. I can't tell you how relieved I am to hear that this boat is worth hanging on to. I really fell for it when I saw it. I will look into varnish and epoxy techniques and materials. It will be a fun project for me while waiting for the waters to thaw. I can't thank you enough.

airmorse: "Sand it down...epoxy it...sand some more...varnish...sand...varnish...sand varnish.


Boom done. Almost new boat.


"

As someone who owns a boat with similar faults, do the epoxy and varnish serve a utilitarian purpose or do they just make it look better?

Put another way, what are the down-sides of tripping in the boat as-is? Is the kevlar more likely to get damaged? Is there more friction? Is the structural integrity of the boat in question as-is?

billconner: "I'd clean it, sand, and coat with Epihanes gloss varnish. "

+1

I would NOT refinished with resin (epoxy or polyester) unless multiple serious problems existed. If you find a single spot that has an issue consider spot fixing.

You can do without applying epoxy in some cases as the cloth (kevlar) as already absorbed all it ever will. From the photos supplied you can see some of the cloth weave and where the epoxy has chipped.

It certainly won't hurt by applying a coat of epoxy. It will add to the weight of the boat. I guess if you were an ounce counter you might not want to. But we are talking ounces.

The epoxy will help stiffen up the boat.

The varnish (with uv additives) will protect the epoxy from the damaging effects of the sun. It's like sunscreen is for humans.

Hope this helps.

Sanding a Kevlar boat is troublesome- if you sand through the resin the Kevlar fibers will fray and fixing this is a pain. From your photos I cannot determine whether or not the hull has been subject to UV degradation that is severe. The final stage of this process the hull begins to whiten in color- an indication that UV degradation is breaking the bond between Kevlar cloth and resin. If you want it prettier very lightly sand (fine paper) and then gloss with spar varnish. It will make it shine but really does little in a practical sense beyond adding a little mass.

I went out and looked it over again, with some of my newly gained knowledge from you fellas. I pressed down everywhere and could find no soft spots. The one section that has been repaired makes a faint scratching sound when pressed, but doesn't move any different from the rest. I do not think there is any whitening taking place.




I found this one last trouble spot. It is maybe three Inches long and doesn't flex or sound different when pressed.

I will look into epoxy and varnish. I have zero Interest in making the boat prettier, but if it would add strength or longevity, I would be happy to.

I would just like to thank everyone who has helped me out. Canoes go fast around here, so It was either jump on this deal or lose it. I was quite worried when I came here, but after speaking with everyone, I feel reasonably confident in this boat. Can't wait to get it out on the water and find out if we can get along.

Watch this series of videos. I followed them and refinished an old Souris River canoe and even fixed some cracked ribs. It was about a two weekend job. I used the West Marine line of products. It turned out great!!! Enjoy!

Kevlar Canoe Repair Video

If you're a farmer like the name says....you'll be just fine. Not a lot of work to have that thing paddling well and looking decent. Keep it and use it I say

billconner: "I'd clean it, sand, and coat with Epihanes gloss varnish. "

+
+1

If you epoxy... use vinylester... not epoxy. And extremely sparingly. If you sand, use a very fine sand paper like 220 if your getting close to fibers. I agree to spar varnish and use. If you epoxy, you would still varnish. Never put epoxy (vinylester) above the waterline. To thick or above the waterline and it’ll flake and look worse then when you started. This is a pretty old boat. I hope it holds up...
keep your eyes open for a wilderness or prism... but in the meantime use this boat and enjoy...

I've got a bit of an update after speaking with someone from Clipper. I must say, it has proven rare in my life to receive this level of customer care in any industry. I am very, very impressed with my interaction.

They were able to tell me that my canoe was manufactured in 1982. We discussed refurbishment and I will be keeping the boat, and doing some work on it as they advise. Tomorrow, I will send them better photos and get the detailed instructions.

Can't thank you all enough for all the help and information. I will keep this updated as it goes along.

Best of luck. The advice given from the folks here and the company you plugged in with should keep you more than covered.

I just wanted to say, as someone who routinely paddles an early 80s Kevlar, I'm happy for you that you are taking on this project and trying to keep it in the game. It's not that 30-40 + year old kevlar canoes are particularly rare, but in the sea of nearly new outfitter specials, it's fun to see something different out on the water. Best of luck, and keep the forum updated when you finish it and paddle it! I'd love to see it.

Did Clipper say what model it is? Clipper made a lot of Jensen-designed boats. The only Jensen 16' solo I'm aware of at that time is his downriver solo racer, named the C1W or WWOC1. I have a Wenonah of that design (since 1983), and it is a wonderful boat--it goes fast, is good in rough water, and will turn if you heel it a bit. I've used it in whitewater, gunkholing, hunting, and weeklong tripping. With proper sit-and-switch technique, it can do pretty much anything (except bow eddy turns!). It's a much more versatile boat than people give it credit for. Enjoy!

MReid: "Did Clipper say what model it is? Clipper made a lot of Jensen-designed boats. The only Jensen 16' solo I'm aware of at that time is his downriver solo racer, named the C1W or WWOC1. I have a Wenonah of that design (since 1983), and it is a wonderful boat--it goes fast, is good in rough water, and will turn if you heel it a bit. I've used it in whitewater, gunkholing, hunting, and weeklong tripping. With proper sit-and-switch technique, it can do pretty much anything (except bow eddy turns!). It's a much more versatile boat than people give it credit for. Enjoy!"

Hello there. They did not mention anything regarding the model. On the serial number tag, it just says 16 solo beside model. I am really looking forward to trying it out.

Looking at the bow it looks like the boat I was talking about. Wenonah lists the specs of the next version of it in their "retired" section, the 16'6" C1W ( C1W) . From what I've gathered from other owners on this board who have the 16'6", the 16' version seems to be a bit more versatile (more stable, carries a load better).

I visited the link you sent. Very Interesting. Thank you kindly.

Here is the step-by-step process I used when I refinished a kevlar a few years back:

Killarney Outfitters - How to Refinish a Kevlar

Opinions will vary, as you have found out. And that's cool!

In between sanding i would use a microfiber towel and acetone, not a power washer.

Here is the link to my rebuild.

Link

The video using epoxy is of a Souris River, which is made with epoxy. Most other canoes today seem to be vinylester. I thought it was ok to coat vinylester with epoxy, but not the other way. Others may say differently. People who have used both tell me epoxy is easier to work with.

Of course, canoe manufactures who use vinylester say that's superior, and ones who use epoxy say that's better.