I have a Royalex flat bottom Old Town that has seen heavy use.

There are some deep gouges in the Royalex, but they are not all the way through, nor are they soft in any spots. Should I do something about it or just not worry about it? It's never going to be a "pretty" canoe.

There are also a lot of black marks on the side from rubbing against a tire while tied to the pier. Can't seem to get them off with normal washing or elbow grease.

Any ideas how to get these off? I'm not sure what, if any, solvents should be used with Royalex.

Thanks so much. I am working on the whole fleet so would love it if you check my other posts as well.

Catrina

have you tried just using dawn detergent. i would try it with hot soapy water and concentrated. maybe try rubbing it with a big old pink eraser. i need to get mine washed also . ive used 404 areospace protectant. but might try nufinish

Thanks, I'll try the dawn and I like the pink eraser idea. I read in a google search on the subject to try magic eraser pads as well and someone said barkeepers friend but I would think you would need to be careful with the abrasive properties of that.
Catrina

As I noted in your other topic, try Ronsonol lighter fluid on the rubber scuffs. It is good at removing various types of residue and doesn't attack most surfaces. Another option is automotive bug and tar remover. Try both on a small patch first, but royalex should be impervious to both.

If the gouges are just indentations in the Royalex then they are harmless and can be ignored. I think barkeepers friend is a non-abrasive cleanser; I've gotten just about every kind of mark off of canoes using non-abrasive cleanser and a stiff brush. But lots of folks recommend using a Magic Eraser.

Thanks for all of the great tricks!
I will be trying them all until one of them works and will report back what worked.
Don't hold your breath though, I have to fix the other three boats first.
Catrina

When I picked up a royalex solo last year there were black scuffs on the side. I used a Mr Clean eraser, which did work but it also burnished the finish some.

I own a royalex Old Town Penobscot and have used J-B Weld PlasticWeld for repairing a couple of deep gouges and it has maintained its bond for a couple of years now.