BWCA Help to fix my Wenonah Prism? Boundary Waters Gear Forum
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WanderingWoodsmanMN
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10/17/2024 10:52PM  
Hi friends,

I know there is a separate forum for boat builders/repair but my computer is being difficult so here we are. Long story short- I made a stupid mistake while rushing around packing for a trip and busted out the front right gunwale and potentially also damaged a small part of the kevlar of my Wenonah Prism solo canoe.

I can take some photos of the damage if that would be helpful and although I am a fairly handy guy, am thinking this might be just a bit beyond my comfort level of fixing stuff. I take this boat up to BWCA about 5-6 times a year so I want it to be rock solid.

Is there a go-to shop or someone from this fantastic community that might specialize in fixing kevlar canoes? Thanks all!
 
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Jackfish
Moderator
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10/18/2024 07:12AM  
From your board name, it appears that you live somewhere in Minnesota so this option might not be the best one, but there is a repair guy in Madison, WI. He's done some work on two of my canoes, one of which is a Prism. He used to be on staff at Rutabaga, but went off on his own. Let me know if you want more info.
 
10/18/2024 09:38AM  
Piragis in Ely repairs canoes.
 
RedLakePaddler
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10/18/2024 04:34PM  
Post some pictures and where you live. Someone maybe close enough to give you a hand making the repair.
Carl
 
10/18/2024 07:03PM  
Jackfish, will you post contact information for the repair person in Madison? Thanks
 
Jackfish
Moderator
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10/19/2024 08:45AM  
deerfoot: "Jackfish, will you post contact information for the repair person in Madison? Thanks "

Here you go, Deerfoot...

Jim's Small Boat Repair
(608) 217-2825
smallboatrepair@gmail.com

I thought I had his address, but I don't. Obviously, you can get that from him if you need it. He's located just a handful of blocks from the old Rutabaga location in Monona (east side of Madison).
 
10/21/2024 12:13PM  
Jackfish: "
deerfoot: "Jackfish, will you post contact information for the repair person in Madison? Thanks "

Here you go, Deerfoot...

Jim's Small Boat Repair
(608) 217-2825
smallboatrepair@gmail.com

I thought I had his address, but I don't. Obviously, you can get that from him if you need it. He's located just a handful of blocks from the old Rutabaga location in Monona (east side of Madison)."

Is this JimTheBoatGuy? If so, I bought my Spirit II from him a few years back. He'd repaired it from being bent in half by a branch falling on it. Looked great and paddles awesome.

If there's someone in Northern Illinois that does boat fixes, I would be interested in that, too.
 
WanderingWoodsmanMN
distinguished member (173)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
10/21/2024 08:46PM  
Alrighty, two photos attached. Basically, I had it strapped to the roof rack and the front (bow) right tore out when I was trying to get everything ready too quick and therein the accident happened. The gunwale is bent up and it tore the rivet things out of the kevlar. And there is one spot of potential damage to the kevlar that might need some kind of patch.

Guess I could potentially haul it to Madison or Ely, but makes me a bit nervous to haul it like this. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!

 
Jackfish
Moderator
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10/21/2024 10:57PM  
bfurlow... Yes, that's Jim the Boat Guy. :)
 
Banksiana
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10/22/2024 09:56AM  
Not a difficult fix, but time consuming. Drill out the old rivets to remove gunwale. Buy new gunwales from Wenonah. Rivet new gunwales into place, attach thwarts and that will restore the shape of the hull. After that is done patches with fiberglass can be applied as needed. Fiberglass is better for patching than kevlar as it is easier to work with.
 
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