I got a new Northwind Solo last year and love the wood gunwales I got, but I worry about them. The dealer delivered them with some foam pipe insulation in the spots where the crossbars contacted the gunwales, because they learned the wood picks up the black rubber from said bars pretty easily otherwise (and I got to sand it out).

My gunwales got rubbed real bad by some metal crossbars when I got picked up by a shuttle last year, turning quite dark in one spot, and I'm hoping I can sand it out, but I'm concerned the darkening is from burning the wood from friction, so it may not come out. I'd like to prevent it from happening again.

I'm considering carrying some foam pieces (maybe the same pipe insulation) with me on my trips, just to protect the gunwales in case I get transported by a shuttle (or tow boat), instead of using my own vehicle (where I'd otherwise store the foam/protective material). I'm just not sure what the best option is.

Has anyone else solved this problem? How do you protect your wood gunwales? And how do you repair them if/when you do get rubbing?

I have a dozen wood canoes downstairs. All of my canoes have wood gunwales.

Northstar uses ash for their gunwales which is about the best wood for gunwales you can ask for on a canoe. It’s somewhat lightweight, and flexible, not brittle at all.

Buy a quart of Watco clear finish oil at the hardware store. Using gloves and a small rag, wipe on the oil and avoid it dripping onto your canoe. Let the oil soak in a bit and add a second coat. Wait about 10 minutes and then use a dry rag to wipe off the excess. Using some elbow grease, rub another dry rag over the gunwales to smooth out the finish much like waxing a car. The more you rub it in the smoother and more rich the finish will look.

Wood gunwales wear nicely and will last forever. Sure you will abraid them, scratch and dent them. This is all part of the patina of a canoe. Like carrying a vintage rifle through the woods. Nothing wrong with showing some use!

As a side note, some of my canoes have varnished gunwales. And sometimes I add 20% spar varnish to my Watco for a more durable finish. There is not a golden rule to finishing gunwales.

However, your Northstar gunwales are finished in oil. Oil them once a year at the most.

Tom

Congrats on your NW Solo! I agree that wood is hard to resist.

I use Badger wood oil because it is non-toxic and will be dry to the touch overnight. No bad smell. Watco is more durable but IMO more work to apply and do touch-ups. The Bell Magic in the pic is a 1997. I can make it look as good or better than new in an hour. To refinish I use 100 grit, then 150, then 220. Then oil. For a quick touch-up 150 alone is fine.

The marks on your boat are not burn marks and they will sand right off.

I use short lengths of clear plumbing tubing to protect gunwales. Hardware stores sell it by the foot. Buy 3-4 feet and cut into sections around 8 inches long and slit the long side so you can clamp it on your gunwales. 1 1/4 inch diameter works on most boats and 1 inch diameter will work on boats with skinny gunwales like yours. Not sure which is better. Foam insulation never stays on in my experience.

Thanks for the advice to both of you! I've already sanded and finished the wood with Watco per Northstar's recommendation, and I will follow the same process once it warms up in a few months to try and resolve the dark marks from the metal crossbars.

I definitely need to carry something in my portage pack to protect the gunwales in case I get a tow or pickup somewhere else. I like the plastic tubing idea a lot, as the pipe insulation definitely slides off pretty easily. I think I'll pick up some of that for sure; it's small and generally light enough that it shouldn't be a burden to carry with me, but also won't get destroyed in the pack as I use it and things shift around.

I use 6" sections of old garden hose sliced down the middle for all of my canoes. It's cheap and works really well to protect the wood on the gunwales during transport. The clear hose I assume would work just as well but I have plenty of old garden hoses around.