with a few posts going around on the subject i thought i would run these photos past the group.
first off the fiberglass canoe i made in 1975 when i was working at a canoe shop during the summer.over built for the St Croix River and it sandbar shoves and log pull overs it was a 85+ monster on the carry's.good thing there were canoe rests back when i took it to the BW in 83.it ran nice on the lakes with that sharp bow,however when the fiberglass edge hit/touched a rock it sounded like a bottle crunching.so i attached a strip of aluminum as was advised for wood canoe years ago.i also ground down the keel edge as that would ride up on rocks.
back in the 60's we called those a "bang plate",that canoe still see's some use on the local lakes.
next my Old Town Pathfinder which served as my main solo and buddy trip canoe for over twenty years.the first thing i did was get a skid plate kit from Old Town.even with some fiberglass experience it was still tricky working with the epoxy as you can seen from the groves in the surface.still it did a great job.some folks say they add too much weight but i would say it's worth it's weight in gold.that's one bit of the boat that did not get beat up.

and last the pro job the people at Bell did on my Pathfinder.
nice and even and up onto the nose to deal not only with the bottom scraping but the bow running into stuff.the white spots are the sap off the pine tree in the backyard and i take that off in fall when i put the canoes away for the winter.

years ago i read about some people gluing sections of bicycle tires to the bow and stern...for "skid plates". seems to me like that would be really sticky on rocks.

(btw dave...thanks for the dvd and coffee. coffee was alright, have not watched tinny yet though)

K..i would put the MRE coffee hidden away in you kit until you really need it.a tiny pack like that in a PFD pocket or some other odd place to be pulled out on a cold rainy day would be a real boost.i keep a few with tea and sugar packs in a zip lock for a emergency brew kit.the packs made in Minnesota are better than the ones from New Jersey IMO.
the Tinny guy in the CD does his stuff on Youtube as Minibuilddesign.
that one was from him before he hit the big time.making a tent from a cheap tarp and 3M spray glue is worth a look.