Canoe restore question about Gunwales (i think they are gunwales)

[Germ77]

I love learning new hobbies and repairing things so I am starting to work on this Canoe I got.

It has some fiberglass work to do which I know how to proceed with but the aluminum trim around the side that is riveted (think it is the Gunwales). Is pretty trashed and missing some pieces.

I was thinking to replace it with some kind of hard rubber or even just fiberglass over the seam underneath it.

Any tips on what I could use instead of metal to replace it and how I would go about doing it? I was thinking some kind of material like T-Molding you would find on desks and things but not sure how I could make that work.

Any advice would be awesome.

For some reason it is not allowing me to upload an attachment so here is a link to the picture of what I am talking about.

http://i.imgur.com/Tr6CLfd.jpg


Thanks.

 

[jbcurt00]

Are you sure its a fiberglass canoe?

Little to go on in the 1 pix, but the last canoe ai saw that was sort of a sunburst orange color (correct? Its showing thru the khaki/tan current paint color?) was some sort of plastic, not fiberglass........

Yes gunwale or gunnel is where that aluminum trim is located. Sort of a rubrail too, so when you paddle up to the dock, the alumimum takes the bump instead of the actual canoe....

No idea where you might find a similar type and shape aluminum trim piece. It may be much smaller then typical rubrail, but might try TacoMarine or a google search. Some rubrail also has a rubber/vinyl insert to further cushion bumps w another boat or a dock.

Pix posting help
http://forums.iboats.com/forum/forum-rules-and-guidelines/9938375-photo-upload-tutorial

Got to have 3 or more posts before you can upload pix AND theres a limit to how big a pix can be, 700KB max, yep KiloBytes....

 

[Germ77]

Thanks jbcurt00,

I am pretty sure it is fiberglass but I can check better tomorrow and take some more pics.

From how it looks that trim should not be holding anything together though right? so if I just take it all off and then improvise something to cover the seam it should be fine?

I gather that it is just covering the seam and used to protect the boat from bumps and damage like you said.

I will take more pics before I ask more questions.

 

[jbcurt00]

Wont know for sure until you take it apart.

On a regular boat, the rubrail covers the seam, the fasteners that sort of hold the 2 halves together AND helps hold the 2 parts together.

Cant tell much in the 1 pix you posted...

 

[Germ77]

Alright so here is a gallery of some pics I took of the Canoe. First off I know most people will say dont even bother and its cheaper and less work to just buy a new one. I like working on projects like this and its not about the cost or time, its just a hobby for fun and to take my mind off things.

I got it for dirt cheap, it looks like crap and has some cracks on the top but it floats and doesnt leak (it would leak a little right now as theres a few screw holes on the back which I guess would be considered a transom. There was an old rotted piece of wood on there when I got it so I ripped that off and there is a few screw holes there that were filled before. I have not researched that part at all yet but I will either fill them with fiberglass or if it the back should be reinforced then I will put some wood back there again to reinforce it.

It is fiberglass.

The sides that I was asking about in the initial post appear to be riveted together but the aluminum trim does not actually hold them together. It is just the rivets so I think I will rip all of that aluminum off since half the boat is still good but the rest is all bashed up with a bunch of rivets popped out already. I will put in new rivets and then figure out something to replace the aluminum to cover the seam but no idea what.

Anyways here is the gallery and any tips would be much appreciated as I am just learning by reading through this forum and various articles and youtube videos I find.

http://imgur.com/a/hPbjM