After minimal deliberation I have decided to document the restoration of my 2001 Wenonah Escape Kevlar canoe. This model has been a wonderful platform for my wife and I for the past two years, but 19 years of use and sun exposure have slowly degraded this otherwise well-treated boat. As with everything in life, this canoe is a compromise. I have a somewhat unhealthy obsession with exploring the Everglades backcountry in search of tarpon, small and large. This canoe gets me where I need to be quickly and efficiently, but lacks maneuverability and stability. Other Wenonah models may suite my needs better, such as the Boundary Waters or the Kingfisher, but I’m just not ready to give up on this gem. The Escape is a delight to paddle and it deserves to be graced with the slime of countless more tarpon and snook in the backcountry.
I figured this forum would be full of outdoorsman, canoe enthusiasts, and flyfisherman. This thread will provide me with entertainment, but it will also provide a resource for folks with similar goals.
My main reason for restoring this boat is to replace the original gelcoat in order to preserve the underlying Kevlar fabric. This boat was stored in the sun by the previous owner, so the gelcoat is oxidized and there are numerous spider cracks in areas with inherent flex. I want to reseal the hull to preserve the fabric so I can get another twenty years out of this boat.
I recently added Kevlar skid plates to the hull since I had deep gauges on the bow of the boat. Oyster bars, fallen mangrove branches, and years of landings have taken their toll.
Before:
I started off by removing the gunwhales, seats, foot braces, and end caps from the canoe. Wenonah uses 3/16” diameter rivets (mostly 1/4” length), some with a large diameter head.
I sanded the old gelcoat with 40 grit pads and an orbital sander. The scratches on this boat were primarily superficial, so the sanding resulted in a smooth hull almost free of imperfections. The areas around the spider cracks took a little extra care; I ultimately sanded these areas almost to the fabric. After sanding the entire hull with the 40 grit I did a once-over with 80 grit. I also sanded the interior of the boat so I could recoat it with polyester resin. Once sanding was complete, I thoroughly cleaned the hull with a mild soap. After naturally drying, I gave it a final wipe-down with acetone to remove any remaining wax or contaminants.
After sanding:
My wife and I applied a dark grey polyester gelcoat using a 1/8” nap roller. We worked in 32 oz. batches and catalyzed the gelcoat with 17 mL MEKP. We did this on an 80 degree day and had roughly 25 minutes before the gelcoat kicked. We coated the canoe two times before adding a final coat with 1 oz. of sanding aid mixed in.
The final coat dried tack-free within three hours. The gelcoat had a slight orange peel texture due to the rollers, but it still looked fairly uniform.
New gelcoat:
As you would expect, I spent roughly 8 hours wetsanding the canoe to remove the slight texture from applying the gelcoat with a roller. I started off with a few passes using 240 grit, then I moved on to 320 grit, 400 grit, 600 grit, and finished with 800 grit. I waxed the hull with Meguiar's Premium Marine Wax to protect the new gelcoat. The finish is not completely smooth and it does not have a mirror-like shine, but that is fine with me. I quit wetsanding a little earlty in order to preserve as much of the new gelcoat as possible. I do not expect Wenonah to ask for it back so they can put it in their showroom, but it looks goods, it's durable, and it's ready for the Everglades. Cheers!
After: