Fiberglass Canoe Repair

[Rip_Some_Lip]

I bought an old 17 ft fiberglass canoe for $25 from a coworker. After checking it out when I got it home, it has an old patch that is leaking. The bottom seems to be pretty thin and flimsy and I am worried about going through the bottom. I sanded it down and am ready to repatch the leaking spot. I have never repaired fiberglass and have a couple questions. First question, what is the best way to patch it? Second, I am thinking of putting a layer or two of fiberglass on the entire bottom of the canoe to hopefully stiffen it up. I may have the inside spray foamed to quiet it under water so I minimize scaring fish in shallow water. Does anyone know of a better way to stiffen it up?

[Steve Bakken]

You're on the right track. We've done several of these jobs at the shop and there really isn't any other quick way of doing it. Before you lay the glass, go over the entire inside of your floor with a good abrasive, either on a wheel or by hand. Next, clean the inside with something like acetone. Do a small area, (aprox 2' x 2') and wipe it up before it dries. This will remove any contaminants. Also lay your fiberglass in in small strips in the curved areas so that you can get it all to lay down flat without any wrinkles. When your done you'll want to hit everything lightly with a grinder to knock of any small sharp strands of glass that inevitably end up sticking up. Then your ready to put on whatever you choose over the top if you want, or else just give it one coat of pure resin to smooth everything out.