How To Care For An Old Town Canoe?

This guide provides tips for maintaining an Old Town canoe, a type of boat made of polyethylene, Royalex®, fiberglass, or wood. To keep the canoe in good condition, it is essential to store it in a cool and dry place away from direct sunlight. Regularly apply UV protectant spray to the surface of the canoe to prevent fading and cracking. Avoid using harsh chemicals or abrasive materials when cleaning the canoe as they can damage its surface.

To clean the hull exterior, wash with mild soap and water, or use Murphys Oil Soap. For beautification, use vinyl protectant products such as Armor All®, 303 Products, or Pledge. These products are safe for use on any of their Polyethylene, Superlinear, Royalex®, and Fiberglass canoes or kayaks.

To clean the kayak, wash with mild soap and water, or use Murphys Oil Soap. If there are soft spots or cracks in the hull, they can be dried. Old Town Canoes offers advice on packing your canoe for the upcoming summer season, including tips on how to pack your canoe for the upcoming summer season.

In summary, maintaining an Old Town canoe requires proper care and storage, as well as regular inspections for signs of damage or wear and tear. It is crucial to avoid tracking in mud or sand, as grit will wear away the finish of the boat. If you encounter any issues, contact your local Old Town dealer for the appropriate repair kit or parts.

Why do you store canoes upside down?

STORE YOUR CANOE ON THE GUNWALES. Canoes should be stored “upside-down” on the gunwales. This prevents distortion or flattening of the hull from storing it on flat ground or on its side.

KEEP IT OUT OF THE SUNLIGHT. All canoes and kayaks should be stored out of direct sunlight. Storing watercraft in direct sunlight can cause permanent damage such as “oil canning” and discoloration.

PROPER CANOE STORAGE TECHNIQUE BY MODEL. To determine the proper support location on a canoe not listed below take 30% of the overall length and place the supports that distance from the bow and stern.

How to clean an old canoe?

• Canoe Care. After every use, turn the canoe upside down to ensure any water inside drips out and remove any stones or pebbles that have made their way inside so you scratch the inside up the next time you get in.
• Clean the inside and outside of the canoe with a mild soap and water. Give a final water-only rinse to get all the soap out so it’s not slippery the next time you get in.
• Store your canoe upside down, supported by the gunwales. Ideally inside in a shed or garage. If you’re going to store it outside, make sure it’s protected from the sun. If you cover it with a tarp, make sure it’s suspended above the canoe, so it has room to breathe. Just laying a tarp on top of your canoe will trap heat and moisture and do more harm than good.
• Do not sit in your canoe on solid ground.

• Canoe Care by Material. Composite Canoes: To keep composite canoes looking great use a car or boat wax on the outside only. Don’t wax the inside as it will be slippery.
• Plastic Canoes: Use a UV protectant to help shield the plastic from the sun’s damaging rays.
• Wood: Seal scratches right away and lightly sand and re-varnish all parts of the canoe annually.
• Wood Trim: Sometimes wood is used as trim for gunwales or seating. If they are varnished, just lightly sand and varnish every few years. If they are oiled, you will want to treat them annually.

Owning a canoe is great fun and taking care of it will ensure it lasts for many years to come. If you are looking for proper canoe storage system, we offer a variety of canoe stands and racks that can safely hold up to eight canoes. They are made from quality Northern White Cedar logs, handcrafted to perfectly cradle and support canoes of every size. View our canoe storage racks online or contact us at [email protected] for a custom storage solution.

How do you add stability to a canoe?

Sculling Brace This brace is done by sweeping the paddle across the surface of the water, with a slight upward pitch on the blade. This motion provides an extended outrigger for supporting the canoe through the body and preventing the canoe from rolling or tipping to the paddling side.

When paddling stability primarily comes from the shape of the boat, body position in the boat (e.g J leans), low centre of gravity, and keeping the boat in motion (just paddling). There are times when you may want to provide a bit of extra support – when people are getting in/out, launching, rescues, moving around the boat. There are two methods that I use to provide just a bit of extra stability – Sculling Brace, and a Dropped Skeg.

Sculling Brace. This brace is done by sweeping the paddle across the surface of the water, with a slight upward pitch on the blade. This motion provides an extended outrigger for supporting the canoe through the body and preventing the canoe from rolling or tipping to the paddling side. Choking up on the paddle allows more extension and better support. The paddle is extended over the water with the grip hand fingers under the grip, and the shaft hand on top. Although the strongest brace is when the paddle is almost parallel to the water surface, this is not usually necessary until more support is required.

The support is on the paddling side so in a tandem boat you may want to augment this brace with a dropped skeg or low brace on the other side.

How do you protect a fiberglass canoe?

A UV inhibitor such asUV Techor303 Protectantwill help protect Royalex, plastic and gel-coat finishes from fading. Think of 303 as “sunscreen” for your canoe. Apply 303 Protectant2 to 4 times per season. Though not as effective, Armorall also works.

Note:Frontenac Outfitters does NOT recommend waxing your boats hull. Although waxing will do no harm, it actuallydecreases hull speedand it interferes with 303’s UV protection.

GEL-COAT CANOE REPAIRS. Exposed fibreglass or Kevlar cloth could “wick” water into the cloth, which could in time begin to separate the boats cloth & gelcoat layers. A simple fix is to fill the area with 5- minute epoxy, for a more visually appealing repair we use gelcoat.

Are old town canoes durable?

Polyethylene is a very popular construction material. It can build some of the best canoes in terms of toughness and affordability, especially when constructed using a three-layer process. The smoothness of polyethylene allows it to slide easily over rocks, as well. These canoes can be on the heavier side, but they’re also designed to take a beating and last a long time. Old Town Discovery and Penobscot canoes are made of three-layer polyethylene, and their durability has made them a favorite for decades.

Many popular composites contain Kevlar, which can help a canoe to be strong and lightweight. However, finding the balance between “strong” and “light” can be tricky with Kevlar, because it starts adding weight in a hurry. And while Kevlar allows for a lot of flexibility in terms of canoe shape, it can also get expensive quickly.

Fiberglass was one of the earliest composite canoe materials, and it’s still widely used today. Fiberglass is made from woven cloth or chopped fibers infused with resin. Fiberglass can be made by hand, or sprayed into a mold. (Hand-laid models are usually lighter, but more expensive.) Fiberglass isn’t as tough as some other materials, but it’s also fairly low-maintenance, relatively inexpensive, and easy to repair.

How to take care of canoes?

Look after Your Kayak or Canoe, and It Will Look after You. Much the same as with a car, regular maintenance of your canoe or kayak is essential; this includes tightening any loose bolts, checking the integrity of the outfitting, removing any grit or stones from the inside of the boat, and transporting and storing the kayak correctly.

Outfitting Maintenance. Loose or weakened outfitting can lead to poor control over the kayak or canoe, which in itself can increase the likelihood of damage, and in addition can cause the force from any impact to be unevenly distributed and therefore more likely to lead to a breakage.

When checking the tightness of any bolts (particularly after long drives where road vibrations can cause them to loosen), be careful they are not overtightened, as this can break the seal of any rubber O-rings or gaskets and cause leaks, as well as applying excessive force to the shell and outfitting components which may lead to damage.

How stable are old town canoes?

Old Town canoes have wide, flat hulls that feel remarkably steady in flat water, making them dog-friendly, among other things.

Old Town is one of America’s original canoe manufacturers. Their Maine factory has shipped tens of thousands of boats out of its doors. The Old Town Canoe Company’s history began in 1898, just as wood-canvas canoes emerged as a modern alternative to birchbark crafts. They exploded in popularity, in part because they could be mass-produced and required less maintenance.

Wood-canvas dominated the canoe market until other options emerged post-war, beginning with aluminum canoes. In response, Old Town adopted fiberglass and Royalex as durable canoe materials. Today, they’ve shifted to exclusively building polyethylene plastic canoes. If you’re okay with the extra weight it brings, this is a durable material that requires very littlemaintenance.

Alongside their polyethylene canoe production, they also build rotomolded polyethylene kayaks. Long-established and secure in their market niche, beginner-friendly Old Town canoes are found across the continent.

Should I wax my fiberglass canoe?

A coat of wax not only protects your boat from corrosion and helps preserve it for years to come, but it keeps your paint job, boot striping, hull decals, and graphics intact. Plus, waxing regularly slows down the UV damage that can break down paint and fiberglass. So, being diligent about waxing will help you avoid costly repairs associated with a boat that’s not properly protected.

Watch the comprehensive tutorial video for detailed information and suggested tools from our friends at Starling Marine – or read below for our tips and tricks.

1. WASH & DRYBefore waxing, always wash and dry your boat. If you wax before washing, you run the chance of doing damage to your hull.

How do you maintain an old town canoe?

HULL EXTERIOR: Wash with mild soap and water. You can also use Murphy’s Oil Soap. To beautify, we suggest a vinyl protectant product such as Armor All®, 303 Products or Pledge. These are safe for use on any of our Polyethylene, Superlinear, Royalex® and Fiberglass canoes or kayaks.

Can you wax an old town canoe?

To beautify, we suggest a vinyl protectant product such as Armor All®, 303 Products or Pledge. These are safe for use on any of our Polyethylene, Superlinear, Royalex® and Fiberglass canoes or kayaks. We DO NOT recommend waxing your hull with a paste wax, such as most car waxes.

How do you maintain an Old Town Canoe?

HULL EXTERIOR: Wash with mild soap and water. You can also use Murphy’s Oil Soap. To beautify, we suggest a vinyl protectant product such as Armor All®, 303 Products or Pledge. These are safe for use on any of our Polyethylene, Superlinear, Royalex® and Fiberglass canoes or kayaks.

How not to store a canoe?

Practices to avoid: Supporting your canoe from its ends only. Standing it up on one end. Hanging it from its grab handles or thwarts.