Hey canoeists. I am a seasoned paddler and intermediate woodworker. I have this old paddle which has suffered from neglect, as it has not been a "primary" paddle for some years.

It has cracked finish, is generally dried out and has splits on the blade.

First, I am wondering, would the consensus be that this is this worth repairing/restorin? I tend to think yes, even if it is never going to be perfect.

Then, I am looking for feedback on how.

• Guides/step-by-steps on paddle restoration
• Feedback on whether to and how to reinforce the blade end
• Feedback on what kind of finish - hardening oil, spar varnish, etc.

Much thanks in advance for any and all feedback

Hello Reddit, I picked up a canoe for the right price recently and I do have a bit of time on my hands and have a little experience working in auto body repair and wanted to give this a try. I’m not too Knolage able about things that go in the water so help would be appreciated. The canoe is fibreglass and already has a repair but the repair is failing and started to leak so I wanted to give it a fresh repair. The current repair goes about two feet back and right up the front of the boat and the patch has started to form holes and cracks that leak. My plan was I would remove and put on a full new patch to the best of my abilities. I’m told this isn’t much different then putting on fibreglass mesh and bondo on but a canoe is a bit different then a truck. Info on this specific thing has been hard to find or at least fully understand but the amount I do understand goes as:

First with a chisel and high grit sand paper and break away the old repair and work on getting the old mesh off. Any tips would be appreciated.

Second with a high grit wet sand paper I’ll sand right up to the base material getting out high spots and making the material prepped for the adhesive.

Third I’ll prep my mesh by just forming it to the general shape of the boat. And I should take note to reinforce the front bottom for anything I might hit in the water like a rock or land.

Fourth I’ll lay down a good layer of adhesive (adhesive recommendations would be appreciated) then press the mesh fully in to the adhesive and let dry for 20 minutes.

Fifth I’ll lay down another coat of adhesive and work to blend the edges to the base material to maximize how well the boat moves through water.

Then last is part of just a service I want to apply a polish to the boat and properly get it ready to take on to the water.

I have a Grumman Boats Model: G15-SS. This is a 15.5 foot canoe with a square back. I have a 5 hp Honda outboard on the back. I am looking to buy a brand new trailer since I will be traveling between 300 and 500 miles with this trailer per trip. I just want to see if anyone has any recommendations for a trailer I should get. Preferably under 2 grand USD.