Shoeless Chestnut

[nevrdun]

My recently restored Chestnut canoe is getting abuse that it doesn’t deserve.
I can’t pick it up out of the water any more.
The best I can do is lift by the stem and drag it onto the dock, roll it over and tie down in place.
Before the restoration this Chestnut had a shoe keel and fortunately that was talked out of me by several BB members and glad I was, it’s a joy to paddle shoeless.
The canoe is taking a beating on the bottom so it needs a sacrificial layer of some sort. Can anyone suggest from experience, glue a purpose shaped extra canvas, or just many layers of paint? Failing all else it may be back to a screw fastened keel.

Nevrdun

 

[Todd Bradshaw]

I think I'd maybe try a glueing on strip of the heavy fabric used for wear patches on river rafts. Like this stuff: http://nrsweb.com/shop/product.asp?pfid=1975&deptid=1034

It will wear better than canvas and doesn't absorb water.

But..............................

Before glueing anything to the canoe, I'd build some sort of roller on the edge of the dock where I could pull the boat up without chewing up the bottom.

 

[nevrdun]

Dry-docker

I think gluing a fabric ‘shoe’ over the existing enamel will work here.
I still have a quart of red to paint over a canvas strip a foot wide and however long. I’ll use the least aggressive glue and if ever it delaminates without taking paint and original canvas with it, I’ll do it again.
Someone suggested shellac as a sacrificial layer that would be easily renewed. I should try this first.
The one roller on the dock is reserved for the sailing dory on this lee shore/traffic channel and has to be dry-docked.
Every other shore that’s worth visiting is rocky, no sandy beach in these islands. But there is Morels, Service berries and Wild rice, so I got to keep dragging that canoe ashore.

Nevrdun