# Whats the best way to fix up this flatback canoe?



## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

Welcome to the forum.

Well first, you need use the expanding ray to make it bigger!   




























Second, you start watching how-to videos on line. Jamestowndistributors.com has a bunch.
Plenty of them showing how to use fiberglass, types of repairs, and refinishing.
Not hard, just time consuming. Remember rule # 1, "If you're getting dirty, you're doing it wrong!"


After watching a few vids, get back to us and choose the first part of the job you want to get done.
We'll be happy to talk about it and walk you through the process.


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## cutrunner (Jun 8, 2010)

> Welcome to the forum.
> 
> Well first, you need use the expanding ray to make it bigger!
> 
> ...


Remember rule # 1, "If you're getting dirty, you're doing it wrong

Haha i always get razzed at work for that


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## theButcher (Mar 21, 2012)

Sorry I know I should have explained myself better. This isnt the Gheenoe I wanted but I can make it work. I have had some experience with fiberglass on my older flats skiff so not totally in the dark. My main question is would it be possible for me to slightly widen it at the rear and build a wider transom? and would it help stabilty or just mess it up all together? :-/


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

Different question deserves a different answer... 

There is a previous project posted here that seems to be what you're looking to do,
post includes build pictures so read your way through it...

http://www.microskiff.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1199391255

http://www.microskiff.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1200436703


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## theButcher (Mar 21, 2012)

ok so after some fighting it is all sanded down and almost ready for some glass. new question is under the front seat was some beat up foam.....when i re-due the seat or deck should i use more foam and if so what kind?


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## theButcher (Mar 21, 2012)

New thought....After sanding the bottom down I found a crack then runs almost the whole length of the canoe. Is it possible to just split that sucker to widen it and add in a new floor stitch&glue style? Am I reaching to far? :-?


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

You are limited only by your imagination and your wallet.   

Now you're talking major expenses, you could buy a Utility Vee 14 Aluminum for $1500, brand new.


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## noeettica (Sep 23, 2007)

or a genuine Gheenoe ...Watch the ads ...


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## WhiteDog70810 (May 6, 2008)

This has been sitting a while, but I figured I'd jump in.

You shouldn't widen the bottom by adding to the center. If you do, you will cause the floor or sides (whichever is weaker) to buckle at the forward extent of the crack. If you look though the links that Brett attached, you'll see how to do it without causing either the floor or sides to deform (... much). Basically, you have to cut along the intersection of the sides and the bottom (the chine) so that neither can cause the other to buckle once you widen the transom. It isn't hard nor is it terribly more expensive than just rebuilding a transom, but it will add a lot of time to the build. 

As with ANY ground-up restoration, it is always cheaper (even if the hull is free and the supplies are cheap, your time is valuable) and faster to buy a used hull that is already fishable, but if you make concessions to common sense like that, you'll have no stories for your grand kids. If you like to putz around in your garage on the weekends, definitely go for it.

My biggest concern would be the overall amount of damage you will have to repair. Sitting out by the garage or under a tree in the back yard is much harder on a fiberglass hull than any amount of actually use on the water. That hull looks like Humpty Dumpty from the pictures you posted. If you are going to rebuild it, you need a reasonably solid basis to work up from. You can certainly fix it, but before you start you have to decide what is "too much". If you have to fix a crushed bow, fractured sides and a cracked keel and cut out and fix a bunch of delaminations in the process, you could build from scratch with less headaches. Once again, if fixing it anyway still sounds like fun, jump on in and have fun.

Nate


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## theButcher (Mar 21, 2012)

Thanks for the input Nate. Hopefully the wifey will allow me to get the hull I want one day, but until then I have some spare time and wood etc to burn so why not play around. Hopefully I will be able to post a few pics soon, but it has been too messy thus far. I split it from just before the bow all the way to the transom making a nice triangle. Then put in 1/4 in plywood stitch n glue style and glassed the inside seams. Also glassed entire outside after a few hours of sanding. Tomorrow Im going to finish up on my stringers which will hopefully hold this thing together. Worst case is Im out a few bucks on zip ties and 5200, and a lesson well learned.


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## jladdsmith (May 14, 2010)

Personally, Donny I would have let this one go, but I'm glad you are tackling it. I've thought about cutting a boat up like you intend to do, so I'm looking forward to your progress. Keep us updated, please!


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