Arkansas Canoe Club Forums

Hey there everyone. I have an old school Blue Hole that needs a patch job on the nose. I patched it myself once so there would be a pretty good amount of work that would need to go into it. Does anyone here do or know of someone that does good patch work? I asked the guy at Pack Rat and he suggested that I sell it "as is". But anyone here that understands how rare the Blue Holes are will unerstand why that's not an option. Thanks in advance!
-BlueHoleArkie

Surely somebody will jump in on this question soon. How big is the "hole" or damaged area? What did you patch it with last time? Most commonly used stuff is fiberglass fabric and West marine epoxy. We've used kevlar as the first layer then topped with fiberglass so that it can be sanded.
Do not take advice from someone who tells you to sell a Bule Hole.

Might be able to patch it with S Glass and G Flex Epoxy. I'd call Sweet Composites, describe the issue, and ask them to send whatever is needed. I'll bet they can fix you up. Good luck.

I had good results from a kit from piragis.com

Royalex Repair Kit only problem is cost is 60.00

It is a kit and has a supply of cloth and liquids.

If memory correct it is a west system kit and might be available cheaper else where.

You might google West System and see what they have to offer

C-boats is a good place to go when discussing canoes. Here's a link to a search for repairs such as your's.

https://cboats.net/cforum/search.php?ke ... mit=Search" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Worked with a variety of materials from dryer sheets to Kevlar cloth. Not to mention a variety of adhesives. Basic rules are:

1. Remove old patch in its entirety.
2. Cut out any delaminated exterior and cut back to where the laminate is not separated.
3. Fill the void with something like JBWeld or Shoe-Goo.
4. Cover the area with fabric of choice and use appropriate adhesive.
5. Cover the saturated area with plastic wrap and use a brayer to roll out air bubbles to edge.

Working the areas around the bow or stern create a bit of a problem due to the curve. And have plenty of latex/rubber gloves!!!

If you don't want to do the work yourself, you might take it to Kerry Moore after his season slows down.

If you do want to do the work, follow Roger's advice and go to cboats.net

I also very much agree with Roger's points about grinding away, or otherwise getting rid of the old repair material, and certainly having the latex gloves when using the new epoxy

Best Regards
Jim

Tim Eubanks wrote:Surely somebody will jump in on this question soon. How big is the "hole" or damaged area? What did you patch it with last time? Most commonly used stuff is fiberglass fabric and West marine epoxy. We've used kevlar as the first layer then topped with fiberglass so that it can be sanded.
Do not take advice from someone who tells you to sell a Bule Hole.

Thanks for that Tim. I was shocked that he suggested it and am glad that it's not just me being snobby. To tell you the truth I almost spit my coffee all over the place when I first looked at his reply...

I think I need a pro to do it this time. I'm not sure how big the hole is any more because it'll been so long since I patched it in the first place. the inner layer has a hole less than the size of a dollar bill. I'm willing to sink some money into this because of what it is and how much it means to me. I just need it done right. From what I understand the best place to have it done is probably an outfitter in which case I'll have to wait until the end of the season So for now I'll paddle and bail.

Thanks guys!

Duct tape until then. It even comes in fancy colors now!

BlueHoleArkie wrote: So for now I'll paddle and bail.

Are you saying that water is coming through the patch into the boat?