Where is the water coming from?

Sdrew22

Curious about Wooden Canoes
Hey, I purchased and OT Sponson model yesterday am it is taking on a lot of water and I have no clue where the water is coming from.

The canoe has been properly stored in a barn for the past twenty years. It is in great shape. There are no soft spots. No cracked ribs/planks. The sponsons are not separating in any way. There is zero indication the hull is compromised. Outside of the normal cracked paint, there is not much work that needs to be done.

After about ten minutes on the water she starts taking on water. It's not coming from the stern or bow. It's coming in from the center. Pretty much where I am kneeling. I have not seen this before. I have other W/C canoes that are in worse shape than this,but they remain bone dry. Any ideas?

Thanks for your help.
 

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My guess is that the bedding compound under the keel has dried out and needs to be replaced. The water is probably coming in around the keel screws. This often means that it may be time to replace the canvas as well. A easy way to test this theory is to put the canoe upright on saw horses when it is dry, pour a few buckets of water inside, and then check the bottom to see where it leaks out. Good luck,

Benson
 
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In addition to the keel as Benson mentioned, once the paint and likely filler is cracked like that it is not long before a new canvas is required. You can sand it down and give it a couple of coats of new paint and it might buy you a couple more years of use, but it is likely time.

Fitz
 
Thanks for the starting point! I was planning on painting it anyway so I'll give it shot.

My first thought was the keel as well, but there are no gaps or separation anywhere along the keel.
 
I had a similar issue once. Turned out it was leaking through the screws on the stem band but as a canoe ages there is a slight separation between canvas and the hull which allowed the water to travel. It may be that your seeing the water at the lowest point in the canoe where your weight is but actually leaking elsewhere? Benson's idea of pouring water on it to see where it leaks is a good one. I removed the stem bands and then the dried out caulking underneath and applied new caulking making sure to put a dab on the ends of the screws as I re-attached the stem bands.
Good luck, Gary
 
OK. I filled her up with water and it appears to be weeping through the canvas and paint. Will a fresh paint job buy me a few more seasons? Is there a filler I can apply before priming?

Thanks for all the responses.
 
The other issue that I have run into when trying to save old canvas is that sometimes the original filler is chalky and no amount of washing will adequately treat it. You paint it and after a short time the paint peels off in sheets - another indication that new canvas is warranted. There are a number of high build primers you could try after a thorough sanding. I typically use two coats of a high build primer, sanding as directed, and then as many coats of paint as necessary to cover. Your mileage may vary, but you may want to start researching a canvas job.

There are likely a number of similar posts on the forum that you can find with the search function. There could be other techniques and products that work well. There is a chance others have had better luck trying to save the old canvas.
 
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