osmosis repair for canoe

[DBSV8]

Have a couple of racing snipe canoes ..........one has been sat in the garden for a few years , and is suffering from osmosis ,

can this be repaired by drying out the canoe sanding down and re- applying a new gel coat layer ?

or is there a simpler method

[King Herald]

DBSV8 said:

Have a couple of racing snipe canoes ..........one has been sat in the garden for a few years , and is suffering from osmosis ,

can this be repaired by drying out the canoe sanding down and re- applying a new gel coat layer ?

or is there a simpler method

From my few years working in a sailing boat yard, you generally only get osmosis in the cheaper types of 'glass, and then it is from soaking in water continually for years. The way we used to get rid of it was to shave off the top layers of glass, dry it thoroughly, for months, and this was in hot hot hot Singapore, then apply new quality fibreglass and gel coat.

With a canoe, in the UK, I reckon you'll have a job drying it unless you put it in a warm room for a long time. Then you could do as you say; sand, new gel coat etc.

[SeeFive]

A scary subject which when I had a grp, permanently-in-the-briny sportscruiser, used to make me cringe. I am no expert, but had a good sniff around when I was buying as some of the 2 year old hulls came up wet on survey. I waited for a dry one...

The degree of "infection" will affect how you want to treat it. This is an interesting site and approach which might help you identify how deep the problem is in the gel, or matting.

http://www.mike-menzies-marine.co.nz/new_page_3.ht...

It would appear that you will need to go through the bottom of the blister and build up form there. If you do not have too many blisters, then a local repair to each blister is possible. Larger boats can not only get osmosis from being left in the water, but can also be affected by water in the bilges. If your canoe has filed up with water in your garden and the osmosis has started form the inside, it seems that it is going to be pretty much a strip right back, dry out (maybe infa red heat to accellerate) and re-laminate.

Good luck with it. Rather you than me though.... wear a bloody good mask for chrissake.