Te,

Re-molding the basic hull shape of a Royalite canoe seems to me an
iffy proposition at best. I don't know anyone who has this as
dramaticaly as you propose, but I can think of quite a few things that
could go wrong.

A friend with a Mohawk Nova 16 on R-84 was unsatisfied with the
oilcanning of that hull (which was very noticable). His solution was
to steam bend some halfround hardwood molding and make a couple of
ribs which run from gunwale to gunwale, glassing them in place with
epoxy resin and fiberglass tape.

It helped quite a bit with the oil canning, didn't add much weight and
doesn't look too bad. My concern with his approach was the longevity
of the fix, thinking that the rib/glass would seperate from the hull
on an impact or when sliding the loaded boat over a barely submerged
log.

So far, so good - although the canoe sees mostly easy water and gentle
use.

Mike

"Te Canaille" wrote in message
Hey Riverman, sure seems like you've had some experience with this. I have a related question. My Royalite Canoe which is a 13'
footer has begun oil canning. It's got a flat bottom, hard chines, and a bit of tumblehome. I figured the oil canning could be
stopped if I can make a shallow arch or V-bottom configuration in cross-section. So here's what I thought to do, first mount a
section of plywood lengthwise on a strongback, then invert and center the canoe over the plywood so that it is resting on the
interior deck along the length of the hull. Then put several straps over the canoe and stake to the ground with enough force to
cause a curvature in cross-section. Then apply some heat ( don't think a hair dyer would do ) to make the hull assume the desire
curvature. I'm a bit woried about how symmetrical the result will be but if I monitor the shape and adjust straps as I go it should
not get too warped. I'd like to hear some thoughts about this.
Actually, I figure to curve the plywood just a bit for a slight amount of rocker.

Te Canaille