When I was 16, I went on a canoe trip on the Ocklocknee River here in
N. FL. I was used to an indestructible aluminum canoe and the canoe
my friend had was CANVAS. Miles from anywhere, we hit a snag and
ripped a long tear in her. Pulled off onto a sandbar and thought.
Eventually found we had a whole bag of "Double Bubble" chewing gum so
we sat and chewed and put it over the tear. Then used a cig lighter
to melt it better into the tear. It worked. That night, we camped on
a bar and it started to really rain, it rained so much they opened the
dam upstream. I looked out of the tent about 2:00 am and saw water
rising toward us. Canoed the rest of the way to Ocklocknee River
State Park by lightning flashes.
Another canoe trip on the Aucilla River where we had rented a canoe
from FSU. This canoe had broken ribs and sorta wiggled down the
river. We hit a log and she folded up right around it. looked around
till we found a solid piece of lighter log to pry her off the log.
Tied thick sticks from one thwart to the other to hold her together
and used pine pitch melted into the crack to mend her. Had to bail a
lot but we got home.
So, with these memories I'll contribute a case of "Double Bubble" to
Flying Pig for her trip home.

Reminds me of another canoe story. My parents were canoeing in the
family Aluminum Grumman canoe on the Alaphaha River at flood stage. A
tree on the undercut bank actually fell onto the canoe sinking it and
nearly drowning them. Some guy with a 4wd actually pulled the
flattened canoe out of the river, took it back to Live Oak, Fl
straightened her out, TIG welded the cracks and I still have her 25
years later. This old Grumman is now 45 yrs old.