??? for the Old Towne experts

[grizwilson]

17 hours ago, fishinwrench said:

I have no experience with the "Royalex" material,  but the "Polylink" hulls can be brushed CAREFULLY with a propane torch and brought back to Good as New condition.  

Actually that is one of the steps I used in applying the gflex and kevlar to my Royalex canoes, it is supposed to open up the plastic for better adhesion mine have stayed put for several years and well over 1,000 miles on each.

[fishinwrench]

5 hours ago, grizwilson said:

Actually that is one of the steps I used in applying the gflex and kevlar to my Royalex canoes, it is supposed to open up the plastic for better adhesion mine have stayed put for several years and well over 1,000 miles on each.

Yep, all of those scuffs and scratches smooth right out instantly.   Bigger gouges require a slightly more careful approach..... but it works just fine.  

We bought 6 old beat-to-hell Discovery's from an outfitter, for next to nothing, and had 4 of them as good as new in a single afternoon. 👍.     It's been close to 10 years now and they STILL are fine. 

 

I don't canoe much anymore, but when I did I wasn't a fan of the "patches" on the keels.   You can tell the difference immediately in how a canoe tracks if you do anything to blunt those keels. 

[Greasy B]

Dings, dents and scratches, wear em like a badge of honor. 

[Brian Jones]

On 6/12/2025 at 8:42 AM, ness said:

Ditto. Kevlar and epoxy I got from NRS, but don't see it on their website after a Quick Look.

Old Town lists a kit but you may not like the price  

https://oldtownwatercraft.johnsonoutdoors.com/us/shop/accessories-parts/parts-repairs-other/skid-plate-kit

 

Yeah those are the first ones I looked at.....  Heck those kits cost almost as much as I paid for the boat....☹️

[Brian Jones]

Thanks for  all the info, friends.  Sounds like the G-Flex is the way to go.