18 foot 1968 Old Town guide. Should I recanvas?

[jeporter25]

My father bought this canoe new in 1968. He did a full restore in the late 80s or early 90s. At some point he used silicone to repair some hairline cracks in the finish of the hull. There are no tears in the canvas and the wood seems to be clear of rot. I would like to put it back in the water. I am wondering if I can remove the outwales and keel, remove the silicone, sand and fill the minor cracks in the finish and re prime and paint or if I will need to replace the canvas. If I can go that route, what should I use as a filler and paint and primer. I live in california so I have limited access to high VOC paints and fillers but if I need to I can bootleg them from Reno. Any advise is helpful and appreciated.

 

[MGC]

Silicone is a one-way street. The preferred Ambroid is no longer available, but that is what is generally used. As a rule, do not use anything with silicon in it on your hull.
Once it is on the canvas, there is no turning back. Your best bet is to try the boat in water and see what happens. If it leaks, your options are more silicon or a re-canvas. Paint will not hold where there has been silicon applied.