Canvas repairs
In the boundary waters, I always carried a scrap of canvas salvaged from an old pack (this is lighter weight than the #10 used to cover the canoe), a couple of bandanas, and a tube of Ambroid. You can make a solid repair by:
- remove any damaged canvas from the hull,
- cut a patch out of the scrap canvas an inch or so larger than the hole in all dimensions,
- stuff the patch under the original canvas and flatten it out against the planking so that it's roughly centered under the hole,
- spread Ambroid between the canvas and the patch all around the hole,
- smooth out the hole if necessary, make sure the rough edges are sealed well with the Ambroid,
- cut a piece of light cotton (bandana, bedsheet, whatever, but not knit material) that will overlap the hole on the outside,
- glue the light patch over the hole on the outside, and squeegie Ambroid over it so it's saturated and well attached to the canvas and the patch.
These patches can last for several years, but they are kind of ugly. You can sand and paint them, of course, but you can't really hide them. On the other hand, you can repair fairly major damage quickly and securely, important if the canoe is your only link to civilization.
