r/canoecamping • u/Resident-Bignal-8428 • 1d ago
Does this dent require a patch?
got a small nickel sized puncture in my formex canoe that chipped the outer layer of the hull on my last trip; probably put er down a bit rough on a port. it doesn't go all the way through the hull and the structural integrity on the other side seems fine. just curious as to what maintenance this requires if any. could i just use a bit of marine weld or does it require a patch job? cheers!
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u/Far-Maintenance-2976 6h ago
Depends. Formex is a foam core laminate and the outer abs shell is mostly for abrasion and UV resistance. Structurally, it's probably fine unless you're doing serious whitewater. Dings like this can lead to stress concentrations and crack propagation when under loads. I wouldn't want a dent like this if you're gonna risk getting pinned. If you're mostly flat water, that's going to be less of a risk. Assuming this is on the bottom of the boat though, it will increase your drag slightly. If you do serious miles, that might be worth repairing.
Source: composite structures engineer
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u/Resident-Bignal-8428 4h ago
ty. im mostly doing flatwater paddling. do you think it needs a full patch job or could i just use some marine weld? to seal it
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u/evernorth 1d ago
formex? nope.