- 1). Inspect the canoe for any damage. Look for holes, cracks and scratches and make a big circle around them using a wax pencil so that you will not miss them later.
- 2). Measure how large the holes and the cracks are using the measuring tape. Sand the edges using a sander or sandpaper to make them smoother.
- 3). Cut off pieces of fiberglass patching cloth that are big enough to cover the cracks. Cut the patches so that they are 2 inches larger than the cracks. Use a patching cloth to cover the holes. Stack several layers, one on top of another, to cover the holes. After covering the cracks and the holes with these patches, wrap them with a a layer of plastic wrap and place a piece of cardboard on top of the plastic layer for a more solid base. For scratches, sand the surface with a sandpaper until it is smooth.
- 4). Take the epoxy from the patching kit and mix it well. Use the epoxy mixture to patch the holes and the cracks again. Patch them in layers, both the inside and the outside portion, to make sure that the holes and the cracks are properly covered. Let the patches dry for a night.
- 5). Remove the plastic wrap and the cardboard and use the sander to sand the surfaces of the patched holes and cracks. Continue sanding until the surfaces are smooth.
- 6). Prepare the canoe for painting. Remove any stickers that are attached to the canoe. Cover any parts that you do not want to be painted with masking tape and newspaper. Sand the entire surface to make it smooth using a fine-grit sandpaper and then rinse it to remove the dust. Let it dry.
- 7). Apply the first layer of fiberglass primer onto the canoe using a paintbrush or a roller. Let it dry for at least nine hours. Apply another layer of marine paint onto the canoe and let it dry again for nine hours. Add another layer of marine paint and let it dry. Remove the masking tape from the other parts of the canoe.
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