Recently bought a Northstar Northwind 17 canoe from an outfitter. It is in very good shape but once I took off the outfitters decals, I noticed that the canoe needs a buffing if possible. Has anyone tried using a buffing compound to get rid of oxidization, etc. or is it too risky to do that to Kevlar? My plan is to get a very high grit compound and test a small section to see if I can bring back some shine without compromising the integrity of the fabric. Any advice would be much appreciated.

In the photo, the outfitter sticker was on the right side (there are still a couple of razor scratch marks from me as well as some sticker goo) and on the left side it is the condition of most of the canoe. The recommendation from Bear at Northstar is to only refinish the bottom “football” of the canoe if needed. Leaving the sides alone helps reduce unwanted weight (in an unnecessary area) but I would still like to buff it up as I am the proud new owner.

Did you try 303 spray protectant? If the damage is only fade related perhaps the product will bring back that soft shine.
Mac

I think 3M Marine Cleaner and Wax (09009) is exactly what you are looking for.
It contains some mild rubbing compound. I've used it and it will do what you want (spiff up your boat). Congrats on your new boat!

justpaddlin: "I think 3M Marine Cleaner and Wax (09009) is exactly what you are looking for.
It contains some mild rubbing compound. I've used it and it will do what you want (spiff up your boat). Congrats on your new boat!"

Thanks! I’ve found the 3M 09009 at Napa in St Paul. I’ll head there in the morning and let ‘er rip on the ol’ buffer! Fingers crossed! In the meantime I refinished the yoke with an ebony stain. Just one coat to make the ash look kind of dirty and worn but I’ll give it a high-gloss shine with four coats of poly.

justpaddlin: "I think 3M Marine Cleaner and Wax (09009) is exactly what you are looking for.
It contains some mild rubbing compound. I've used it and it will do what you want (spiff up your boat). Congrats on your new boat!"

Justpaddlin, you’re a genius! The 3M 09009 did just the trick! Here are the before and after photos. Plus, just before I put on the “Northstar Canoes” decals, I realized that I could rearrange the letters into an anagram!

Many thanks for my shiny new ride!

Your boat looks great! I think it's the nicest Northeast Acorns boat I've ever seen.

The answer to the question of whether you can compound/polish a skincoated kevlar canoe is yes. The fabric has nothing to do with it because you're never touching the fabric--you're touching the resin. It can be treated like a thin gel coat. So long as you know what you're doing and don't go so aggressive as to burn through to the fabric, you're just fine.

I'm a professional detailer of autos and boats.

No, 303 is not a solution for this scenario nor is it an appropriate product for more than half of the stuff I see it suggested for. 303 Aerospace Protectant is a vinyl/plastic/rubber dressing. It will not remove oxidation or correct light scratches and other marring. Furthermore, it really isn't as good as people want to believe at protecting the hulls of canoes. As soon as that canoe is put into the water or rained on, it washes right off. If you really want to protect the hull of your canoe, a modern polymer paint sealant is my baseline recommendation. Wax if you want to save a couple pennies at the cost of lowered durability and lifespan. I personally apply ceramic coatings to my canoes, but that is much more pricey and involved and is more convenient for me because it is something I do and have all the equipment and products for.

mschi772: "The answer to the question of whether you can compound/polish a skincoated kevlar canoe is yes. The fabric has nothing to do with it because you're never touching the fabric--you're touching the resin. It can be treated like a thin gel coat. So long as you know what you're doing and don't go so aggressive as to burn through to the fabric, you're just fine.


I'm a professional detailer of autos and boats.


No, 303 is not a solution for this scenario nor is it an appropriate product for more than half of the stuff I see it suggested for. 303 Aerospace Protectant is a vinyl/plastic/rubber dressing. It will not remove oxidation or correct light scratches and other marring. Furthermore, it really isn't as good as people want to believe at protecting the hulls of canoes. As soon as that canoe is put into the water or rained on, it washes right off. If you really want to protect the hull of your canoe, a modern polymer paint sealant is my baseline recommendation. Wax if you want to save a couple pennies at the cost of lowered durability and lifespan. I personally apply ceramic coatings to my canoes, but that is much more pricey and involved and is more convenient for me because it is something I do and have all the equipment and products for."

Wow! All great info! Where is your business that you do this refinishing?

Outstanding info mschi772. Thanks for the education on 303. I really appreciated the detail and I plan to investigate ceramic coatings for future projects.

scottiebaldwin: "

mschi772: "The answer to the question of whether you can compound/polish a skincoated kevlar canoe is yes. The fabric has nothing to do with it because you're never touching the fabric--you're touching the resin. It can be treated like a thin gel coat. So long as you know what you're doing and don't go so aggressive as to burn through to the fabric, you're just fine.



I'm a professional detailer of autos and boats.



No, 303 is not a solution for this scenario nor is it an appropriate product for more than half of the stuff I see it suggested for. 303 Aerospace Protectant is a vinyl/plastic/rubber dressing. It will not remove oxidation or correct light scratches and other marring. Furthermore, it really isn't as good as people want to believe at protecting the hulls of canoes. As soon as that canoe is put into the water or rained on, it washes right off. If you really want to protect the hull of your canoe, a modern polymer paint sealant is my baseline recommendation. Wax if you want to save a couple pennies at the cost of lowered durability and lifespan. I personally apply ceramic coatings to my canoes, but that is much more pricey and involved and is more convenient for me because it is something I do and have all the equipment and products for."

Wow! All great info! Where is your business that you do this refinishing?"

I'm mobile detailer with home office in Racine, WI (My business's name is Show on the Road). I have regular customers from Oshkosh to Lake County, IL and Whitewater to Lake Michigan. I've provided services as far away as Apple Valley, MN and Marquette, MI, but those are personal friends :) . I am willing to make arrangements with flexible customers to provide service in such distant locations if it coincides with a time I would be in those areas with time to spare, however.

I used to work in ecological restoration, but saving the planet is a thankless, stressful, low-paying job that I just couldn't take anymore after almost 10 years.

After I threw some leftover coating onto my Haida a couple years ago...


Next spring I'll be recoating it and my new-to-me Nova Craft Fox with Gyeon GelCoat or Carpro Nautik.

MacCamper: "Outstanding info mschi772. Thanks for the education on 303. I really appreciated the detail and I plan to investigate ceramic coatings for future projects. "

303 does provide UV protection, but people dramatically overestimate its durability and often think it will solve or prevent other issues that it has no ability to deal with. The only way I would ever even think to use it would to be wipe a canoe down before being stored where the sun hits it but where rain doesn't. But with a coating on my boats (and because I don't store them outside), I wouldn't ever even need to do that because a ceramic coating provides lasting UV protection as well as hydrophobicity and chemical resistance. Ceramic coatings are pricey and could be considered overkill, so I don't dare to pretend like they are *the* way to care for a boat. What I strongly recommend for everyone instead of 303 and instead of wax is a polymer sealant such as Jescar Powerlock or Sonax Polymer Net Shield or Menzerna Marine Premium Protection. Polymer sealants are superior to waxes without being much more expensive (if at all) and much cheaper and easier to use than quality ceramic coatings (beware: lots of snake oil garbage still bandwagoneering in the ceramic coating world).

If you want to play with a ceramic coating on a canoe but don't want to get too crazy with a really pricey product right away, the product I would probably steer you toward for canoes would be Carpro Dlux. A 30 ml bottle should be able to coat at least one whole tandem canoe.