Is it a good idea to fill a canoe with water to flush out any salt build-up. I recently discovered that my canoe had taken on some water,when I had turned it upside down and water came out the puka in the back. Someone suggested that if the boat does leak, wouldn't the salt in the water accumulate within the canoe, eventially making it heavier. So I thought, do people flush their boats out like radiators? Would it harm the interior?
Submitted by ikipoo on Wed, 09/20/2006 - 8:34am
Don't do it.
I guess alittle water wouldn't hurt if you swished it around inside there but I have seen people put tooooooo much water and snap their boats at the seam or perfectly in two. I have witnessed this. I think the hulls are designed to take the pressure from the outside but NOT the inside. Call Karel...I am sure he has a good opinion on this topic. Are you really concerned about salt build up with respect to weight? Hummmm.
Mikala
#1 Wed, 09/20/2006 - 8:44am
When I had my canoe repaired byJohn Martin, one of Martin's employees advised me that the salt water has a tendancy to cause delamination if allowed to accumulate in the canoe. Accordingly, he advised me to wash out the canoe periodically. Having said that, I would avoid the mistake of filling the canoe to the "brim" before emptying it out. You will snap the canoe like Mikalakayaker stated. It's also a good idea to remove as much moisture from the hull after the insides are rinsed. I haven't figured out a way to do that effectively. I thought about putting in line connected to a fish pump aerator but I think that would take forever.
#2 Wed, 09/20/2006 - 11:54am