Canoe Hull Repair. Fixing a Hole in my Cedar Strip Canoe. Fibreglass/Fiberglass and Epoxy.

In this video, I am in the garage to finally fix my poor cedar strip canoe. Whilst on a canoe trip in Scotland, I cracked the hull during a white water descent - I was able to do a temporary repair on the waters edge, enough to get me to the end, but in this video, I will be completing a full permanent repair.
After cutting out the cracked and splintered strips of cedar, I reshape the existing wood to accept new strips which are glued in place. I also do some repairs to three other cracks that were sustained in the same impact.
Once cured and sanded, the time consuming process of re-fibreglassing and varnishing the hull takes place to restore the boat to (almost) its former glory.
She lives to explore another day.
I hope you enjoy the video.
Thanks for watching.
West System Epoxy Products
www.westsystem.com
More information on fibreglassing and use of epoxy can be found on Jason Eke’s Trailguide Pictures KZbin channel - my inspiration to build my boat in the first case!
/ cedarstripboats
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Simon, a bloke in the woods
PO Box 384
Diss
Norfolk
IP22 9DB
UK
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Music:
In the sweet by and by By Zachariah Hickman
Who can say By The 126ers

[@Phoeff99]

So satisfying to watch someone carefully nurture and cherish their creation back to fighting form. You are doubtless similar in your parenting. You know as my dog gets older people comment about how grey she is becoming and I remind myself every that every grey hair was a squirrel chased, a river jumped in, a treat (begged for) given and a nap in the sun taken. These are not war wounds; they are evidence of a life well lived. Keep it up Simon.

[@mikeks8181]

EVERY grey hair is a story to be told! Every scratch and dent is another story! Age and Experience!

[@yellowboat2055]

What a wonderful comment!

[@simonablokeinthewoods]

I love that! Thank you!!

[@chemawatersa377]

Beatifully said words soul, just when my dog just started with some serious age problems, that´s the way to think about it... those words touched my heart tonight... I remember with love every single moment lived together, and the time we still have to share with each other. Now different kind of "adventures", but it will be beautiful till the end... i´m thankfull for everything. One love

[@kartherton]

Wow. I will remember this comment for the rest of my life. Thank you.

[@damogranheart5521]

Oh, my! She's lovely! It's been many years since I've been in a canoe. I miss sneaking up on the loons and watching them dance!

[@eriktaylor5704]

A bloke in the garage. Quite a talent

[@CJJPstepintotheblue]

Man's an absolute treasure in my humble opinion.

[@flyinghaddock3005]

A beautiful boat you've built there Simon. Those war wounds just add to the character of it. Every patch, repair and scrape are reminders of great adventures. Thanks for another great video :)

[@andrewfrank5602]

Well said and all the best.

[@kearneyfamilylondon68]

Loved the “a bloke in the garage” caption. Keep well. Best. PEK.

[@mrdhughes4635]

This will be like watching a heart surgeon at work. Simon: no one did wood more good. I lost count the number of times I caught myself saying watch that boat during the scotland vids. We love it as much as mags. THanks for sharing..

[@simonablokeinthewoods]

Hahaha - thank you sir!

[@darrellpidgeon6440]

Almost like it never happened. So fun to watch the sanding and shaping of wood.

[@mikeks8181]

Looks Perfect to Me! Everyone Criticizes their own Projects To the Above Standards! Love Old School Workmanship! It's been Lost over the Many Years. Thank You for Another Informative Video

[@AncientHermit]

Crazy, brave and serious wood skills there Simon. In fact, it's Grain Surgery. Be well.

[@simonablokeinthewoods]

Hahaha - grain surgery - I love that!

[@melanisticmandalorian8909]

This is so cool to see how to repair a cedar strip canoe.

[@thomasnewbery7449]

Like a kitchen table.... it'll tell many tales.... It's a work of art and love. No one can deny that. Cheers!

[@josephinegibbs3902]

Ah, this is nostalgic for me. My dad had materials for a cedar strip canoe he was going to build "someday." We moved the jigs from one side of the garage to the other everytime we cleaned in there all during my childhood. I did get to help him do fiberglass work on someone else's boat, though. And I served as the human clamp or the catcher for things coming off the table saw many times over the years. I especially enjoyed the part where you used your grandfather's chisel to create the groove on the edge of the strip!

[@simonablokeinthewoods]

Thanks Josephine - happy memories I’m sure!

[@fidele1066]

Same story for me! We've had a 19-foot cedar freighter in our garage since... 2007🤐! In fact, we even bought an aluminum boat while waiting to finish the cedar boat. I'll make sure my husband sees this video, if it will motivate him!😄

[@paulsharp7548]

Can’t believe there’s one dislike. What’s not to like watching a craftsman at work? Fascinating viewing. 👏👏

[@jfmaddocks]

There’s always haters.

[@josephinegibbs3902]

When it is just one or two dislikes on something this great I always figure somebody just got sloppy and accidentally clicked the wrong spot.

[@troyjenkins3886]

Some people just have a thumbs down point of view in Life and that's sad.

[@Myndale]

​@@troyjenkins3886 and of course human nature being what it is, it takes at least several thousand thumbs-ups to equalize the weight of a single thumbs-down, at least according to some content creators that I've heard talk about it.

[@troyjenkins3886]

@@Myndale Yeah I call it compliment syndrone.A person can get 100 things said about them,99 good and one bad.The negative is what will be remembered the most.I would say most of these You Tube creators put a lot of time and work into their videos and why I dont thumbs down a video even if it's not that good to me.

[@perebird]

Another superlative masterclass Simon, demonstrating the standards the rest of us mortals only dream about. It will be good to see you wet the paddles again 🍻

[@simonablokeinthewoods]

Thanks Stu! 😁

[@nigellack2576]

So, education can actually be enjoyable! Thanks to you Simon. Absolutely fascinating, as Mr Spock frequently observed!

[@garethbarker9498]

I’m currently getting over pneumonia laying in bed watching this has been great.. thank you Simon!

[@terry7907]

Remarkable work. Then I remember you are a carpenter by profession. Then I say…remarkable work.

[@DominiquePelletier]

I am definitely bookmarking your video in case one of my cedar strippers get damaged (praying they don’t)!

[@neilbroome4941]

Simon, nice woodwork, 40 years of varnishing boats has taught us to vacuum the dust up not blow it, keeps your shed and lungs cleaner and reduces dust in the final varnish coat. We love your vlogs. When out walking we are now brewing on a stove instead of carring a flask! Your fault 😊. Best Wishes Neil and Anne.

[@rmellersh]

Awesome. I'm not gonna tell the whole story but my father & the family launched our 27' long catamaran at Tedington on the Thames on the day man land on the moon for the first time (August 1969) after 5 & 1/2 years of hard work. It too was clad in fibre glass (up to the water line), it was painted over with a UV resist and then antifouling, it never needed any repairs - only the removal of the sea life the clung to it - your work here is exemplary and has brought back all the memories of those days. Awesome job, thanks for the memories & a reminder of the skills involved.

[@davidbarnfield9849]

I watched and enjoyed your Scotland canoe trip heard the Crunch as you went over the rock. Was a pleasure to watch you restore your lovely canoe back to pristine condition. War wounds acceptible. You are truly a gifted all rounder, wish I had fraction of your DIY skills. Thailand.

[@davidrobins4025]

The technical part of your repair was excellent. Your leftover bundle of to the original cedar strips was a great idea. There is no such thing as a scrap piece of cedar strip! Near the end of your video I was thinking, "Is he going to do the inside too?" Then you said you would be doing the inside as well. I love your attitude about "making it look pretty." You put it exactly right, "Show off the war wounds." A big smile appeared on my face when you said that.

[@rogerbond7811]

That repair will be a reminder of your epic Great Glen achievement.

[@zedjay81]

Is there nothing you can't do with wood?! I was mesmerised watching you lovingly restoring your adventure companion! Excellent video thanks Simon 🙂

[@wiseonwords]

@@troyjenkins3886 -?? Okay...

[@simonablokeinthewoods]

Thanks Zoe!

[@ringonotts]

Wear those battle scars with pride! Lovely job. It felt good watching that second strip "pop" into place! Thanks for sharing! Ringo

[@AntSurviveTheNight]

Oh boy, every time I see that I feel sick! She's such a beauty and then this happened. Hats off to you Simon for putting all that hard work in and getting her back to her former glory pal. I knew it would make for a very enjoyable video even though you could have done without it happening in the first place.

[@timsatch9198]

That was actually very entertaining. A thorough and meticulous repair. Thank for posting.

[@BKincaid]

We are always our own worst critic. You nailed it though. Brought that beautiful work of art back to life! As you said the war wounds are just that, why not show them off and have a great conversation about that trip to anyone who sees them. As usual, top notch video. Love your stuff good sir.

[@CrowdSurfingGeezer]

Your craftsman skills are equally as brilliant as your bushcraft and film making skills!

[@nonnanonna2789]

Hi simon i am Anker and my son Caeleb from South Africa. So glad we stumbled on to your video's. they are totally great.And we make all your recipes we love it.We would like to send some pics of our camp Trip's.sounds like threre are a few people that communicate must be fun. thanks don't stop. Give Maggie a head rub from us.

[@JamesWilliams-en3os]

Nice work, sir! As a lifelong canoe aficionado I have owned and paddled wood-and-canvas canoes, fiberglass canoes, aluminum canoes, and composite canoes, but never a cedar strip canoe. I’ve always admired the beauty of the cedar strip craft, but as I do a lot of river tripping and rough water is almost always part of the journey, It makes no sense for me to use a cedar strip canoe. I have even given up my first love, the wood-and-canvas canoe, because the waters I travel are too hard on these lovely watercraft. I’ve been enjoying your channel (which I recently discovered) and was a bit dismayed by your mishap in Scotland… but I had no doubts that your woodworking skills would be up to the repair. As a woodworker myself, I enjoy watching and learning from experts such as yourself. Having built and repaired wood-and-canvas canoes myself, it’s interesting to see how cleanly the cedar strip construction can be repaired! Thanks for sharing this. Very satisfying to watch, and I’m glad you’ll soon have her back in the water.

[@jamesellsworth9673]

There is always a good bit of maintenance to be done on a boat.

[@6yjjk]

Holes in the water that you throw money into!

[@antking8847]

it's like watching Jack Hargreaves from when I was a kid. Excellent job Simon

[@diamondtbar9818]

War wounds! She will indeed live to fight another day. Thank you for the video.

[@johnbee7729]

Thanks Simon. I just bought my first canoe - 16 foot cedar strip. Have been paranoid about punching a hole in it. My worries have eased as I can now see that some rather good damage can be repaired. Thank you

[@janwaller3585]

Masterfully done repair.

[@jayglass5831]

Great proceedure from a wood working guru. I appreciate your technique with joinery and epoxy. I have two wood strip canoes to fix scrapes on, no holes but lots of resurfacing, and absence of varnish on one left a challange of foggy finish. Watching you helps greatly, much thanks!

[@tomwilson6915]

Simon, a Defender and a Cedar Strip Canoe now that’s a dangerous love triangle to be in, my brass is definitely on the Defender being the most needy and high maintenance of the three but don’t tell the Canoe I said that she’ll be jealous! 😂

[@simonablokeinthewoods]

😂😂😂 you’d be right about the defender, but shhhh! 🤣

[@loonypics6938]

Hi Simon : A job worth doing is a job done well. Patience is truly a virtue. Well done mate.

[@pitchforkcustom]

nice your grandad’s chisel chipped in with the repair 👍

[@paulaboyland2946]

Hi Simon amazing , you would never know that your pride and joy was poorly 🙂 so clever 😊💝🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 xxxxx

[@ltxoutdoors4097]

Like in the Movie " Master and Commander " .A nice repair , and i quote " She is not old, she is in her Prime !! ".Enjoy the next Canoe trip !!

[@jaegersapper1]

Good thing you know a good carpenter to fix that canoe. Great job

[@frequencyfluxfandango8504]

You are so English, civilised, eloquent, obviously very skilled and your videos are fascinting to me. Thank you Simon. I learnrd how to repair mry canoe today from you Simon, A bloke in the shed. BIG RESPEST FOR YOU ! Nice one mate.

[@rolandsalazar9562]

You are the most likable guy on the planet. Your channel is the best. Sincere and genuine. Your craftsmanship is exquisite. I admire your eye to detail and skill with every tool you use. Congrats on a brilliant boat repair. I still want to buy a Simon original “backsaw” for my camping arsenal. Haha. Best wishes and God bless 🙏🏼⛺️😎

[@Kenbur]

25 minutes of watching a craftsman restore his broken creation to 'better than new' with memory-patched war wounds. and not a second of regret. thanks as always Simon your videos are informative and pleasurable to watch. atb

[@GinaScott0315]

Hello Simon from Florida USA. We emailed you in the chance that we can purchase one of your custom made buck saws…I know you’ve been busy, but would so love to be able to get one when you have time to batch make them. You are ABSOLUTELY our favorite channel, and look forward to new videos, and before we call it a night, watch repeats of them if there isn’t a new one out. Never gets old

[@glenlyonexplorer]

Your craftsmanship is bloody awesome Simon, I can't even hammer a nail in straight!!

[@antonycrow1657]

Excellent job Simon. Glad to see she's back up and running.

[@mbrider56]

Superb Simon 👍🏻 battered and bruised but your skill and workmanship will allow her to fight again and take you on some more epic adventures 🛶

It fascinates me how it is easy when you watch this done by someone in KZbin ^^ I am like back to school ('some' years ago) and teaching :) Thx

[@MAXIMOUTDOORS]

Even the gods cringed when you hit that rock. Enjoyed the repair!!

[@MountainMoonAdventures.]

This canoe is gorgeous! Love the repair,blends in so well💕👍

[@davidowens989]

That just adds character to the boat.

[@tony5006]

Very enjoyable watching you carry out those repairs Simon, you're a multi talented chap for sure.

[@hammerhound168]

Well done ,Simon Very well done. Glad you got her repaired. You got great skills . Thanks for teaching me a few.

[@BrianthatiscalledBrian]

Thanks, Simon. I'm really glad you decided to share the repair. Very interesting. 🙂👍🚣‍♂️

[@mustang774]

That was an awesome job fixing that. She looks beautiful.........Take care, Bluefin.

[@kenjohnson5498]

I made a comment on how i would have done it but had to quickly remove because it turned out great and i learned a new method of repair. Thanks

[@24913299]

good seeing the war wounds repaired . life in the old girl yet. keep up the great work . .

[@kaizaki9148]

Been watching all your videos, they are all extremely helpful as I'm building my own canoe at the moment for some river trips. Plywood construction rather than cedar strip though. Very informative and enjoyable! See you out there!

[@paulmaynard408]

“A bloke in the garage” 😄 versatile

[@paulschaffield2910]

I don’t own a canoe but I really enjoyed your video Simon. Thanks for sharing 👍

[@chrisrobson8540]

Earned some good money for a great cause getting those wounds......the old girl should be proud of them

[@GraysOutdoors]

When u cut through the hull I almost cried for you. 😁😁 ATB. Grays

[@brucepickess8097]

Hi Simon, now you're not fooling me you're a bit of a perfectionists and when you made that canoe it looked brilliant you put a lot of time and effort into it. I bet in reality that repair and the resurface finish will look just as perfect.

[@simonablokeinthewoods]

Haha - far from perfect, but functional! 😁

[@michaeldean4704]

You're a true craftsman, Simon. I'm continually amazed at your talents. All the things you're able to make, from the woodworking, to the canvas and leather goods, and everything in between. You're an inspiration. Thank you.

[@interlinga]

Really impressive. Great work.

[@tcschenks]

Great video! Now I’m going to have to go back and rewatch the three-part video.

[@sammyslavvu1981]

You would never know that it had a damage, cracking job Simon 👍

[@derekjeter2387]

Nevermind on that question about if you built that canoe. I just watched your video when you fixed the crack on your canoe. You do beautiful work.

[@KrisCochrane]

Great video - who knew watching that would be so satisfying!

[@Keyswiz71]

Excellent job. The war wounds tell a story and a great story it was too!

[@gigi3242]

she's a beautiful boat Simon, with lots of stories to tell. Stay well.

[@ltxoutdoors4097]

Haha ! my friend Simon. As I predicted in comments ( My poor baby ) in The Great Glenn trial Part three " a repair video.Thanks for charing your craftsmanship with us.I hope you will show us your new ( hopefully snowy winter ) adventures with the canoe ( Named ??? ) cya on the trail.

[@rebeccagurr1123]

Beautiful repair Simon, her war wounds show like Japanese kintsugi!

[@martincaveney7601]

I never knew watching paint (well, epoxy and varnish) dry could be so enjoyable! Loved watching this, you’re a patient craftsman Simon with an engaging manner. Looking forward to seeing you you out on the water again soon 😀👍

[@bergolli1]

That's very interesting. My father is a carpenter too, I am more into working with metal. Hope you get your boat to be waterproof again. Sorry for my poor English. Viele Grüße from Deutschland

[@peterlindley3756]

Your English is fine mein freund 👍👍👍😃😀

[@bergolli1]

@@peterlindley3756 Thank you 🙂

[@peterlindley3756]

@@bergolli1you're welcome ~Bushcrafters of the world united 👍👍👍👍 we are one

[@simonablokeinthewoods]

Thank you mate! Your English is spot on! 👍👍

[@longrider42]

Glad some one sent you some of that tape. It really is useful stuff. Great job on the canoe.

[@lafonevc5663]

Glad to see it safely repaired so it can go for a nice walk on its trolley! Interesting vid 😀 Simon - a boat in the wood shop.

[@elywhitley7327]

brilliant video Simon! I love seeing your carpentry/woodworking skills. I've learnt a lot from just this one video. There must be a huge market for carpentry expertise on here. you could be the bushcraft version of Repair shop!

[@kermitthepog7063]

Just binged a load of your videos after coming here from TA Outdoors. Cheers

[@bugnfront]

Simon.. You did a "hull of af a job"!

[@kevinkiem2959]

I will never make a cedar canoe but watching a woodworker, working is just as relaxing...... As with me working with different woods in different ways.. great video👍👍👍

[@devonbikefilms]

Lovely watching a craftsman at work. I always enjoy using my fathers and my grandfather’s tools that were passed down to me.

[@fucktheworld1207]

You are a Magician of your craft, Simon 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@anndebaldo7381]

Wow! Simon a bloke in your garage. Your beloved patient is so fortunate to have such a skillful dad and granddad as docs! Love to watch you work...so competent and caring. Will be happy to see you and your canoe back out on the water. I loved the canoe challenge videos! Great Work for a good cause...congrats to you and the guys! ATB

[@jfmaddocks]

What a pleasure to watch you repair your beautiful canoe. You did a brilliant job and I really appreciate you letting us view you work. Cheers from Toronto, Ontario…

[@mattlewandowski73]

I was just going back and watching TAOutdoors video of the scotland canoe trip... when he said your boat was damaged, I have to admit... I cried a li'l... it is such a lovely wooden canoe. I am glad to see you where able to patch it. I am looking forward to watch the video. I had seen a couple of your past videos, but you have earned a new subscriber with the last couple videos I have watched.

[@kingrafa3938]

You did a great job on repairing that cracked Simon 👍🇵🇭

[@TheLuapsch]

Great job Simon. Can't wait to see you launch it on your next canoe trip.

[@jayoneill1533]

Fascinating to watch a true craftsman at work. Many thanks Simon, for inviting us into your shop.

[@holymoly7644]

Gobsmacked, Oh and I have the same set of chisels, had them a while and love them.

[@ParrotHead1809]

Amazing piece of craftsmanship. Be proud. Very proud.

[@markmullins3432]

A canoe wants to looks pretty while it's working, yours does both...😊

[@jimmethven8074]

Terrific repair work, great job. Very enjoyable video.

[@Seamus3051]

Like watching the restoration of a work of art. Seeing such a masterful bit of craftsmanship damaged was a sad experience :- ( :- ( Gratifying to see that the patient has recovered, and is only slightly a bit worse for wear Kudos to the surgeon :-)

[@jeffreyedmudson8577]

Happy to see you got your canoe all fixed up .. I enjoy your channel very much going to try to cook some of the dishes you have done.. Thank you Jeff

[@dragokats817]

You made a beautiful canoe, you know how to use it, look after it and fix it. Not many people can say the same. Each mark is a memory to cherish, a reminder of the path you both have shared. Another great video, thanks again Simon for sharing.