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With proper care, your Rosco Canoe offers a lifetime of paddling enjoyment. Here you will find the information to keep your canoe in top condition, as well as guides for repairing your canoe in the event of mishap.
Although we build the very finest canoes using superior materials and methods, every canoe requires some maintenance, and any canoe can be damaged in certain situations. Our Owners Manual has lengthy information about the care of our canoes. The topics covered include composite canoes, and Royalex® canoes.
Hardware Maintenance
All of the hardware in your new Rosco Canoe is made of stainless steel and is not susceptible to rust or corrosion under normal circumstances. It is advisable, however, to periodically check all screws and nuts for tightness. Due to repeated use and/or vibration during transportation, the hardware can loosen over time and may require occasional adjustment.
Care of Hulls
Thanks to advances in canoe construction, today's hull materials need little maintenance beyond periodic cleaning and polishing. Before any polish or treatment is applied the hull must be clean of dirt or film.
Rosco Canoes strongly recommends the use of 303 protectant to protect the color finish of Royalex or Laminate canoes. 303 Protectant will restore color to fading gel-coat and the vinyl skin of Royalex, but more importantly, will help prevent degradation from exposure to UV light. Application is as simple as spraying it on and wiping it off. Extensive fading of gel-coats that repeated rubbings with 303 will not remove should succumb to buffing with polishing compound.
Rosco Canoes does not recommend waxing your hull. Although it will do it no harm, it does not seem to provide any increase in speed through the water, and it will interfere with the UV protection of 303 Protectant. 303 Protectant generally needs once-a-month application during the canoeing season. Try spraying 303 on a small area of your canoe. If color is restored, it is time to re-apply 303.
Minor Hull Repairs: Gel-coat & Lightweight Constructions
Scratches will show white, regardless of hull color. As scratches are inevitable, think of them as badges of honor.
If you wish to repair any, they may be treated as follows:
Wash the hull with GB-60 and water, then wipe it dry.
For shallow scratches, wet sand with 400-grit sandpaper and then finish with polishing compound. For slightly deeper scratches, use 200-grit and then 400-grit sandpaper, and finish with polishing compound. You may wish to touch-up with gel-coat spray paint.
For chips or scratches that go through to the fabric, you will need a gel-coat or lightweight skin coat repair kit.
Gel-coat spray paint, gel-coat repair kits are available from Rosco Canoes and most colors can be matched. Complete instructions come with the kits.
Royalex Canoes
Royalex scratches do not show as much as those in gel-coat, but the ABS substrate is susceptible to degradation from long-term exposure to sunlight. Any scratches that show the different color of the ABS substrate must be painted. Royalex paint works well. If you have more damage than a scratch, you will need a Royalex Repair Kit. Royalex paint and Royalex Repair Kits are available in most colors from Rosco Canoes.
Seats and Thwarts
No special care is needed for these components before storage, except to tighten any loose bolts.
Storage Position
The best canoe storage is upside-down in a cool, dry place. The canoe must be off the ground. A rack or sawhorses works well, but some protection can be obtained by using blocks. If you want to suspend the canoe from above, make sure the canoe's weight is resting evenly on the gunwales.
Do not store heavy objects on top of the canoe, and do not store a canoe on its side. Both will cause the hull to deform over time. If it will be exposed to wind, make sure your canoe is securely tied. Inside storage is preferred-it protects the hull from temperature extremes and exposure to rain. Do not store our canoe a direct source of heat high temperatures are as detrimental as extreme cold.
If outside storage is necessary and a cover is desired, some precautions are needed. Make sure the cover will withstand heavy rain. A plastic cover will protect the canoe from light precipitation and exposure, but do not allow the plastic to touch the hull. Leave the downwind end open for air circulation; moisture trapped between the cover and the canoe will discolor the hull. Some grey weathering of the gunwales will occur with outside storage.
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