How to repair a plastic canoe?
I have an older plastic Coleman canoe. It gets a lot of abuse I have noticed some weak spots that may be a problem in the future. I looked around online and seems that they are made of High-density polyethylene (HDPE) one of the first things I found was this welding video which seems like a pretty sweet solution. But I am also finding some references that suggest repairs to plastic canoes don't last long. I was not able to tell if welding as shown in the video was a long term or short term solution.
What if any solution is there for long term repairs to plastic canoes that will hold up as well as the original canoe materiel?
1 answer
This style of welding is the standard method of repair for holes and splits in plastic hulled kayaks, though I've seen much neater jobs. Some manufacturers leave extra material around the cockpit so there's spare of the right colour for welding.
Welded plastic can never be as strong as the original hull. It's generally considered that once a boat has been repaired in this way it's no longer suitable for high grade rivers and will be sold off cheap to beginners.
I'm not aware that there is any plastic repair possible that maintains the original strength of the hull.
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