On Jun 10, 10:34 pm, wrote:
I just inherited a Canoe in need of some work. The main issue is that
the interior and exterior wood gunnels are missing on one side and
badly damaged on the other. The canoe is fiber glass but the orginal
gunnels are wood. Is there a cheap easy way to replace the gunnels?
I'm not a carpenter or craftsman so I would need to be a simple fix.
any suggestions?

Yes. My old Mad River Explorer had wooden gunnels. I ignored them
and they eventually rotted out, of course. My local outfitter was
able to put vinyl gunnels on for about $100, cheap. It's not worth
the trouble to replace wooden gunnels on a boat that is old anyway
when the alternative is cheap and durable.

I do not think vinyl gunnels are a DIY job, but it is a simple and
cheap fix. Depending on where you live and your brand of canoe, your
gunnels can be replaced with vinyl by an outfitter who does it all the
time. My guy replaced my deck plates and gunnels with black vinyl.
It looks better than it sounds and is plenty strong, rivited to the
hull.

What brand of canoe? Which state or city are you near? If you have a
Mad River Canoe then they have a network of outfitters who can fix
you. If another brand then customer service may be less. A Mad River
outfitter should be able to fit vinyl to any brand of canoe. Check
their website for your local outfitter. Look for someone who does
repairs rather than a simple dealer.