Canoe on Lake shore by Wijnand Boerma on Unsplash

Canadian Canoe DIY Painter Mod

Canadian Canoe DIY Painter Mod – How to fit an excellent and inexpensive Painter/Grab Loop system.*

You will need:

  • The obvious item on the list; a Canadian Canoe 😉
  • Hand Drill with 3/4″ wood drill bit. You will be much more in control using a hand drill and stand less of a chance to damage your canoe.
  • 4 x White Plastic Boats Through Hull Skin Fitting Thread 3/4” BSP.
    I bought mine here: https://www.seascrew.com/browse.cfm?s=1732202
  • Waterproof Marine Spec Silicone Sealant or Epoxy. Whichever is your preferred option.
  • Acetone (for cleaning) and some old cloths. You could use methylated spirits or white spirit if that is what you have available.
  • Approx 1 foot of 3/4″ or 19mm internal diameter good quality rubber hose. (Garden Hose will normally fit the bill).
  • Some fine emery cloth or sandpaper.

WARNING!!!
You will also need to be able to purposely drill holes in a perfectly good boat,
a step too far for some folk I know 🙂

Everyone must believe in something t-shirt

How to install: (see images below)

  • There are so many opinions on where Painters should be placed that I’m not even going there.
    Mark your canoe wherever ‘you‘ would like your painter holes to be.
    Make sure it is in the same place all round. If you are not sure search around online to see where others place them.
  • Using the 3/4″ (19mm) Wood bit and the hand drill drill out the holes all round (4 of them).
    Please measure twice (at least) and cut/drill once.
  • Clean up the edges of the holes with a little fine sandpaper or emery cloth.
  • Check the fitting goes through your holes and the washer and nut fit nice and snuggly.
    If you have to force it use the emery/sandpaper to make the hole a little larger. Best to check often to prevent you making it too big.
  • Once you have snug fits all round you can prepare your canoe for glueing/sealing around the holes.
  • Clean the inside and outside surfaces around the holes with acetone.
  • Using acetone the areas should air dry themselves. You can now run some sealant/glue around the rim of your fitting and around the flat of the internal washer.
  • Push the fitting through the hull and put the washer and nut on. (glued/seal side of the washer towards the canoe of course)
  • Tighten the fitting until the fitting and washer/nut are flush with the hull then wipe away excess glue/sealant using an old cloth. Clean the surface with acetone if necessary.
  • Cut a small length of hose that will fit over and between the bow painter fittings. The length will vary depending upon the make/model and size of your canoe.
  • Apply some glue/sealant to the hose and push onto fitting. (see images below)
  • Clean off excess glue/sealant with an old cloth. Before the glue/sealant dries, make sure the holes and tube are not obstructed and are clear.
  • Install your own preference of painter/grab loops. 
  • Make yourself a nice cuppa then step back and admire your work and the fact that you now have a very secure/waterproof setup for adding painters/grab loops and you have saved yourself quite a few quid.

Child of nature mug, quote by Pierre Elliott Trudeau

Disclaimer*: You may follow this guide and drill holes/ make mods to your canoe at your own risk.
Please be aware that Big Mac Bushcraft accepts absolutely no liability for any mistakes or errors you may make or any injuries you incur.

As always, be safe out there 🙂

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*Disclaimer:

As with any DIY project, unfamiliarity with the tools and process can be dangerous. Projects on this site should be viewed as entertainment only. This website and the owner, will not be held responsible for any injury due to the misuse or misunderstanding of any DIY project. All DIY projects are purely “at your own risk”. If you are at all uncomfortable or inexperienced working on projects yourself (especially projects involving dangerous tools), please reconsider doing the job yourself. It is very possible on any DIY to damage your property, create a hazardous condition, or harm or even kill yourself or others.

All information at this website is for education and entertainment purposes only. This website, its owner, and its employees, as well as any partnering websites are not liable for any damages that arise out of your access to our books or websites, whether they be direct, indirect, special, incidental, consequential, or punitive.