Cleaning and restoring Michicraft aluminum canoe

[El Cauca]

Greetings. I am new here, just bought a second-hand 17 ft Michicraft aluminum canoe. The canoe is a few decades old but in very good shape, save for a few minor dings here and there. The previous owner until now has had it safely stored in his garage. That said, it could use a good cleanup and I was wondering how best to go about it. Mostly, I just want to get rid of some grime on the hull, nothing major. Three questions:

- Am thinking of using a rubber mallet to try to knock out the few dents. Is that a good idea?

- Soap and a brush would probably do the trick for cleaning but pressure washing with water would be faster. Has anyone done that before? I just want to make sure it can’t do any harm.

- Finally, after the wash, is there any sort of aluminum protector I should use? Again, the canoe is in good shape. And I don’t seek to make it new and shiny. I just want to make sure it’s clean and protected so it lasts another few decades!

Thanks for any advice.

 

[CaptainOllieWest]

Welcome!

I would personally just use soap and water and keep its natural patina. You can get acid washes specifically for marine aluminum hulls. These are probably better for thicker motor boat welded hulls but I am sure they would work. I have also seen some polished aluminum canoes. If you pressure wash, just start with a broad tip and make sure you are not damaging anything or leaving marks.

 

[BWCA66]

Mallet should work fine and I've pressure washed my aluminum canoe many times, after 30 years it doesn't look great but still works.

 

[ppine]

I have several aluminum boats that are not canoes. Rubber mallet first, Then a steel hammer and a dolly on the other side if you need more pressure. Aluminum has memory so you have to work it slowly. It can be stretched and compressed somewhat.

There is an acid etching product called Alumabrite that works well on aluminum. I use it on my drift boat which is a 2002 model. The hull is painted except for the lower 10 inches. I use this product to keep it bright. It works pretty fast so you can do a section at a time. Use a hose and a Scotchbrite pad to control the material and wash it off.

 

[yknpdlr]

I bought my first canoe, a lightweight (thin skin) model Grumman in 1973. unfortuantely I was in Ohio at the time in the Air Force, and OH requires registration numbers on all watercraft. Now in NY, I still have that canoe, but haven't used in years except to let visitors use it, those who need a more stable craft than my other specialty canoes. it is in excellent shape, always kept indoors with nary a notable scratch and zero dings or dents. It still has the outline of the long ago removed awful OH registration number stickers, and I have long wondered how to best erase them without having to refinish the entire canoe. Just one of those things I never got around to doing.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

El Cauca, welcome to site membership! Feel free to ask any questions and to post messages, photos and videos, and to start threads, in our many forums. Please read Welcome to CanoeTripping and Site Rules! Also, please add your location to the Account Details page in your profile, which will cause it to show under your avatar, as this is a geographic sport. Many of the site's technical features are explained in Features: Help and How-To Running Thread. We look forward to your participation in our canoe community.

I learned canoeing as a boy in the 1950's in an aluminum canoe. I don't ever recall repairing or formally cleaning it since it was used every summer day in the water. Soap, water and brushing would surely work, and I can't see how power washing would hurt an aluminum canoe. I've power washed old and encrusted composite canoes (carefully).

When I first started whitewater paddling around 1980 there were still some aluminum canoes bashing down rocky rivers. It wasn't uncommon to see guys trying to bang the dents out at the end of the trip with big rocks. I assume careful work with a rubber mallet would be more elegant.

 

[El Cauca]

Thanks all for the quick advice. All very helpful.

 

[ppine]

Montgomery County is where I grew up. I left in 1972.

 

[jdeerfoot]

The nature center I volunteer at has a fleet of rental canoes and kayaks. A number of the canoes are aluminum which we favor due their ability to stand up well in rental use. Next month we will power wash all the boats inside and out using just water in the power washer and perhaps a hit or two with a stiff bristle brush to clean them for the start of the rental season. In the 12 years we have been doing this, we have never noticed any problems with power washing the boats.

 

[El Cauca]

Montgomery County is where I grew up. I left in 1972.

Nice. I just moved here. Grew up canoeing in Georgia but have moved around lots and lived abroad for most of the past few decades. Hence only now in a position to get a canoe!

 

[El Cauca]

The nature center I volunteer at has a fleet of rental canoes and kayaks. A number of the canoes are aluminum which we favor due their ability to stand up well in rental use. Next month we will power wash all the boats inside and out using just water in the power washer and perhaps a hit or two with a stiff bristle brush to clean them for the start of the rental season. In the 12 years we have been doing this, we have never noticed any problems with power washing the boats.

Thanks. Good to know.

 

[ppine]

El Cauca,
We used to rent canoes and paddle up the C&O canal and then down the Potomac River to just above Great Falls. We camped at Violet's Lock. In 1968 we had the senior class canoe trip with 30 canoes.