sitting for the winter

[roger bebee]

Do to various commitments I will be unable to get the outer hull of my prospector fiberglassed this year. It of coarse is still on the strongback sanded ready for glass, in a unheated garage in southern ontario, where the temps may get to -25c (-20f). My question is, is there anything I should do for the 6 month period that it will be sitting for the cold winter months. I was planing on covering it with a plastic sheet to keep the dust off of it.
Thanks for any advice
Roger

[Markham_David]

My canoe also sat, bare, sanded and uncovered, in an unheated garage in southern Ontario over the winter. It suffered no ill effects that I know of, and I glassed it successfully the following spring. As long as it is not half-glassed, I don't anticipate any problems.

Cheers,

Dave

[Denis]

I would suggest strapping it as much as possible to the forms using whatever you have handy to help it hold its shape true to the forms. I wouldn't use tape of any kind as then you have to clean it off in the spring. Webbing ropes bungee cords etc should do the trick

You might also think of nailing or screwing it along the edges where the gunnels will eventually cover the holes.

Denis

[white_tail]

My son and I started a Peterborough canoe several years ago (5) it was fully stripped, on the form in my garage, some what heated. This fall I glassed the outside hull and then the inside hull, today I will working on the gunwales. I have had NO problems letting it hull sit for all of that time, of course it was out of the rain, in my parking place in the garage with out any type of tarp or plastic on it. The only problem that I had and still having is getting up and going outside each morning to start the truck in the cold, and sometimes that stinks.

[camper1]

i did the same thing. fully stripped canoe on strongback, unheated garage, all winter. no issue at all.