The tape looks like vinyl electrical tape only a little thicker and much wider. A rubber tape might streatch and fit better.

Thanks for the reassurance, Magicpaddler. A lighter boat has been on my wish list for a while now...but is probably going to stay a wish a bit longer. I'm glad to hear I haven't turned my trusty,but hard to carry,cruel to my arthritic back,boat,also hard to paddle. Since my kid and I are still pretty prone to bumping into and off of things, the ice breaker set up is not entirely bad. I don't know how many times I've scraped over a rock and thought that I'm sure glad we're not in a $2,000 boat! I'm starting to think about solo trips now,and a set up like db's white sawyer is looking awfully sweet.  ...By the way,is that black tape rubberized window/door flashing?

I had a green penobscot that wore through to where it was showing white.  I put skid plates on it and it could have been used as a ice breaker after that. The skid plates I used were over 1/8 thick and that was plenty. I used the canoe for a couple of years after that and the skid plates did not show any wear.  As far as what to do with your boat use it as long as you can carry it then sell it and buy a lighter one.

Just now took a look at this posting. Though my boat is not new or nice ('93 royalex old town penobscot),I wish I'd done something like this before I wore though the outer layer of both ends. I know that's what kevlar skid plates are for,but I was too cheap to spend $100 on a $300 conoe. ("...quit your cryin'...") Now I've bunged up a fiber glass strip on each end,not been happy, and then sanded that down' and put kevlar skids on over the whole mess. I've now got 30" strips protruding maybe a 1/2" from the original hull line. What is this going to do to the boat's performance?

What gave me the idea was db’s tires but I did not have any tires that would work on hand. The first set of tape skid plates went on better with almost none of the wrinkles.  I don’t know what I did this time that made it wrinkle. This one may be further up the end of the canoe.  I have enough to make several more sets so I am set until the canoe gets enough scratches that I am not so paranoid. 
LOL Tires make it rain.

Mad_Mat wrote on Nov 1^st, 2011 at 12:09pm:

I like rainy days! Everything looks so juicy.... Only time I don't is when it's time to pack up the tent. That's not as much fun in the rain.

Trimbrite is neat.  Mildly amused at the carbon fibre style.  Get the look of carbon fibre without the cost or benefits!  heehee.  I never thought carbon fibre actually looked good, that the weight & performance were the big wins.  Rice up your canoe!   

Can totally appreciate the performance concerns for those who geek out on that action.

adding felt skid plates and resin adds a "fair" amount of weight to a boat - especially if you have an ultralight hull.

I'd rather be more careful vs adding "bang plates" to my boats - repair only when/if needed.

"Trimbrite" - I  added a strip to the bow and stern on mu UL boats - something of a compromise between nothing and full blown skid plates - not as cheap as that black tape from the dumpster though.  and bike tires make it rain!

Solus wrote on Oct 31^st, 2011 at 9:13pm:

Me too!

But that's only because our boats look so cool and have such great dynamics to start with

I'm a fan of simply adding a strip or two  (occasionally three) of fiberglass cloth and resin when the stems of the boat get abraded. When the resin sets I sand so it conforms to the original shape. Easy to do and doesn't create drag or change the dynamic of the boat or the appearance for that matter.