How to Refinish Cataract Oars

Can You Refinish Cataract Oars?

Yes, even though Cataract Oars uses an ultra-tough, proprietary urethane system on our shafts, they may eventually need to be refinished. Fortunately, it’s easy to refinish Cataract Oars. For a quick guide to recoat your Cataract oars, follow the instructions below.

Refinishing Cataract Oar Shafts: The Process.

All you’ve gotta do is scuff the oar shaft surface with a red ScotchBrite pad – or similar product – clean the surface, dry and coat with 2-3 coats of Minwax Helmsman Spar Urethane (Clear Gloss). It’s a matter of minutes and a few dollars. Play cards in between coats.

Minwax spar urethane is sold at most hardware or home improvement stores. What varnish is for wood oars, urethane is for oars made from composite materials. When refinishing Cataract oars, make sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for coating and for drying times between coats. The spray can gets the clear coat on to the oar shaft with the least amount of fuss.

Refinishing Your Cataract Oars, The Process: Part 2.

If you want to a more robust option to refinish your Cataract Oars, you can use an oil-based enamel. Similar to the process using urethane, you will simply need to roughen up the outer diameter of the oar, make sure it’s clean, and then grab your paint roller. Using a paint roller or a brush, cover your oars with at least two coats of your preferred color of oil-based enamel. After you paint over your oars, give them time to rest. Once the enamel has dried, your oar will be as good as new and ready to row for many more years to come!

How Can I Better Protect My Cataract Oars?

For even more UV protection, consider applying a topcoat of 303 Protectant. The 303 adds another layer of oar shaft protection for those who want to go overkill in preserving the finish of their Cataract Oars.

Storing Raft Oar Shafts Correctly Will Extend the Life of Their Finish.

To extend the life of your oar finish even further, we recommend storing your Cataract oars out of direct sunlight, because UV rays will degrade their surface faster. Don’t have a good storage option? Allow us to introduce you to our amazing Portage and Storage Bag. Now you have no excuse.

SGG Raft Oar Shaft Refinishing: A Case Study.

A client brought his old pair of SGG oar shafts to our shop for refinishing. After years of sun exposure on the river, the finish on these oar shafts was nasty. As can be seen from the photos to the right and below, the original marine varnish has worn and faded badly. Which, of course, is to be expected. After all, as tough as our urethane is, it is not invulnerable to years and years of exposure and wear.

We initiate the oar refinishing sequence.

Unfazed by the ugliness before them, the Cataract Oars refinishing experts took up their red ScotchBrite pads and went to work. A few moments later, both oars were much smoother. The old finish—or what was left of it—presented a solid, integral and sufficiently scuffed surface for the new paint to adhere to. Seizing their cans of Minwax Helmsman Spar Urethane, they coated the two oar shafts. Let them dry. Coated them again. And so on, until three gleaming layers of spar urethane enveloped each shaft in a glistening armor. See the photo below and compare to the one above. Yes, those are the same oar shafts.

The oar shafts get a new rope wrap. And Cataract Oars labels.

Once the new finish had cured on the SGG oar shafts, our resident rope-wrapping maestro entwined the center portion of each shaft with a fresh rope wrap. All that remained was some new Cataract Oars labels, and the two oars were finished and ready for many more years of use on the river!

Your Cataract Raft and Drift Boat Oars will Last Years When Properly Cared for and Treated.

Follow the easy steps in this FAQ and you’ll find that it’s easy to refinish your oars. By revitalizing the shafts, you can give your raft oars the UV protection they need for the use you’re putting them through.

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