wrote:
Is it possible to find a lightweight tandem canoe (~50 lbs) that is
also reasonably abrasion-resistant? We paddle in fla****er conditions,
but we scratch rocks with the bottom a lot - e.g. paddling in High
Sierra lakes. They say Kevlar is abrasion-sensitive, but exactly how
sensitive is not clear. The canoe we've been using - Royalex Wenonah
Spirit II - is 68 lbs and too heavy for me and my wife to portage.
Also, it does not cut through water well. Kevlar and Royalex are the
only materials I've heard of. I've paddled a Kevlar canoe in the
Tupper lake region in ADK and loved it, but the Sierras are much more
rockier, so, I am afraid to ruin an expensive boat if I get a Kevlar
one. I am not a very diligent paddler either.

The AIRE Superlynx (self-bailing inflatable kayak) weighs 46 pounds
and has carrying capacity of 600 pounds. It is relatively fast,
perhaps the fastest inflatable on the market. One advantage is that
it rolls up and fits in your trunk, thus enhancing fuel economy.

Mad River Explorer is a kevlar canoe that weighs 54 pounds with capacity
of 1100 pounds. It costs more than twice as much as the SuperLynx.
You can redo the gel-coat when it gets damaged, as it certainly will.
On the plus side, the Mad River Explorer would likely beat the Superlynx
in a race. Then again, most High Sierra lakes are small.

You can redo the gel-coat when it gets damaged, as it certainly will.

How hard should I hit a rock to make the gel re-coating necessary?
Will I have to re-coat after every portage/launch? Will I have to
spend hours re-coating after every trip?

I know this site http://www.outdoorplaces.com/Feature.../newcanoe1.htm.
Not specific. Generates more questions than answers I need semi-
qunatitative information to make the decision (e.g. hours spent kevlar
re-coating after every weekend trip, bucks spent on the gel, etc,
chances of the boat totalling due to a minor accident, etc).

wrote:
You can redo the gel-coat when it gets damaged, as it certainly will.

How hard should I hit a rock to make the gel re-coating necessary?
Will I have to re-coat after every portage/launch? Will I have to
spend hours re-coating after every trip?

I know this site http://www.outdoorplaces.com/Feature.../newcanoe1.htm.
Not specific. Generates more questions than answers I need semi-
qunatitative information to make the decision (e.g. hours spent kevlar
re-coating after every weekend trip, bucks spent on the gel, etc,
chances of the boat totalling due to a minor accident, etc).

Most "Kevlar" canoes have a layer or two of glass on the outside to
prevent the dreaded Kevlar Fuzz. Ask about the specific construction of
any canoe you're interested in. You can always repair a composite boat
with a thin layer of resin too. All my composite (whitewater) boats are
used hard and while I've had to do an occasional patch, none are fuzzy.

On Aug 14, 3:44 pm, wrote:
You can redo the gel-coat when it gets damaged, as it certainly will.

How hard should I hit a rock to make the gel re-coating necessary?
Will I have to re-coat after every portage/launch? Will I have to
spend hours re-coating after every trip?

If you're paddling lakes, there's no excuse for hitting rocks hard,
especially as clear as those lakes are. Canoes get scratched on the
bottom from landing. It's part of the activity.

For a baseline, I have a fiberglass slalom racing canoe that i paddle
in whitewater a few times a year. I hit rocks, and I'm moving right
along when i do. I haven't needed to patch it in several years. My
previous race boat was a Wenonah in their Tuf-Weave layup. That stuff
is stout. The next owner managed to tear it up, but he used the corner
of a parking garage to do it.

Bottom line: get yourself a composite (fiberglass and/or Kevlar) boat
with gelcoat on the outside and go paddle. Every couple of years, look
to see if you have worn off enough gelcoat to see the fibers (probably
not). If so, patch it. It'll take about an hour.

Enjoy!

Steve

wrote in message
ups.com...

You can redo the gel-coat when it gets damaged, as it certainly will.

How hard should I hit a rock to make the gel re-coating necessary?
Will I have to re-coat after every portage/launch? Will I have to
spend hours re-coating after every trip?

I know this site
http://www.outdoorplaces.com/Feature.../newcanoe1.htm.
Not specific. Generates more questions than answers I need semi-
qunatitative information to make the decision (e.g. hours spent kevlar
re-coating after every weekend trip, bucks spent on the gel, etc,
chances of the boat totalling due to a minor accident, etc).


We have a couple of people that paddle the Explorer on wilderness trips in
Canada. many of the rivers are very rocky and the bottom of their boats are
scratched. That said, none of the scratches have been so deep as to require
any repair. This is after several years of paddling, and some very fast
moving hits on rocks. They could re gel coat, but it would be mostly for
cosmetic reasons. As for entry/exit, get some skid plates added to the
front and back. They don't have to be the full monster pads, just a strip
wide enough to cover the ends from just above waterline to just underneath
the boat.

Hope that helps. have fun, and paddle safe...

Take a look at Esquif Canoes, they have a new layup called Twin Tex.
Supposed to be tough and light.

http://www.esquif.com/en/index.php?mod=modeles&id=31

On Aug 16, 3:39 pm, "d.williams" wrote:
Take a look at Esquif Canoes, they have a new layup called Twin Tex.
Supposed to be tough and light.

http://www.esquif.com/en/index.php?mod=modeles&id=31

Thanks for the link! What is interesting about these canoes is how
short they are - most of them are around 16 feet.

I made up my mind - I will wait for a good deal on a kevlar tandem
canoe. I am mostly familiar with the Wenonah product line. It appears
that the amount of time required for mainainence does not outweigh the
pleasure of a light boat. You are right, there is no excuse for not
avoiding rocks in calm lakes, and as I get better at steering this
should be reduced to a minimum. I will polish my skills with Royalex,
while waiting for the good deal to show.

d.williams wrote:
Take a look at Esquif Canoes, they have a new layup called Twin Tex.
Supposed to be tough and light.

http://www.esquif.com/en/index.php?mod=modeles&id=31

I paddled a TwinTex Zephyr last weekend for a few minutes. Fiberglass
matrix in a polypropylene resin. Didn't have to carry it, so can't
comment on the weight, but it's very flexible. Grab the gunwales (not
while in a rapid, please) and you can pull them together about 4". The
Zephyr is a little twitchy initially, but its secondary stability is
phenomenal. The rail is pulled in about 2" from the widest point of the
hull. Lay it over and you almost have a second hull under you.

Steve

That's interesting that the lay up is so flexible. I tsalked with esquif
this Spring at a paddlesports show. It seemed as their focus with the Twin
Tex lay up was initially in whitewater boats. They're plan is to offer more
flat water tripping boats, both tandem and solo. They're very proud of the
fact that the Twin Tex lay-up is more eco friendly than other epoxy resin
offerings.


http://www.esquif.com/en/index.php?mod=modeles&id=31

I paddled a TwinTex Zephyr last weekend for a few minutes. Fiberglass
matrix in a polypropylene resin. Didn't have to carry it, so can't comment
on the weight, but it's very flexible. Grab the gunwales (not while in a
rapid, please) and you can pull them together about 4". The Zephyr is a
little twitchy initially, but its secondary stability is phenomenal. The
rail is pulled in about 2" from the widest point of the hull. Lay it over
and you almost have a second hull under you.

Steve