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...