On dinsdag, maa 4, 2003, at 20:52 Europe/Amsterdam, Allan Fish wrote:
p.s.: I just looked up the Old Town website. They apparently no longer make canoes out of Royalex,
what a shame...
but use "Superlink 3" composition. The canoe I had, the Discovery 164, is now 74 pounds instead of 59 pounds, but is much more abrasion resistant.
polyethylene is strong, but heavy, and not nearly as shape-fast as royalex, even in the current high quality versions. It is however cheaper as raw material and cheaper to work (rotomolding vs. vacuum-shaping for royalex or mould-layups and resin-curing for fiber-based composites (glass, polyester, kevlar or carbon)).
And that is good. The hull of mine did scratch easily. It never punctured, but it did get pretty ugly from being pulled up on the shore, etc.
Royalex, i.e. the outer PVC shell, which apparently ONLY is a UV protectant for the ABS structural layers, is relatively vulnerable to scratching. WHile this may be cosmetically displeasing, it is structurally insignificant.
BTW, ever though of a Royalite boat, or even a Kevlar boat. The best Kevlar boats can be lifted singlehandedly (really) but sadly are VERY expensive.
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