RE: [Paddlewise] Boat weight, was: Your expertise needed again

From: Mel Grindol <grindol_at_my-deja.com>
Date: Tue, 22 Jun 1999 09:41:44 -0700
On Tue, 22 Jun 1999 08:17:34   Bob Denton wrote:
>An average plastic touring boat
>with hatches, etc weighs around 70 lbs. A typical glass boat weighs 50 lbs.
>and Kevlar around 40 lbs.

I don't agree with your numbers.  A few months ago this same arguement ran across the list so I grabbed my catalogs and ran some numbers.  IIRC, the average plastic boat weighed in at 62 pounds, the average fiberglass boat was 52 pounds.  I distinctly remember there only being a 10 pound difference between the average for plastic versus the average for fiberglass.

I'm sure you can find some extreme cases where you could get a 20 pound difference, but they are exceptions not the rule.

That given I do agree that fiberglass are better boats, but not for a true beginner.  I've done some stuff learning in my plastic boat that probably would have caused damage to a fiberglass boat. :O  I'm in my second year of paddling and will probably look for a fiberglass boat next year.  But for now I'm still learning and would like a better idea of what to look for before spending the big bucks on a good boat (not that my Looksha IV is bad).

As towards buying a used glass boat that truly depends on location.  In the two years of paddling in the KC area I have seen _two_ glass boats, one this last weekend.  Both were day boats.  It's hard enough to find anyone else even paddling plastic boats.  I saw more kayaks in my weekend in Detroit for a GRO class than I have in the last year in KC.

Boy, I hope that didn't come across rude.  I'm truly not a rude person.  :)

Mel
---
There are three types of people, those who can count and those who can't.



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Received on Tue Jun 22 1999 - 09:42:51 PDT

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