SKILLIANS_at_aol.com wrote: <... I was intrigued by the lightness and durability of Carbonlite, and the $1400 price tag was way below the kevlar models I've been lusting after. Anyone out there know any reasons NOT to trade in for an Eddyline?> Well, "Carbonlite" (which is marketeering for polycarbonate, like Lexan) is a nice material. However, the price is closer to fiberglass than polyethylene. The full size Carbonlite kayaks run $1700-$1900 new. The weight, however, is about midway between polyethylene and fiberglass. So, kevlar is substantially lighter but more expensive. Fiberglass is a little more expensive and a little lighter. Polyethylene is substantially heavier, but much cheaper and tougher (but can't be readily repaired). Polycarbonate lies pretty much within the cost-benefit envelope, leaving no clear-cut winner and making the choice personal. Eddyline does tell you that its labor cost is low -- much closer to rotomolded polyethylene than the composite boats. An interesting thing about these boats is how even Eddyline gets the thickness of the material. They don't seem to discuss their process at all, though. My guess is they spray the plastic into the deck and hull molds. Ken Cooperstein *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
I demo'ed the Eddyline Night Hawk in Carbonlite 2000 this weekend--great boat! It's 16' long, 22" wide, and 48 lbs. With a drop skeg, it is easy to counteract the tiny bit of weathercocking, and with it all the way up, oh boy, is it ever nimble! My buddy had his 16.5' Perception Chinook NW, and I kept having to stop to let him catch up. I'm a devoted wood boat paddler, but I would put this boat near the top of my short list if I were in the market for a synthetic boat. Carbonlite is reported to be pretty tough, but I was reluctant to test that property on a demo boat! It's got an available cement for doing repairs--supposedly much easier than repairing a polyethylene boat. It is certainly light and stiff, though. Shawn >I went to my favorite paddling store to buy 2 new canoe paddles, but spent >most of my time examnining an Eddyline kayak made of a material called >Carbonlite. -- Shawn W. Baker 0 46°53'N © 2000 ____©/______ 114°06'W ~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^\ ,/ /~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^ baker_at_montana.com 0 http://www.geocities.com/shawnkayak/ *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
A friend bought a merlin a couple of years ago and shortly after wards dropped it by accident on a piece of lime rock or some such-- anyhow- the carbonlite did crack-- BUT- it was a pretty good blow, and it did repair fairly easily!!! The carbonlite really seems to be a good answer to hull rigidity-sharp lines at a reasonable cost my two cents Steve *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
The full size Carbonlite kayaks run $1700-$1900 new. The sixteen foot that I was interested in, the NightHawk, was selling for $1450. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
In a message dated 6/20/00 10:47:13 AM Pacific Daylight Time, dkruger_at_pacifier.com writes: > > I traced all the posts in this thread and could find no mention of anybody > who > had **repaired** a substantial crack and then **used** the Carbonlite craft > heavily. Anybody done that? I have some experience with Carbonlite repairs. The first time we cracked one of the Merlins, Eddyline sent me some Merthacrylate (Sp?) glue, which is what they spec for all repairs. The glue is truly tremendous for many types of repairs. A cousin of Cyanoacrylate maybe? Dave, what can you tell us about this Vundergoo? At first, I tried the repairs without instructions from Eddyline. I gouged the cracks on one side into a "V" notch and filled them with the Merthacrylate, then tried to work the glue into the unmodified cracks on the opposite side. The first few times the boat was used, the cracks disjointed again. After contacting Eddyline for instructions, I re-did the repairs their way, saturating a strip of fiberglass tape with the Merthacrylate and applying it over the cracks. We used the boat extensively after that, without further failure of the repairs. However, we had already stopped using the Carbonlite boats in rocks, caves and all other rough-use situations except bay rentals. The same boat later came back for repair because the keel had been dragged-through on the sand and gravel beach where the boat had been stationed. There was a 4-inch long hole the width of the keel at the point of maximum (fore/aft) keel radius, and the plastic was thinned beyond. I filled in behind the opening with thickened resin, then covered the hole with the same tape/Merthacrylate patch. The patch seems to have reasonable but not great abrasion resistance and seems to be holding up OK. Overall, I think the material is fine for light use where you want something that is light, rigid and fast. But I think composites (fiberglass, etc.) are stronger and more completely and successfully repairable. Both composites and poly seem more durable and less easily broken when boat meets rock. And I admit that I am still skeptical about the long-term durability of the Merthacrylate repairs. One other thing -- the repairs all looked like yellow Band-Aids. They lie full-thickness on the surface of the boat, very obvious and (if on the outside of the hull) protruding into the flow of water. On the opposite side, the crack is still fully visible, looking just like a tight crack in any of the other hard plastics, such as acrylic. Hope this helps, Harold *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
HTERVORT_at_aol.com wrote: > I have some experience with Carbonlite repairs. The first time we cracked > one of the Merlins, Eddyline sent me some Merthacrylate (Sp?) glue, which is > what they spec for all repairs. The glue is truly tremendous for many types > of repairs. A cousin of Cyanoacrylate maybe? Dave, what can you tell us > about this Vundergoo? [snip] Not much, except that it sounds like the monomer for polymethylmethacrylate (aka Lucite, Plexiglas -- both trademarks), would be similar in action to cyanoacrylate glues (aka "super glue"), and probably about as strong as Plexiglas. Could be it is "methylmethacrylate?" > Hope this helps, Sure did. Sounds like you have a system that makes Carbonlite field-repairable. I'm impressed with the use you have made of the Eddyline repair system. Thanks, Harold, for the authoritative response. -- Dave Kruger Astoria, OR *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Previously, I wrote: > Eddyline sent me some Merthacrylate (Sp?) glue, which is > what they spec for all repairs. In a message dated 6/20/00 3:18:50 PM Pacific Daylight Time, dkruger_at_pacifier.com writes: > > Could be it is "methylmethacrylate?" > I did a bit of a Web search, and it is actually called "Methacrylate" adhesive. The stuff Eddyline supplied was from Devcon, but Devcon's page lists a number of formulations with differing characteristics and I couldn't tell you offhand which they use. There are many manufacturers or sources it appears. If you would like to learn more, search +Methacrylate + adhesive. Happy paddling, Harold *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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