Re: [Paddlewise] Spare the gelcoat -- pros & cons of skin-coat boats

> 
>  The response
> was that (and these boats don't get babied -- nor do they get tossed
> about carelessly either) the damage done is to the outer layer of
> epoxy and not to the fabric within.  And that damage is easily
> repaired with a little clear epoxy.  I guess it boils down to whether
> or not the epoxy on the outside of a skin-coat boat provides enough
> "sacrificial layer" to withstand normal wear and tear.

I know one place where going with a skin coat boat is not only normal 
but semi preffered - the boundary waters canoe area.  You see a lot of 
skin coat canoes there.  I have one and it's made 5 week long trips.  
Believe me it isn't babied.  It would be next to impossible to avoid 
scraping across rocks, there are just too many rocks and too many 
shallow areas.  My boat has numerous scratches, scrapes and bumps.  The 
nose gets run up onto gravel to land.  The loaded boat will get dragged 
further up onto land.  After three years I added some kevlar skid 
plates at the front and back.  I also put a small kevlar patch on two 
really nasty bruises (no danger of a puncture, just a little over kill 
on my part).  And I repainted the entire bottom with a fresh coat of 
clear epoxy - all better (until the next trip).

The boats are obviously strong enough that the outfitters will rent 
them (and we all know how rentals are treated).

I had a guy at a gas station comment on my boat, "That's a boat that's 
been to the Boundary Waters.  All sorts of pretty scratches."

The bottom of the canoe may look ugly but I don't care when I'm 
carrying it over a 1/2+ mile portage.  At that point I'm glad it's 
lighter.  :)

Mel
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