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

I have two boats without gelcoat.  One kevlar, the other carbon/kevlar (that
black/gold sheen is delicious).

It saves some weight and certainly shows off the fact you have an exotic
lay-up.  The manufacturers of kevlar boats with gelcoats always put "KEVLAR"
in big letters on the hulls so everyone knows the paddler spent extra
bucks.

I find myself babying the clear coat hulls.  Every serious scratch goes
right into the weave.  Not so with my gelcoat boats.  They can usually take
a full season plus of inattention before dealing with scratches and gouges.
A gelcoat boat can easily outlive the owner.

IMHO clearcoat is great for racers, fine for that second "special" boat, not
so good for everyday use.

The Eddyline hulls are a separate issue.  They are lighter.  I've read their
information on repairs and it seems punctures can be fixed.  They claim the
manufacture of them is more friendly to the environment.  Wear from dragging
the hull over sand and rocks for five years is not addressed.  I'm not sure
the environmental argument holds up if I have to buy three Carbonlite boats
and only one gelcoat boat over the same number of years.The jury is still
out on Carbonite.

Paddle lots
Bob

----- Original Message -----
From: <jwd_at_acm.org>
Subject: [Paddlewise] Spare the gelcoat -- pros & cons of skin-coat boats


> So, I got to wondering about the pros and cons of going with a skin-coat
> hull (or hull and deck) configuration.  What do Paddlewise people think
> of the idea?  Any direct experience with it?
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