Tony, Forgot to add I like your Moody Menders idea. I've done a bit of that myself. Maybe do more when I retire. Practicle Christianity. Now there's something different! :-) Doug Lloyd > Tony, > > I think most paddlers know when it comes to lightweight, stiff kayaks > wooden kayaks kick butt. Want more strength, add minimally saturated > layers of more glass. > > I do find that epoxy/cloth over wood just doesn't perform as well as a > good thick coat of gelcoat (in the right places with that gelcoat). The > chips I get in my S&G hull seem to gouge out in such a way to lift small > crater-like depressions that pull out and leave a tattered edge. This my > not be an issue for those who are less clumsy than me or tend not to abuse > their paddlecraft for abuse sake. > > Ultimately for me, other than durability of the hull for continued hard > use up and down the beach, the issue of strength against piercing is a big > one and most of the tests I've seen are for blunt trauma, not the piercing > variety. As for overall integrity, I've seen both strippers and S&G suffer > major breaking trauma, as well as fiberglass factory kayaks, and the > strippers were the most susceptible to outright breakage failure. That > being said, strippers still offer such a host of profoundly subjective and > objective advantages that the building of strippers will never cease. > > Mind you, there may be engineer-educated paddlers and builders out there > who could make a case scientifically, I'm sure, in defense of wooden > kayaks over factory fiberglass/gelcoat ones. However, the Ford/Chevy > analogy may be the only real truth here. Are Ford and Chevy still making > vehicles? :-) > > No doubt a vacuumed bagged heavily layered or epoxy injected kayak will > ultimately be the strongest building methodology while still retaining a > usable weight. I mean, can you imagine Sterling Donaldson making an epoxy > injected kayak at 60 pounds? That would be one tough kayak. > > Doug Lloyd >> quote: >> Most lightweight wood kayaks have a single layer of fiberglass on the >> outside >> of the hull and just varnish on the inside. The fiberglass adds a >> waterproof >> abrasion resistant layer but most of the strength and rigidity is in the >> wood. >> Putting a single fiberglass layer both the inside and outside of the wood >> core >> makes the wood kayak as heavy as a similar sized fiberglass kayak >> >> Sorry Matt, this is not true at all. First, I know of no one who builds >> strip built kayaks and does not glass the inside. I have built 2 of >> Nick >> Shades designs, a Guillemot, 6 oz glass on inside and out. 4 oz carbon >> fiber >> in the cockpit and it came in at 37 pounds. I also built his Great Auk, >> but >> modified the deck a bit, glass schedule same as the guillemot, weight is >> 39 >> pounds. This is a big, high vol sea kayak at less than 40 pounds. The >> third kayak I built was Tom Yost's Sea Ranger stripper. It was the first >> one built and was glassed the same as the others. Weight, 33 pounds. it >> is >> an extremely low volume hard chined kayak that is perfect for rolling, is >> fast and maneuverable. The technique to building a light kayak is to use >> the right amount of epoxy. More is not 'better', only heavier. >> >> For those of you who have excess time on your hands, or idle curiosity, >> here >> are some links to the strip building process: >> Guillemot: http://flickr.com/photos/tonyolsen/sets/605979/ >> Great Auk: http://flickr.com/photos/tonyolsen/sets/390762/ >> Sea Ranger: http://flickr.com/photos/tonyolsen/sets/72057594055251040/ >> >> As far as durability, Nick is correct on the scratches. I have had waves >> drop me on oyster beds and ended up with lots of scratches and it sounds >> terrible when ya do it. The problem there is you can't get out of the >> kayak, as the oysters and barnacles would cause severe bleeding. just >> sit >> and let the waves grind the kayak until you can paddle off. >> >> I guess this is just another example of why some folks drive chevies, and >> others drive fords.. :) >> >> Tony >> >> >> -- >> Stop by the Moody Menders site and look around... >> http://tonyolsen.com/up/mm/ *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Sun Dec 21 2008 - 15:58:43 PST
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