Kevlar vs strip

[Stonehollow]

I couldn't resist, after all the strip-canoe posts. The bottom line is:
1978 stripper = 80 lbs, 2003 kevlar = 42 lbs.


I can no longer portage 120 lbs (strip canoe + pack). I can easily manage 80 lbs.

I do like the looks of strip canoes, but I won't build a two place anymore. Here's the latest (expected to be 25 lb single):


If you'd like to see the whole kevlar project, a photo tour is available at www.myrabo.com/k-canoe/index.htm

[beaglefur]

Nice website!

Sooner or later I'll probably have to take a crack at a kevlar canoe or kayak too, just to say I've done it, but I sure like my cedarstrippers now.

Thanks for posting!

[WoodsWalker]

Can you post some pictures of your finished kevlars?

Looks like an interesting process, do you think it is faster to build a kevlar than a cedar strip?

WW

[Stonehollow]

I think we had about 150 man-hours total for two canoes. Now that the mold is built, I'm guessing we could easily build one in 2-3 weekends. I know my Wee Lassie is taking a lot longer than that.

Here's a few pictures of them from the last couple of trips:

This one has Phillipine mahogany gunwales (partner's canoe).



This one is mine - Lauan mahogany (not a true mahogany) gunwales:



- and both of them together:

[TTC]

stonehollowmn,
I like your thwartless design. Do you get much flexing of the sides when the canoe is laden or taking on big waves?

I've always found the thwarts on our (commercial) canoes to be in the wrong places (except for the yoke!) and end up limiting how they get loaded. We never had the guts to take them out and see how the canoe fared without the thwarts.

[Stonehollow]

With the ribs installed, it really doesn't flex much at all. It's may look like a thwartless design (depending on your definition); the seats are not suspended from the gunwales, but fixed to the sides. I suspect this provides a thwart-like amount of stability. I will say that it's quite a bit more stable loaded. You have to be pretty careful with no load, but man, is it fast!

[WoodsWalker]

Very nice looking canoes.

TTC,
I know that the Souris River canoes have the seats fixed the same way as his. I wonder how they would act in waves with the twarts removed, it would save some weight & assist in loading. It does appear to me that his seats are a little higher than the SR's, that also might be the cause of the tippyness when empty.

[Dan L]

Arnie,

Nice site.
Yes, those canoe look very fast, round and narrow. What design are they?

While not as light as your K canoes, I'm building a stripper (18.5') that I hope to get under 50 lbs.
A 80lb stripper is very heavy.

Dan