🚀 go-pugleaf

Molded boats (abs,discovery) are very flexible and exhibit these symptoms.
We have an old town Tripper which is made out of very thick abs and it has
very noticeable rippling when not carrying gear. When loaded with gear, it
maintains it's hull shape reasonably well. The effect will increase with
use.

Based on experience with a Mad River Explorer, you'll have the same affect
with Kevlar as Kevlar is also very flexible unless stiffened with a foam or
balsa layer of some type. It won't be as pronounced as with the molded
boats, but it will be noticeable after significant use.

I don't care for foam stiffened hulls due to delamination risk when
impacting rocks. Most are built too lightly for my use. However, one
exception is the 17' Old Town Kevlar Canadienne which uses a marine balsa
core. It's very heavily built. With wood rails, ours weighs 72 lbs. It has a
significantly arched bottom (cross section) which maintains it's shape
perfectly loaded or unloaded. Unfortunately, this classic design is now
available only from select dealers at inflated prices.

My only familiarity with fiberglass is a 15' 8"  Wenonah Rondezvouse solo
boat. It has the heavier Wenonah construction (55 lbs) , no core, and it too
is perfectly rigid loaded or unloaded. It too has a significantly arched
hull (as opposed to flat) and a foam filled center rib running the length of
the boat.
Al



saskia wrote in message <7glhnd$297$1@nnrp1.dejanews.com>...
>  I emailed this (email below) to OT, (2 weeks ago), but haven't gotten a
>reply. I was wondering if anyone  here knows what this "rippling" is caused
>by. (Next year we are moving on to a Bell Northwoods, probably in Kevlar.)
>But this year we have one last "Disco" trip, and I waste endless hours
>"wondering" about the significance of this..if any.
>
>""I have used the Discovery 17'4'' for the past 3 years (since we bought it
in
>1995) on several multi-week canoe trips on large lakes in northern Canada
>(i.e. relatively heavily laden with 2 paddlers ,combined weight about
>300lbs, and approx 290 lbs of gear). There is plenty of freeboard.
>Invariably I am the stern paddler....frequently I have noticed a "rippling"
>(from mid boat to stern seat)  effect in the canoe bottom while paddling in
>light swells..it is VERY pronounced however when gliding over submerged
>rocks.
>
>Does this represent a weakness in the molding of the canoe? I have not
>noticed the same effect in the bow end ( or even forward of the  mid
>section.) It has not been a problem in our use of the canoe ( about 100
>paddling days), but it is rather disconcerting.
>
>Can you explain this?""
>
>Thanks.
>
>ridem@msn.com
>
>Rich Dempsey
>
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