Materials Used in Canoe Construction
The most popular canoe construction materials nowadays are polyethylene, aluminum, Kevlar and fiberglass. Polyethylene is becoming increasingly prevalent for the construction of canoes as it is flexible, light and not as costly as some of the others.
Aluminum Canoes
Aluminum has been, until the last few years, the usual option for material to use in canoe construction but it has now been overtaken by polyethylene. Even though aluminum is extremely tough and hard-wearing, and is among the lighter metals, it is a good deal heavier than polyethylene. It can stand up to being dragged on rough bottoms and will not be damaged by exposure to the rays of the sun as polyethylene is. Canoes made from aluminum do require chambers for buoyancy and they may often be difficult to maneuver particularly for novice paddlers. In addition they are heavy to portage and dent if knocked with plenty of force. Repairing punctures is also hard and spoils the look of the canoe.
Where Should You Use an Aluminum Canoe?
For level water and for recreational use an aluminum canoe could be ideal, especially if you don’t need to move it far on your own. For those without inside storage, an aluminium canoe could be a better choice than polyethylene because it won’t suffer damage from the uv rays from the sun or suffer deterioration from bad weather.
Where Not to Use an Aluminum Canoe
Aluminum canoes are not really suitable for white water canoeing or for rivers with many sharp rocks and should not be used when you are on an extended trip and may need to carry your canoe.
Aluminum Alloy
Canoes constructed of aluminum alloy are often lighter weight and more durable than all aluminum and many may be lighter even than polyethylene. Still, make sure that you find out the weight of any canoe you are considering purchasing as they often differ noticeably.
Polyethylene Canoe Construction
Polyethylene is lightweight and bendable, is hard-wearing and is the most prevalent materials used in canoe construction. It is fairly straightforward to patch and inexpensive though it is subject to damage from jagged edges like branches, rocks etc. However, it’s elasticity does give rise to problems so measures have to be used to ensure the canoe is rigid. One technique is to use aluminum to provide an inflexible framework and this is the the construction method used in canoes manufactured by Coleman and branded as Ram-X.
An alternative method of providing some rigidity is to use a thick layer of polyethylene foam between two layers of the polyethylene construction material. This is the method used by Old Town in their canoes and is trade marked as CrossLink 3. The polythene foam ensures buoyancy and this construction method can better endure abrasion damage than polyethylene alone.
There are some disadvantages with using polyethylene though. It is not buoyant so most canoes manufactured from polyethylene must be fitted with buoyancy chambers. This construction material is extremely susceptible to abrasion damage which is the most frequent cause for a canoe being irreparably damaged. Canoes manufactured from polyethylene are by and large not too expensive and you may possibly pay less by opting for a model you can assemble yourself.
What are Suitable Places to Use a Polyethylene Canoe?
For flat rivers and lakes and water where there are no large, jagged rocks, a polyethylene canoe made with an aluminum skeleton such as is used in Coleman canoes would be an ideal choice. For more extreme conditions a Crosslink 3 construction would be a better choice as it will be more durable and can survive abrasion damage and jagged edges much better.
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