Kevlar Canoe

If I buy a fiberglass canoe, can I reinforce it myself with kevlar?

Nov 09, 2008 by k2yeb | Posted in Boats & Boating

If I buy a fiberglass canoe, can I reinforce it myself with kevlar? I know you can buy rolls online...thoughts. I have found it fairly cheap locally in california and just wondered if it would be worth it...canoe is 400 bucks
because I have heard

You don't need to do that. Fiberglass is so easy to fix and quite strong.

Mine was a really cheap one and we put a clearcoat of resin on it with a mahogany keel. Never touched it again.

How It's Made Kevlar Canoes

Discovery / Science Channel's "How It's Made" Kevlar Canoes episode

And home again

Get the Kevlar canoes. The aluminum canoes are rugged but I'm sure they were part of the reason we had two injuries on the 2008 trip and NONE on the 2010 trip. Train. Then train some more. If you show up without training, you'll pay for the lack. Cardio training. The portage trails are rough and the packs are heavy. You'll be happier on the portage trails if you've trained carrying weight on trails (get some vertical if you can, use stadium steps if you can't get it on trails). All the packs start out at about 50 lbs; the food packs get progressively lighter but the others remain heavy. Skills training. Paddle canoes and go canoe camping at least once, preferrably twice. Practice the wilderness skills - Leave No Trace . If your crew members can't j-stroke, if they don't have some power in their strokes, they'll fail when the wind kicks up. Team training. You'll have some crew members who don't get the idea of working as a team. They'll put of their own tent but let someone else struggle with another tent, they'll take care of their personal needs and preferences first and leave the group responsibilities to others, and they will be selfish instead of sharing. Find out who they are and decide if they can be tolerated. One bad apple... Test skills. Have each team member demonstrate that they have the skills needed. Otherwise you'll have a bunch of sandbaggers who stress all the others. Have a written duty roster. This cuts down on a LOT of arguments. Go to Quetico....

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