Recent content by M Clemens

Great for smaller dogs, mine preferred the front hatch. I had the Mini Canak, it was a novel boat, but cumbersome to portage and transport.

Literally just doing this a couple of days ago. If you don't address sharp scratches in the gelcoat, it tends to propagate, as shown in this pic. When I have a color that's very hard to match, like this seafoam green, I will use Gflex and then mix automotive paint or Krylon to cover with an...

I have never paddled one, but I went to look at one a few years ago and noticed how much flex there was in the hull and passed on it. In the 80's and 90's the Katahdin line of fiberglass canoes were offered by Old Town (displacing the earlier Carleton line), and then the Stillwater line...

I had a 1985 Whisper (Gen1) in FG for a while. I still maintain, although I have no proof, I could paddle faster in it than my 1997 Advantage. The 50 pounds eventually got the best of me though. She was fast, but a bear to turn.

Sold my last Royalex boat last year, the venerable Old Town Pack. Getting old sucks when you can't lift 35 pounds over your head anymore. Both remaining boats now Kevlar, 28 pounds max.

I wish them luck, I do. I would have thought someplace like Florida would have been a better choice, though, given the demographics and year-round paddling opportunity.

I have had 4 Swift Canoes and 3 kayaks in either Kevlar or Carbon Fusion over the years, and as much as I value the quality of their build, I must admit their composite hulls seem to be more susceptible to spider cracking from minor impacts. Most of the time, it is better to leave them alone...

Just a follow-up shout-out for Hornbeck. I ordered a new seat from them; came in two days, all necessary hardware, explicit instructions, a personal thank-you written on the order and a perfect fit. Customer service is everything.

Finally got my first paddle in today, shortened slightly by the limited available liquid H2O. NY's Finger Lake region can be iffy this time of year, first two choices were still frozen, but not parts of Conesus.

Happy to see Wenonah embrace infusion technology! I'm sure they will expand the offering to other models eventually. I wonder what's next: carbon fiber gunnels perhaps?

I have had a couple of all carbon boats, including a GRB Rambler. I do recall several times where I nearly burnt my hand on the hull when unloading after a long drive, but I think it would take more than a month of sun exposure to do any real damage. I also had a carbon Swift that was stored...

I wish I had kept my Solo 14; when I bought it she was fully outfitted for WW. Turned well enough for as little rocker as it had. Had my heart set on a Dagger Sojourn, longer, lighter, less rocker yet, but tested one and fell in love.

Green was, in their mind, not a base color. I always got a kick out of the 'small amount' guidance in some of the mixes. (Never throw away the directions!) Old Town Green was always the hardest to match.

I have used Evercoat Marine's gelcoat repair kit for years with good results. It has all the base colors that allow you to mix and match as required, which comes in handy when you're matching a faded color. But most late model Swift's aren't gel-coat (except the champagne bottom) but tinted...

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