Two Piece Aluminum Gunwale System?

[Mike McCrea]

(I may be shouting “Gunwale” in an empty theatre, but worth a shot)

This came up in a conversation with a canoe friend who wants to do a re-rail using aluminum gunwales on a composite canoe. My experience with installing not-pre-bent to the sheerline shape aluminum gunwales was a massive PITA; as the gunwale curved along the sheerline the thin channel squeezed closed until it was nonexistent. If there is significant stem rise along the sheerline “PITA” was insufficiently expletive.

But I have heard tell of a manufacturer (or 2, 3?) who now use a two piece aluminum gunwale system; a larger outwale part that creates the outer wale and top/underside lip of the gunwale, and a separate inner part that is just a flat canoe length strip of aluminum, with the two sections drilled while sandwiching the sheerline and pop riveted together.

That sure sounds easier to DIY install than a damnable squeezing-closed one piece system.

Did I just dream that? Does such a two piece aluminum gunwale system exist?

If so, which manufacturers use that system?

 

[Alan Gage]

I can help you out on this. Just wait a minute while I drag out the mouse and keyboard for the only computer I have that allows me to enter a reply.......

Bell used to use this style of gunwale. I don't know if Northstar still does or not. I installed them on the first cedar strip I ever built. That was a total PITA only because the extra hull thickness didn't work with the gunwales, which were designed for thin composite hulls. I had to put a metal blade in my table saw and cut/grind/chew off some of that tiny little inwale so that it would fit. But once it did fit I remember it installing without a lot of trouble. I had a couple friends there to lend some extra hands.

The rivets install from the inside and do not show on the outside of the hull (they're hidden inside the hollow outwale).

No experience using that style on a composite hull but if available I think it would be a good route to go. I also liked the Champaign color rather than standard black or silver. Don't know the current color options.

Alan

 

[sailsman63]

Just did a little looking around on Northstar's website. They do seem to be using that style - there's a reference on one page to a "Proprietary Two Piece Gunwale system," and all of their pictures with aluminum gunwales do not have fasteners showing on the outside. Currently, it seems that the only color is "Bronze." The remaining question is whether they would be willing to sell them...