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Had to get a Yak - Blue Steel: Meh.

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Nov 14, 2018
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Heart of the Shawnee Nation
After 3 trips down the river I’m repairing a chip in my NC Prospector. I was pinballing through a few fast and nasty rock gardens this last trip. The Blue Steel is okay, but NOT the new Royalex. So, I got a yak to do low water runs. Can’t fit my dog though. Have to figure out how to tie my cart on the deck too. I see skid plates in the future. 2F053B69-98E0-40EE-8366-A38B66F8A8D7.jpeg
 
Not sure how a skid plate is gonna save you and your bluesteel arse in a rock garden. Better to just walk it. I'd live with the scratches and remember the fun you had.
 
Meh, No dis, but your expectations of composites might be a little high.
Canoes look better with scratches.
 
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It’s definitely a high water boat. I don’t mind superficial scratches, but big chunks are concerning. The water is fast AND deep with big rocks that come from nowhere, just under the surface, strainers and sweeps aplenty. I could line through some, walk where there’s shallows. More fun to run them, sometimes necessary due to obstacles. I wish the level was more stable. Oh well, September they’ll raise it back to composite canoe level. Yak until then.
 
Sounds like a nice stretch of river. Good to hear you're having fun exploring it. Extra nice if the pooch can come along. I agree, I'd save the kev Prosp for deeper flat water.
 
Clear coat carbon fiber or carbon/aramid weave is the worst for showing scratches. Clear coat white scratches on a black hull are neon glaring.

But, in reality, they are functionally no worse than other scratches. Our red gel coat Monarch has 10,000 scratches, and some repaired chips and dings, nearly every one put there by me, half of them from just two particularly tough trips. I’d rather own the Monarch scratched than unscratched. Bought “used” it was nearly pristine. Not for long.

I often wish I had a modern lightweight carbon kevlar beauty. I doubt I ever will, but if new it will have a white bottom to help hide the scratches. And I’d still turn to one our Royalex beaters for shallow water creek bashing.

Provided I could carry it the required distances.

Put more scratches and dings in that Blue Steel (Prospector?). Trade the kayak for a beater Royalex solo for day tripping shallows and take the pooch.
 
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