Bitter cold is setting in and I’m hauling my new canoe 600 miles. Temps will be dropping from 20* F throughout the trip, 20 mph winds. Any danger of cracking the hull with such conditions?
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Happy National Blueberry Pie Day! 🫐🥧
Cold Hauling
- Thread starter Black_Fly
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Yup.
What temperatures does hauling a layup canoe become risky? Are there measures that can mitigate the risk?
Wait till it warms up some?
Following along because it never occurred to me. I am picking up a new Hornbeck the end of February, so this is good to know.
Jim
Jim
Don’t the canoe manufacturers deliver trailer loads of canoes throughout the winter months?
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Original Poster got ran over by a car while riding a bicycle. What’s to keep him from being hit by a logging truck on a snowy/ice covered winter road.
A quick Google search of "Carbon fiber in cold weather" came up with threads from a bunch of sites and general consensus is that Fiberglass, Kevlar and Carbon should be just fine. It seems that cold cracks are MOSTLY in Royalex canoes with aluminum gunwales.
Cars and airplanes are made of carbon fiber and Kevlar.
I don't think anything is going to happen to a carbon/Kevlar canoe on top of a vehicle just because it's cold outside, as long as the canoe is properly cinched at belly, bow and stern against wind lift, lateral movement and yaw.
I don't think anything is going to happen to a carbon/Kevlar canoe on top of a vehicle just because it's cold outside, as long as the canoe is properly cinched at belly, bow and stern against wind lift, lateral movement and yaw.
What's the difference between it strapped to roof racks versus sitting in a cold building? Maybe it could be the compressive stress of the tie downs but seems not that significant.
Although I haven't done it, I have heard where if you have gunwales made from dissimilar materials (including different wood species) from the hull, you should loosen fastener screws for winter storage.
I have never done it either, living in a slightly milder climate, but I've never heard of problems with other than Royalex family canoes in this expansion/contraction issue. If they have pop riveted gunnels, good luck. I have a couple Royalex canoes but store them inside. The building isn't heated but is well insulated, and the inside temp has never been below about 45 to my knowledge. I've never had a problem with any of the boats I have, some of which are 25+ years old. Hey, doesn't mean it doesn't happen in composite or other boats, but I've not heard of it. Anyone else?
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I posted this last Wednesday in another thread. But it might also be relevant here.
Here’s my story about cold cracks in my RX Mad River Explorer.
In the summer of 2008, Kathleen and I moved from near Victoria, to Preeceville, SK, where winter temperatures often dip below -40 degrees.
To prepare for cold winters, I had read that one is supposed to loosen the screws that attach the wooden gunwales to the plastic hull. That way, the hull and gunwales can expand and contract at their own rates. Otherwise, severe cracks in the hull will almost certainly greet the once-proud canoe owner in the spring.
I loosened the gunwale screws at the beginning of winter in 2008. I loosened the gunwale screws at the beginning of winter in
2009. In the fall of 2010, I put the Mad River Explorer in the storage shed, and said to
myself that I would loosen the screws later. I don’t know why I said that. It only takes
about five minutes. But I would have had to walk a couple hundred metres (yards) each
way to get my portable drill. I didn’t want to take the time right then. I would do it later.
Well, later never came. I got busy doing something else. I didn’t loosen the gunwale
screws. In the spring of 2011, I slid back the door to the canoe storage shed, and literally
staggered from the horrific sight. I started counting. Thirty-seven cracks all the way
through the hull of my beloved Mad River Explorer.
This was truly horrible, and I was responsible. Perhaps the worst mistake of my entire
life. I had to rectify this situation. I sent away for a bunch of Kevlar cloth and Cold Cure, a
two-part epoxy. I spent most of a day affixing the Kevlar cloth, inside and out, to all 37
cracks in the hull. In my opinion, the Mad River Explorer, although not as good as new,
was just as seaworthy, lake-worthy or river-worthy as before.
So, after the job was completed, I returned to the house to boast of my success to
Kathleen, knowing that she would be very impressed.
“I can’t trust that boat anymore Michael. You say it had thirty-seven cracks all the way through the hull. What if it breaks
while we’re on a wilderness canoe trip?”
“But it won’t break. It’s just as strong as before. Maybe even stronger. I put Kevlar
cloth on the inside and the outside of every crack.”
“I don’t like it. I don’t want to take a chance.”
There you have it. Kathleen wasn’t happy. I had no choice. I had to buy another canoe.
I called up the primary canoe store in Saskatchewan, Fresh Air Experience, with outlets in
both Saskatoon and Regina. “I’d like to buy a sixteen foot Royalex Mad River Explorer,
with wooden gunwales.”
“We don’t carry Mad River canoes anymore.”
“Well, I need a sixteen foot canoe. What do you have?”
“We have a sixteen foot Royalex Wenonah Prospector in stock. Would you like that?”
I hemmed and hawed for a moment. I loved Mad River Explorers. I’ve owned two in
my life. I couldn’t be changing brands now. But I needed a canoe, and soon. We were
planning to paddle to Grey Owl’s cabin, in Prince Albert National Park in July, to celebrate
our 30th wedding anniversary. I needed a canoe. “OK, I’ll be out tomorrow to get it.”
Note: Back then, I wasn’t aware of sites like canoetripping.net, where I could have received much better advice on how to repair cold cracks. Too late now. I have not paddled the Mad River Explorer ever again. But I remain convinced that it is still serviceable, albeit less elegant. I have found a young family who wants to come get the canoe this spring. I am willing to give it away, But Nathan insists on paying for it. We’ll see what he says when he sees the canoe.
Here’s my story about cold cracks in my RX Mad River Explorer.
In the summer of 2008, Kathleen and I moved from near Victoria, to Preeceville, SK, where winter temperatures often dip below -40 degrees.
To prepare for cold winters, I had read that one is supposed to loosen the screws that attach the wooden gunwales to the plastic hull. That way, the hull and gunwales can expand and contract at their own rates. Otherwise, severe cracks in the hull will almost certainly greet the once-proud canoe owner in the spring.
I loosened the gunwale screws at the beginning of winter in 2008. I loosened the gunwale screws at the beginning of winter in
2009. In the fall of 2010, I put the Mad River Explorer in the storage shed, and said to
myself that I would loosen the screws later. I don’t know why I said that. It only takes
about five minutes. But I would have had to walk a couple hundred metres (yards) each
way to get my portable drill. I didn’t want to take the time right then. I would do it later.
Well, later never came. I got busy doing something else. I didn’t loosen the gunwale
screws. In the spring of 2011, I slid back the door to the canoe storage shed, and literally
staggered from the horrific sight. I started counting. Thirty-seven cracks all the way
through the hull of my beloved Mad River Explorer.
This was truly horrible, and I was responsible. Perhaps the worst mistake of my entire
life. I had to rectify this situation. I sent away for a bunch of Kevlar cloth and Cold Cure, a
two-part epoxy. I spent most of a day affixing the Kevlar cloth, inside and out, to all 37
cracks in the hull. In my opinion, the Mad River Explorer, although not as good as new,
was just as seaworthy, lake-worthy or river-worthy as before.
So, after the job was completed, I returned to the house to boast of my success to
Kathleen, knowing that she would be very impressed.
“I can’t trust that boat anymore Michael. You say it had thirty-seven cracks all the way through the hull. What if it breaks
while we’re on a wilderness canoe trip?”
“But it won’t break. It’s just as strong as before. Maybe even stronger. I put Kevlar
cloth on the inside and the outside of every crack.”
“I don’t like it. I don’t want to take a chance.”
There you have it. Kathleen wasn’t happy. I had no choice. I had to buy another canoe.
I called up the primary canoe store in Saskatchewan, Fresh Air Experience, with outlets in
both Saskatoon and Regina. “I’d like to buy a sixteen foot Royalex Mad River Explorer,
with wooden gunwales.”
“We don’t carry Mad River canoes anymore.”
“Well, I need a sixteen foot canoe. What do you have?”
“We have a sixteen foot Royalex Wenonah Prospector in stock. Would you like that?”
I hemmed and hawed for a moment. I loved Mad River Explorers. I’ve owned two in
my life. I couldn’t be changing brands now. But I needed a canoe, and soon. We were
planning to paddle to Grey Owl’s cabin, in Prince Albert National Park in July, to celebrate
our 30th wedding anniversary. I needed a canoe. “OK, I’ll be out tomorrow to get it.”
Note: Back then, I wasn’t aware of sites like canoetripping.net, where I could have received much better advice on how to repair cold cracks. Too late now. I have not paddled the Mad River Explorer ever again. But I remain convinced that it is still serviceable, albeit less elegant. I have found a young family who wants to come get the canoe this spring. I am willing to give it away, But Nathan insists on paying for it. We’ll see what he says when he sees the canoe.
Made it home fine. Took 26 hours to travel 600 miles. Worse conditions I ever remember hauling a canoe in. Had a tire emergency in sub-zero weather; lost 4 hours at a tire shop. Had to stop last night because I caught up to the back of a slow moving storm in southern Illinois. Could not see road lane markers. Black ice and 35mph winds. 
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Wow what a trip. Glad you are home safe and sound.
Jim
Jim
Wow, the dealer didn’t give you the original sock the canoe came in?
What a trip! That made for some memories!
I'm glad you and the Phoenix made it home OK. As a southern boy, I think that I would have had to wait until Spring or whenever the snow melted off the roads, whichever came first. But heck, they even close or delay the schools down here if it gets below freezing and there is any chance of ice on the roads .
I'm looking forward to seeing photos of your maiden voyage and hope you can find some liquid water soon. I guess that you are looking forward to all that white stuff melting and getting the creeks full; I don't think that I would care to use my Phoenix as an icebreaker.
She's a pretty one. Enjoy her well.
I'm glad you and the Phoenix made it home OK. As a southern boy, I think that I would have had to wait until Spring or whenever the snow melted off the roads, whichever came first. But heck, they even close or delay the schools down here if it gets below freezing and there is any chance of ice on the roads .
I'm looking forward to seeing photos of your maiden voyage and hope you can find some liquid water soon. I guess that you are looking forward to all that white stuff melting and getting the creeks full; I don't think that I would care to use my Phoenix as an icebreaker.
She's a pretty one. Enjoy her well.
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having owned or borrowed and stored dozens of canoes over decades, in everything from aluminium to CF with gunnels of aluminium, vinyl, or various woods in temperatures that can reach as low -40 in the winter to a high of+45C (113F) the only time I've had cold cracks was in an old Coleman poly canoe with aluminium gunnels, but the expansion rate of that plastic was like nothing I'd ever seen- that canoe could grow in length by almost 11/2" just by taking it from a cool basement into a hot, sunny backyard. The fiberglass, expedition kevlar, ultralight kevlar, carbon, or even aluminium would change by less than 1/4"
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