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The Paramount H2O canoe of the century

Glenn MacGrady

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Interesting seats, notched grip handles, gelcoat scheme, and infused lamination.


HERE'S a written review and specs.

Not familiar with this company but it's nice to see new companies with interesting designs, manufacturing techniques and aesthetics.
 
Yeah. I just saw this one yesterday too. I am intrigued by the gelcoated bottom for more abrasion resistance. Seems like a good idea. I just ordered a solo canoe in ultra lite Kevlar layup.. It has a clearcoat finish and I have been toying with the idea of coating the bottom with epoxy and graphite as a "slippery" abrasion coat. Haven't decided on that though.
 
Hemlock Canoe's new lite layup has gelcoat on the bottom only also.
Turtle
 
15' solo 'Helium Carbon/Kevlar' weights in at 38 pounds for $3100. It may be a good idea but it's not on my short list for a new solo.
 
I think all new carbon/Kevlar composite canoes cost $3000+ these days. I can no longer afford them either.

Here's a Hemlock SRT in the new Premium Lite layup: white gelcoat on the bottom and a lighter weight clear gelcoat on top, spruce gunwales, and Conk laminated thwarts and seat. I'd love this boat, but with slotted inwales, small carbon end caps instead of decks, and no gelcoat at all.

premium_lite_model_01.jpg
 
Trying to wrap my mind around how a hull such as the Millbrook boats non-coated glass over kevlar is somehow less abrasion resistant than gel-coat. I have both, and - other than cosmetic appearance - don't see an advantage to gel-coat.
 
Different gel colored waterline "patches" are not new. Mike Galt did them on Special ordered Lotus canoes in the late 80s. Swift has offered special order bottom patches since the mid 90s and Hemlock has offered SO patches since the turn of the millenium. They have been standard on Placid boatworks hulls since 2004 and Colden canoe hulls since 2009. The advantage, when the patch is light toned, is that scratches do not show, and gouge repair is easy as off-white colors need not be sanded out to 2000 grit and polished. Those denying the need to keep hull waterline patches smooth are referred to Winter's the Shape of the Canoe. A secondary benefit is immediate trim analysis; a glance telling most all we need to know about how the hull is trimmed.

Disadvantages include a slight weight increase because the upper color must overspray the patch edge, and the additional time, labor and material costs of taping off the waterline, masking above, spraying the bottom, pulling the mask and tape and cleaning the spray gun before spraying the upper hull in a second gel color, maybe clear.

Strangely chosen demo crew, the stern seemingly incapable of keeping cadence with his bow partner and both indifferent to modern paddle physics / bio-mechanics.?
 
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Trying to wrap my mind around how a hull such as the Millbrook boats non-coated glass over kevlar is somehow less abrasion resistant than gel-coat. I have both, and - other than cosmetic appearance - don't see an advantage to gel-coat.

I've thought the same thing since I got my first Millbrook in 1983. Gelcoat is a net negative in my opinion.

Scrape prevention, blah! We've had composite whitewater boats for more than half a century without gelcoat. Is a lake boat going to be subject to more scrapes, scratches, dings and bangs than a whitewater boat? No.

UV protection, blah! The inside of the canoe gets more sun than the outside hull when you're paddling, and you can cover the bottom of the hull when the canoe is stored.

Three to five pounds (or whatever) of extra weight, BLAAAAAHHHH, NOOOOOO!!!! I don't see the logic of hyping vacuum bagging or especially resin infusion as a way to manufacture lighter canoes and then slathering on a bunch of heavy gelcoat. Thank goodness Millbrook, Wenonah and some other manufacturers make available "skin coat" boats.

I can only assume that manufacturers like gelcoat because they think it adds aesthetics to help sell their $3000+ products. I'd rather save the weight and cost of the gelcoat and use my canoe as a tool and not as a museum exhibit.
 
I paddle a country cousin of this slick looking boat, and no amount of lipstick and rouge could ever protect my bottom (I mean't my boat's bottom) from ugly scratches. A white cosmetic gelcoat idea to disguise the scratches I understand, the actual need for it I don't. The first gnarly angry scratch I found on my hull, had me a bit embarrassed when I laid it aside at the end of a portage. I've moved on since then, in many ways. I try to be tenderly careful with my one and only, but scratches happen. Those 2 tone H2O's are very nice to look at; but with my luck, I'd find the one and only lurking purpley-red rock in all of Ontario, to lay a heart breaking bow to stern screeeech along her derrière. Gelcoat was standard issue, and at 48 lbs I'm not complaining too much. If I can ever convince myself to buy another (non gel) boat, perhaps I will. In the meantime, I've been accidentally shaving off gelcoat weight, one stupid beaver dam at a time.
I appreciate the critiquing; I'm learning a lot.
ps One of my beautifully carved ergo handles snapped. dang! They really are very nice, but I replaced the broken one with a smooth barked maple branch. Not exactly carpentry craftsmanship, but sturdy and functional.
 
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At 1:05 they looked like they where a little shaky. Even I plan to edit better than this with my new GoPro....
 
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