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Used kevlar canoes - what to inspect for?

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I'm likely going to check out a used kevlar canoe listed online by a private seller. It belonged to the seller's mother and it sounds like he doesn't know much about it or maybe canoes in general. It's a Rainbow Boatworks canoe so it must be 30-40 yrs old. I've never owned or paddled a kevlar boat and likely won't have a chance to put it in the water before buying. What should I be looking for as I check out this boat? I don't care much about looks, I just want a lighter boat to solo than my current royalex tandems (which this boat may not be, at 17ft of kevlar vs 15 ft of royalex).

When it comes to kevlar, what's a cosmetic problem (fine) and what's a structural or functional problem (I'm not looking to get into repairing kevlar).
 
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(I deleted your duplicate thread.)

Rainbow Boatworks was Dan Wing in Vermont, who made mostly flatwater and whitewater racing canoes in the 1970's and 1980's, often custom canoes. Probably was out of business by 1990 or so. So this is an old canoe.

If this is a racing canoe, it may or may not be what you like for recreational use or tripping. Flatwater racers can be narrow, delta-shaped, no-rockered and tippy, but they also can be quite light and fragile. Maybe Rainbow made some 17' recreational canoes, but I'm just not sure. The flatwater Rainbow canoes I recall seeing in person or pictures are sit & switch type hulls with tractor seats, rather than kneeling hulls with bench seats. You can only look and try it out if possible.

Such an old boat is likely to have damage to the wood that will need fixing.

As to the Kevlar hull, it depends on whether it's been stored inside or outside. I have Kevlar hulls that old that are okay. Stored outside, especially if uncovered, and especially if it has no gelcoat as many racing canoes don't, it likely has UV damage, which will show itself first as chalky oxidation. This can be polished off and/or made to look better with Penetrol.

Otherwise, look for obvious things like cracks, tears, delamination, mildew, an abundance of repairs, a hogged bottom, or a generally very dried out feel rather than a solid and springy feel to the Kevlar.
 
Thanks, Glenn - super helpful response. I'm willing to trade fragility for a weight savings and maybe a little glide, and the intended use is flatwater day cruising - I'm keeping my royalex boat for times I need more durability, but I tire of hefting it on and off the car, and at 36" beam and only 15ft long I wouldn't mind something a little sleeker. The pics, which are blurry, do show caned bench seats, so I wonder if it actually was one of the few rec boats them made. We'll see what I find when I get there! Thanks again for the tips (and for deleting the duplicate post - sorry about that!)
 
As the owner of several Kevlar ultralight canoes, I would look out for deep scratches that expose the kevlar fabric. If it has them you should repair them with epoxy before putting the canoe in water.

Jack L
 
My all-time favorite canoe was a Sawyer Charger in kevlar from 1978. It was 18 1/2 feet, deep, and carried a load. It would shed waves and was not that beamy. It was fast. But after awhile the boat started to fall apart. It had seem some abuse. The kevlar was not the bright gold color but kind of faded looking and had sun exposure.

I took this boat on some long trips in rough water. After some years, I was paddling it on a calm lake and it literally start to crack and break. It was horrifying. I learned that even kevlar has a useful life and does not last forever. I put a new floor in it and sold it. I told the new owner that it was from 1976 and should not be used in rough water.

Press on the boat from the outside. It should be flexible but not brittle. Look for soft spots. Inspect for damage and old repairs. A kevlar boat with life left in it, has a certain feel to it. An old brittle one should be avoided. Beware of sun fading evidence and sun damage.
 
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