Why no Polyethylene/Plastic watercraft?
- Thread starter MarshRat
- Start date
I have a cousin that owns one of those ... she loves it, but doesn't use it to fish.National Geographic's February, 2023 magazine has a report "The Future is Folded" and how origami from early history and how this art form is being utilized in high tech ways. Included is a couple pages on:
Folded kayaks! Fascinating. Check your kayak onto Delta's flight.
cdnred
Life of the Party
I see that a lot of (older) folk mentioning having issues with loading a kayak or canoe on top of their vehicles. I saw a while back that Thule has a roof rack to help ease lifting the kayak on top the vehicle. The system is rather spending to purchase but it's another option that's available. You'd still need to load the kayak or canoe into the saddles but raising or lowering the rest of the way would be easier. The only issue is that you wouldn't be able to drive into the garage while the rack was still on the vehicle. This Thule is geared more for kayaks but I'm sure it could be adapted for canoes unless there's weight restrictions that come into play, I believe it can lift up to 75lbs..?
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My sister uses this rack for her sea kayak. She just turned 81.
cdnred
Life of the Party
You're never too old...
This rack must help her immensely with loading/unloading her kayak at her age..
My comments may upset a few people, sorry in advance. I think of polyethylene vessels as a disposable item. They are largely difficult if not impossible to repair. I prefer fiberglass boats. They can require a little maintenance to the gelcoat or paint, usually doesn't amount to much. If by some chance you do have a serious failure it can be repaired back to an original condition. I have been around boats, building and repairing them for 60 years. One thing I hate to see or hear, rather it is wood, fiberglass, polyethylene or aluminum is someone dragging their boat over the ground.
This is my Backwater in the back of Yukon XL.. @58# I can get it in by myself, once boat is unloaded. Have had zero issues/maintenance for four years. Mounted lots of Scotty mounts for anchors, rod holders, Striker 4, cigar tray, drink holders etc. Boat does have a hard plastic strip down the keel that takes all the dragging abuse, and also have a kayak cart held on with cam straps.
Attachments
A barren concrete launch ramp I often use offers two choices - the ramp or the rocks on either side of it. Having epoxied 20 oz 6" fibreglass tape 'landing strips' to the V apex of each hull of my Sportcat, always fun to watch folks cringe when they hear the sound of glass landing on concrete. Several dozen landings to date on those strips and they remain undamaged aside from a few nicks. Easy to redo if neccessary.
I try to avoid the concrete ramps as best I can and launch and pull my boat out on the gravel or sand next to the ramp. I cringe every time I hear my boat contact the bottom, but you got to do what you got to do if you want to fish.
TheFlyFishingFilmmaker
Steelhead
That's what duct tape and cam straps are for ... tie up the kid first, throw them in the van, THEN load the boat.
As to loading, it's pretty easy to do it solo. But you have to be able to get the canoe up on your shoulders by yourself, which is more about technique than strength. Then when you get to your car just rest the bow of the canoe gently on the back of your car, get out from underneath it and then just grab the back and lift it up on to the bars and slide it up.
TheFlyFishingFilmmaker
Steelhead
Before you give up canoes you could also look at a kevlar layup. Probably get down into the 30-40lb range.
If I had a pile of money for a boat I wouldn't use a ton, I would 100% get one of those kevlar canoes. Very cool and light.
At a certain point in time, technique alone doesn't cut it, and strength also matters. My canoe is about 75 pounds and feels significantly heavier than it used to.
TheFlyFishingFilmmaker
Steelhead
I hear ya, we used to have a fiberglass sea clipper that was close to 80 pounds, we upgraded to a kevlar version of the same boat and shaved it down to like 65lbs. But my wife still can't load it by herself.
I fish my polyethylene kayaks pretty hard, drag them up over all sorts of stuff. We've had them over ten years. I'll be the first to admit if it fails I am not going to be sad about looking at buying a different version (my yaks just don't seem to die). Meaning it is pretty easy to outgrow what worked for you in your 40s and need something a mite different as you move through your 50s and beyond. If I did get a hole in them, probably think about cutting up and tossing it in the recycle bin.
Depending on the location of a leak in a poly kayak, as well as the type of poly, holes are quite reparable.
That said, while we don't wantonly abuse our SOTs, we don't baby them. They're kinda like one of those old Coleman canoes....we've got a 17' Coleman that we've owned for over 40 years....that's been everywhere.
Good SOT kayaks are damn tough, very reasonably priced, and worst case a replacement would just mean an even better kayak, selected from a huge number of makes and models.
For stillwater, I've seen a lot of people using Walker Bay 8ft dinghy. They're a plastic boat sold by West Marine. Reasonably priced and manageable by one person. Slides into a truck bed. They also make a 10ft one. Seem well built..
