Re: shearwater glass ques

Posted by Dave Kennedy on Jan 27, 2008

If I understand it... you are thinking of an (effective) 8 oz exterior glass ? Thats a lot of unnecessary weight, IMHO.

I think the max puncture proof strength would be reached, or exceeded with only a wood sandwich of 4 oz cloth, inside and out.

Unless you paddle on awfully rough coasts, or down raging rapids...... I think that you would be better served with :

a) carbon / glass on the bottom

b) a wooden rubrail along both sides at the gunwales

c) a brass half oval keel strip fastened along the very bottom with screws into the keel.

I have sailed a small S & G Mirror dinghy along this coast for 22 years ... all the wear is on the paint that is over the brass keel strip, and the varnish along the gunwales from mooring alongside, and docking........ and that has included 2 decades of poor sailors, children, heavy boots, large dogs, and small collisions with mother ships..

The only parts that show wear are the brass keel ( many scratches).... and the gunwales .. they always need varnish.

I cannot imagine what you would have to a kayak to make it wear out more.

In Response to: shearwater glass question by David S. on Jan 27, 2008

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