Canoe types

Wood/canvas canoes reigned supreme until the end of World War Two, when the technicians in the Grumman Aircraft Company turned their aluminum airplane making talents to canoe-building. This signalled the beginning of a revolution in the construction of canoes which continues with various types of fibreglass canoe, the plastic canoe and Kevlar canoes and those made from other fancy, modern fibres such as graphite, carbon and Royalex.

Wood canoes
The nicest to look at but the most expensive. Lapstrake canoes built along the lines perfected by classic canoe craftsman J. Henry Rushton are classic, expensive and fragile. Wood canoe building kits are available for ambitious home handy persons to build "stripper" canoes which are similar to the all-wood canoes of the past, except that the thin planks of cedar are covered with transparent layers of fibreglass.

Wood/canvas canoes
At one time these canoes were used for all purposes, from whitewater paddling to ocean freighting. But they are more easily damaged and require annual maintenance. They are quiet in the water, stay cool in the hot sun and have centuries of tradition. Shapes include the Peterborough Champlain and the Chestnut Prospector.

Aluminum canoes
These are virtually indestructible canoes made from identical halves of moulded aluminum alloy joined by a keel with stem plates riveted over a seam the length of the craft.

Other metals are used to give the light metal strength. The best aluminum canoes are made from alloy 6061-T4, containing magnesium and silicon which is heat hardened. Cheaper boats are often made from a cold-formed alloy called 5052-H32 which is softer and weaker that the heat tempered alloys. Watch out though, all aluminium boats seem to get stuck to rocks. The are also cold in spring and hot in summer and noisy all the time!

Fibreglass canoes
Fibreglass is a generic term describing canoes which are made from plastic resin reinforced with fibres of glass and other materials.
When resins like polyester, inyl or epoxy are used with woven cloth they can combine to a high quality canoe.
Fiber cloth offers a higher glass-to-resin ratio and strength than the chopped strand.
This type of canoe is cheap but check the build quality to ensure your new canoe will last.

Kevlar canoes
Like fibreglass, Kevlar is woven from a fibre developed by the Dupont company as a tire cord. Kevlar 49 provides the canoe manufacturer with seemingly the best of two world's: strength without weight. It is as strong as steel and it is expensive.
Kevlar's major features are its light weight, abrasion resistance and its resistance to tearing. It can be punctured and damaged like most cloths so it is often considered over-rated.

Royalex canoes
Royalex is the trade name for a wonder material made by Uniroyal and popular with Whitewates canoes. Uniroyal makes Royalex sheets especially for companies like Mad River and Old Town, who in turn heat the material and mould it by vacuum wrapping around their chosen design. When gunwaled with wood or vinyl-covered aluminum these canoes can be bent, folded and generally abused with only minimal hull damage. They also tend to slide, rather than stick to rocks. They are also heavy on land and slow in the water, but the durability ot Royalex canoes make them the most popular in whitewater and canoe tripping.

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Choosing a canoe
There are over 950 models to chose from so it is no easy task. Construction materials include carbon fibre, wood and canvas, strips of cedar, polyethylene, aluminium and fibreglass.
Make sure you buy the right type of canoe by following our simple tips:

• How you will use your canoe? The shape, size, and way it is built all suit different requirements.First chose between lake paddling and river paddling, or both?
• Will you paddle solo, tandem or triple?
• Will you perform long journeys?
• Will you be portaging (carrying the craft), and how heavy a boat can you carry?
• How much maintenance do you want to do?
• Is your main interest whitewater playboating and rodeo paddling?
• Will you use your canoe mainly for fishing or hunting?
• Do you want a canoe for casual use around your holiday home?
  
  

Now you know which group you fall into:

• lake Touring
• whitewater touring
• flatwater port-wildlife viewing
• expedition paddling
• fishing and hunting
• whitewater playboating and rodeo

Now you just need to choose the length, width, shape, and build type of your hull!

Type of construction
Expedition and whitewater canoes need to be strong to stand up to the effects of river environments, whereas lake touring and sport canoes should be strong and carry the load but light enough to be easily portaged. Touring and sport canoes are best with hulls made from Kevlar with woodcomponents such as and seats to keep down the weight.
Expedition and whitewater canoes are best made from Royalex, polyethylene, or Kevlar - with vinyl-clad aluminum gunwales for strength.

Most importantly
Try out the canoe before you buy it!
Try doing the same things in each hull to work out the responsiveness of your craft. Load it up and find out how it affects performance.
Importantly, choose a dealer who is and experienced canoeist in order that you get a qualified opinion. Don't be the novice canoest that chooses poorly and the boat ends up in the garage longer than it spends on the water!

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