Royalex is dead?

[Mikey B]

According to Rapid Magazine it looks like things could really change in the WW canoe realm?
http://www.rapidmedia.com/canoeing/cate ... -dead.html

[2opnboat1]

This could be a great thing or it might kill off long boats

[hazardharry]

regulations ,taxes ,fines ,fees and the weakening of the american dollar and another manufacturing facillity is closing down...don't get me to trolling now... maybe the canadian goverment can buy the line as a strategic material? america is in a sad state. http://youtu.be/oBMKQQCbN-E" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[milkman]

Holy crap this is bad news. As much as we diss Royalex from time to time, it's still the best canoe material for boats over 10 feet.

[busterblue]

Maybe the long boats will live on as Royalite (R84)? Or is that produced by the same company?

[milkman]

Here's the press release from PolyOne on buying Spartech:

Spartech is now PolyOne. We have come together to help our valued customers innovate, reach new markets, operate more efficiently, and grow their business.

Customers can now tap our unparalleled expertise in polymer science and formulation, and can take full advantage of our unmatched portfolio of specialized polymer materials, services and solutions, wherever they may operate around the globe.

The Spartech Custom Sheet & Rollstock and Packaging Technologies businesses have become a new specialty business segment at PolyOne - Designed Structures and Solutions (DSS). Within this new segment are:

Custom Engineered Structures - formerly Spartech Custom Sheet & Rollstock
Packaging Solutions - formerly Spartech Packaging Technologies

The current Spartech Color & Specialty Compounds business has become part of PolyOne's existing specialty business segments, including PolyOne Global Color, Additives & Inks and PolyOne Global Specialty Engineered Materials.

As we move forward with the integration of our organizations, please be assured that customer needs will continue to be our top priority.

I wonder who the customers are that PolyOne is promising to make their needs the top priority? Shareholders? Certainly not canoe manufacturers.

[2opnboat1]

No such luck Buster they are made in the same plant at the same time

[Trex]

Does this affect Esquif also? With the cost of moving stuff back and forth across the US/Canadian border I'm hoping they have a supplier in Canada.

[Shep]

If it says Royalex, or Royalite, it is Poly One, and it is effected.

[sbroam]

Even if somebody buys this line of business, canoes will not get cheaper... Will this breathe new life into Twintex? Composite boats? or finally spark some innovation in materials?

[Sneau_X]

PolyOne purchase Spartec a while ago. All ABS sheets are manufacture by them, Royalex, Royalex Lite, Royalex Plus and R-84, only one manufacture that makes ABS in the world. Did you know that they've increase the price almost 20% a few months after they acquired it? PolyOne makes thousand of part from transportation, Aeronautique, Aerospacial and more, obviously ABS is not profitable. For someone else to start making ABS it would be extremely expensive and they will have a large overhead to support. From good source there might be another manufacture that did contact PolyOne to inquiry if the ABS line is available, at this point i don't know more than that. Alternative, well for the small boats Esquif make some really nice and durable Canoe, the L'Edge might not be for everyone, but this could be the leader of its kind for plastic solo. Kayak were always make of Poly, my first WW kayak was a 14' Dancer that was supper tough. For the longer boat Composite will be the choice for paddler that can maneuver down a WW river and the Yahoo (paddler that just go down and don't really know what they are doing) can then turn to Poly Link, SP3, Explorer or Discovery material that are all Polyethylene. I would suggest that if you want to invest you should consider buying ABS canoes now from a dealer or manufacture, they should be on sale now, or try to get demo, rental, 2nd or used one, if you don't use it, in 2 years you might double your money selling it.

[Mr.DeadLegs]

So what about TwinTex, yea I know there was a cracking issue with the Zephyr but does the Homes crack as well or is it partially a design flaw? I would love to see some lightweight tripper/WW boats in the stuff. Would the manufacturing process even come close to working or is it a complete retooling from Royalex?

[ian123]

The issues with the zehphyrs has been largely resolved. They also come with anchors points molded inot the hull which eliminates the issues with getting patches to stick.

Esquif also sells a tripper in the same material.

[milkman]

Surely there must be one billionaire among all us open boaters who can buy the Royalex plant and keep the canoe companies stocked.

[Einar]

My royalex Viper 11 finally gave up the ghost, flexed like a bedroom slipper.
So I junked it and hauled out my kevlar glass Viper 11.

Now, after two seasons of pushing kevlar it needed $200 of repairs, mostly abrasions on the chine, nothing drastic. It is back on the river running 4's. On Staircase Rapid/Payette/ID I hit a rock right on the nose, full stop, and not a dent or crack.

Royalex is great.... but so is glass. Maybe better!