semdoug wrote:Though I'm wondering if any manufactures have considered using the material (is it PE?) cutting boards are made of. I've seen it used for rub rails in the marine industry and it appears to hold up well.
Yes... I have
They make it in square bar of various sizes. I've looked into it several times after making the Taureau cockpit rim. The only issue would be that a wood/metal screw would strip the material fairly easy so to do it properly each hole would have to be drilled and tapped for a machine style screw or have a nut of some type on the opposing side. It's way too labor intesive.
edit... it isn't exactly light either nor is it UV resistant... in comparison.
Wood looks better anyways.
Last edited by Craig Smerda on Tue Jun 30, 2009 8:45 pm, edited 2 times in total.
I'd want the vinyl rails. I do a lot of winter paddling and don't want to worry about loosening screws to keep from cracking the wood. The vinyl rails on the Esquif Prelude are perfectly fine in my opinion.
We don't have the winters you all do but I have never had anything but wooden gunnels and we never losen them up( and don't tighten them as often as we should. Again I ain't in your shoses but the weight difference and appearances along would make it worth the 30 minutes it takes, but then again we boat as much in Jan as we done in July so I guess I ain't really in no position to say anything.
dont think you would have to losen em anyways- just royalex canoes you hve to worry about it . I understand L'Edge will be plastic
send me one with wood gunnels and I'll test it out for ya all
my preference would be open w/wood gunwales, but if it's true about only having an inch of water in the boat after a roll, and you need decks to do that, i'll take the decks too. just have to come up with a way to quickly install/remove them.
I want one with decks. I like not having to maintain my Taureau and I never have to worry about the bags being worn by the lacing while on the road. I show up and can be in the water before the yakers. They never have to wait for me to inflate my bags.
No after you cut the deck out, and installed wood gunnels on both the inside and out the cut outs will fit over and cover the inside gunnel, this is what you would secure the deck back down too. I figure I will go this route and will more than likely keep cuttin them down about six inch at a time till I decided I have them where the lenght I want, well the truth of the matter is I will proberly decide I cut them one time too many and wish they were six inches longer. Of course I will have too leave enought so Andrew can put me in some of those really cool deck hatches, I mean just in case I am too lazy to reach up under the deck to get the safety bag out.
kaz why stop at 10.000 we talk about your boat this much, don't we? Think about poor old Phill in Alabama, we don't talk about his boats at all, just him.
looie if the bag lacing went through holes drilled in the hull just below the gunwales, you could slide the plates under the gunwales but on top of the lacing. then just need a way to keep them there