Wilderness-Tripping Canoes
"THE PLASTICS"
All canoes that look like what you'd essentially think of as "plastic" are generally made from one of two materials. Polyethylene canoes are rotationally molded; that is, a large mold in the shape of a canoe rotates, sloshing the liquid plastic inside into the shape of a canoe. Royalex canoes are molded from flat sheets of laminated ABS plastic, with a vinyl skin on the outside. Both types of plastic share some characteristics, but there are important distinctions as well.
Charles River; Old Town; www.oldtowncanoe.com; Length: 16'2"; Rocker: Slight; Beam: 33"; Weight: 85 lbs; Price: $1,099
POLYETHYLENE
Charles River, Old Town
Old Town, one of the first companies to mass-produce canoes during the wood-and-canvas era, has wholeheartedly embraced the synthetic age, and has been consistently at the forefront of rotomolded canoe design and construction for the past 15 years or so. The Charles River is their latest design in rotomolded polyethylene.
Polyethylene is the same sort of plastic used to make plastic kayaks. The open canoe shape, however, is inherently much less stiff than that of a kayak and so requires some sort of extra stiffening. Old Town accomplishes this by using a multi-step process for rotomolding canoe hulls so that the end result is a three-layer construction, increasing rigidity of the material considerably.
This extra rigidity does come at a price. While polyethylene canoes are the least expensive canoes of sufficient quality to be used on a wilderness trip, they are quite heavy. Additionally, because the boats are 100 percent polyethylene and lack any sort of protective skin, they can be more susceptible to damage from ultraviolet light, especially if stored outside in direct sunlight.
The Charles River is a great example of a state-of-the-art rotomolded polyethylene canoe. The boat paddles smoothly with good glide, minimal hull flex, and good tracking. The ends of the canoe are much more traditional-looking than is typical of most modern canoes and, while eye-catching, are also somewhat wind-catching, especially in a crosswind. The boat remains quite dry in choppy conditions, however, and has ample room for gear. Stability is excellent.
Pros: Less expensive, reasonably stiff hull
Cons: Heavy, more susceptible to UV damage, relatively blunt entry lines
User: The cost-conscious river-running canoe tripper who doesn't plan to portage often!
Want to jump to a specific canoe?
Ojibwe Longnose, Bark Canoe Store
Freedom 17, Mad River
Mackenzie 18-6, Clipper Canoes
Seliga, Bell Canoe Works
PakCanoe 16-5, Pak Boats
Pro Pioneer 16, SOAR Inflatables
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