Wilderness-Tripping Canoes

"THE COMPOSITES"
Fiberglass and Kevlar canoes (together referred to as "composites") offer both advantages and disadvantages over the "plastics." The molding process for composite canoes allows a very sharp entry, and the hulls can be made very stiff. Kevlar has an additional advantage in that it is so strong that quite a bit less of it can be used to build a canoe, lightening the overall weight of the finished product significantly.

18-6 MacKenzie; Clipper Canoes; www.clippercanoes.com; Length: 18'6"; Rocker: Moderate; Beam: 37.5"; Weight: 72 lbs; Price: $1,895

FIBERGLASS
18-6 MacKenzie, Clipper
Fiberglass is a somewhat generic term, not unlike the word metal. Metal can refer to anything from tin to titanium, and we all know there's a world of difference between the two. The same is true of fiberglass-shower stalls and bathtubs are made out of cheaper layups with a very high ratio of resin to glass strands ("tin"), whereas quality canoes are constructed of tightly woven cloth saturated with just enough resin to soak the material and make it rigid ("titanium"). Unfortunately, because of a multitude of cheap fiberglass boats in the world, fiberglass generally gets a bum rap in canoe construction. For the non-whitewater recreational canoeist, it's probably the most undersold material on the market.

Western Canoeing & Kayaking, located in Abbotsford, British Columbia, has been building canoes under the Clipper brand for more than 25 years. Their lineup includes a wide variety of "composite" canoes, constructed of both fiberglass and Kevlar.

The 18-6 MacKenzie made available for this review was constructed in the company's standard fiberglass layup. Though not as light as the Kevlar version the company also offers, it is a very durable layup, and ours was quite light for such a long boat. Our test boat weighed in at only 72 pounds, coming in well under the advertised weight of 82 pounds. The MacKenzie is also quite stiff (the hull is reinforced with laminated foam ribs and floor), the stiffest boat paddled for this review.

Speed and tracking in such a long boat are every bit as good as would be expected, but what is most surprising is the relative ease with which the boat can be turned. Our test canoe was outfitted with tractor-style seats, which were comfortable, but standard cane or web seats are also available. For the flatwater canoe tripper who won't be seeing much whitewater action, it's hard to beat a fast, affordable design like the 18-6 MacKenzie.

Pros: Rigid hull, sharp entry lines, moderate weight and price, UV protection
Cons: Not as light as Kevlar, less impact resistance
User: Flatwater canoe tripper

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