Wilderness-Tripping Canoes
Seliga; Bell Canoe Works; www.bellcanoe.com; Length: 17'; Rocker: Slight; Beam: 36"; Weight: 48 lbs; Price: $2,395
KEVLAR
Seliga, Bell
The best reason to buy a Kevlar canoe is for the light weight. Pound for pound, Kevlar is a remarkably strong material, but the most important thing to remember is that "pound for pound," it's not any lighter than anything else-it's just so much stronger that less of it can be used to build a canoe.
The only real downside of Kevlar is the expense. The same mold used to build a fiberglass boat can be used to build one from Kevlar-the only difference is the material. On average, using Kevlar increases the cost of a canoe by anywhere from 50 to 80 percent over the price of a similar boat made of fiberglass.
Designed by legendary Boundary Waters canoe-builder Joe Seliga, Bell's new Seliga model is a classic tripper: 17 feet long, relatively deep (14"), with minimal rocker. The ends of the boat have a bit of the classic Native American canoe look, giving it a distinctive appearance. On the water, the shallow-arch hull is fast and stable. The relative lack of rocker means the boat is more of a tracker than a turner, but at 17 feet, it still turns relatively easily, especially when counter-leaned.
Bell is currently offering the Seliga only in its KevLight layup, a stiff, ultra-lightweight "skin-coat" construction. With aluminum gunwales, the boat comes in around 41 pounds. Our test canoe was beautifully trimmed in ash, bringing the weight up to around 48 pounds-or a little over half the weight of a polyethylene canoe.
Pros: Light weight, rigid hull, sharp entry lines, UV protection (if gelcoated)
Cons: Expensive, less impact resistance than plastic
User: Canoe tripper who wants the ultimate in performance
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