Sportspal vrs Fiberglass

HI, I do alot of rough fishing over trees, stumps, beaver dams (I think you get the picture). For years I've used a 14' Sportspal canoe but the thing leaks real bad. Caulking comes off when I do over the first tree/stump.

Does anyone know if fiberglass would be a better bet or is there something better.

Thanks

ABS would be a good choice for such rough usage.

Would that be considered the same as Fiberglass? What would a 14' ABS cost.. Do they have models that are wide so as to be stable enough for fishing etc.?

Thanks, Boomer

Unfortunately, they are more expensive. But they are practically indestructable (used for white water all the time). They come in lots of sizes & shapes - you are sure to find one good for fishing.

I see you're from Ottawa (I Kanata ehhh I mean Ottawa doh) any idea where and how much?

Thanks, Boomer

I'm not sure if you are asking about fiberglass as a replacement canoe or as a material for mending your Sportspal.

If you are considering a mending material for aluminum you might like to try a product available at hardware stores called Super-Mend. It is a 2 part system like epoxy and it has worked great as a repair on my 14' aluminum boat for several years now and this boat gets some hard use. It is not too aesthetically pleasing but then again it is an aluminum canoe. I know. I have a 17' Lund.

Anyway, this way you could possibly repair your boat for less than $15 and still have a 30 lb. boat that you could fling around.

Best of luck.

Any further questions e-mail me. For < $20 it might be worth a try. I am sure that it won't come off like caulking.

Check out the Old Town site. Their ABS boats are known to be the strongest hull on the planet. We have a Discovery 169 that has been severely abused for 5 years and we've never had a problem. We do a lot of river paddling and don't baby our gear. That convinced me. Regards John

I bought one at an auction that had seen hard use as an outfitter canoe. Then I gave it hard use for over 10 years (my way of taking it off the car roof was to lift it sideways, look at the ground to see that there weren't any sharp rocks, drop it over and drag it to the river) of 40 or more days a year and it was still good enough to hand on to a friend. OTs may be a bit slower than comparable wood canoes (well, a lot), but they're not much slower than glass and they're sturdier than anything.

Do you have a URL for them? How much would a 14' - 15' run me? Are they sold in Ottawa area? Last question... how heavy would a 14' or 15' be....?

Hi, Old Town makes a 12' solo canoe, called the Pack. I own one and they are very light, made of Oltmar/Roylex, great for your fishing, easy to portage if needed.

Old Town address is: www.oldtowncanoe.com

Hope this is of help.

CanoeArt

Never be afraid to try something new.

Remember, amateurs built the ark.

Professionals built the Titanic........................Art