Saturday, March 29, 2014

End of Days (Paddling Part 3)

... hope not, but for now the current (and only) company, 'PolyOne', that produces the composite material 'Royalex' (an 'ABS' foam/hard plastic laminate with vinyl "skin", all bonded together by heat treatment) will cease production next month (April, 2014)... since the late 1970's (1978 to be exact), this material IS what whitewater canoes (hell, any good canoe) are made of...

... extremely durable material, with a lot of "flex" (for want of a better expression) - you can practically wrap 'em around a rock or a tree and they'll (most of the time) pop back in to shape - was a big deal back in the day, as wrapped and abandoned aluminum canoes (and fiberglass kayaks) were a common site on most whitewater rivers - some were permanent fixtures for several years before washing away (... 'yea - head down river for about another mile and it's just past the black kayak wrapped around the tree on shore to your right!"...) - that's buddy Matt above bustin' 'Double Hydraulic' rapid - paddling an old 'Dagger Impulse'...

... again, somewhere else along the 'Lower Yough'...

... one more time...

... and lastly playin' around in the "surf"...

... the red 'Impulse' (above) was purchased quite a while back along with the (previous) green boat - has seen probably more than a hundred river trips over the years - other than a ton of scrapes and scratches and a few small dents and "dimples", both are still in pretty good shape - still paddle 'em regularly, albeit infrequently, now'days... that's a lot newer 'Mad River Outrage X' below - a slightly softer "chine" (cross-sectional hull geometry) boat than the 'Impulse' and slightly more responsive - great boat as well...

...  watch too many on-line videos of these new guys now'days - they make this sh*t look too easy, and I know better than that - especially that guy 'Tommy Hagg' from eastern PA - tons of good paddlers from this state - gotta see for myself (but ain't gonna' do it in a day, know that as well, too) - so, picked this up just two years ago out of interest - a 'Mohawk Maxim' - man, definitely high performance and a handful to get used to - short at 8'-10" length - combined with the hard chine (almost square) planing hull, this thing will lay on it's side in the water - pretty much how ya' gotta' paddle it...

... same boat - better view of the geometry - so responsive that it is very easy to overpower that thing - usually just need a slight sweep or pry of the paddle blade - definitely makes playboating, and even Class II water interesting - and definitely a "charger" when ya' get it movin' down river - haven't messed with it a whole lot as yet, but considering some negative comments from some experienced (old fart) paddlers after only a "test ride" (... "that boat sucks!!"...) am now more amped than ever to "get it up and running" (wish I had about ten years credit to cash in, however - definitely feel "old and beat up" now'days to 'rassle' with this thing)...

... anyway, considering that all these boats may soon become "obsolete", discovered that these guys, 'Nova Craft Canoe', recently began "re-manufacturing" the old, classic 'Dagger Ocoee'- design boats (pictured) - picked one up for "old time sake" - can't wait to rig it and get it out on the water - three inches narrower than the "original", so will be interested to see how it paddles...

"... man, ceasing production of Royalex is no big deal!... this is America, man!!... someone will come out with something new and ten times better!!!..." - twenty years ago would have totally trusted that comment... ten years ago, OK... currently not so sure... may be wrong...

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