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You must know more about sailing
Posted by: g2d
on Dec-12-12 1:08 AM (EST)
canoes than I do, but regarding the Mohawk models, the Blazer would be OK. They don't show the Ranger, but if it is a Jensen design, it is likely to have less rocker than the Blazer. Adequate rocker is important in a sailing canoe.
Regarding hull stiffness, Royalex, fiberglass, and glass/carbon/Kevlar hulls may be stiff or may be flexy, depending on the number and nature of cloth layers in the layup, the hull cross section, tricks in the shape of the hull, the number of thwarts, and additions such as vertical supports from thwarts to the hull bottom.
I found the following statement in the Mohawk online catalog puzzling. Regarding Mohawk fiberglass hulls: "Lighter and more durable than Royalex or rotationally molded Polyethylene, a little heavier and more resilient than Kevlar."
You should take that statement as applying only to Class Five's work, if that. They started as a very sophisticated composite whitewater boat builder. But fiberglass boats are not necessarily lighter than similar Royalex boats, and fiberglass is usually stiffer and more brittle than a layup using Kevlar.
For your use, fiberglass may be fine. But if Class V does a top class, thin fiberglass layup, you may want to try some stiffening tricks. Look me up if you get into that. I might have some suggestions.
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