I applied the sample KeelEazy strip to the stern of my Kevlar canoe. Years of abuse have worn through the gelcoat  into the keel area. The Kevlar was fuzzing up, which makes it difficult to repair. Since the stern of my canoe sees the most wear and tear, I decided to cover the section that looked the worst and head out on a 17-day paddling trip on the BWCA Border Route.

Application of the strip was easy. To apply, clean the area with rubbing alcohol or acetone, peel the blue backing from the tape, and then stick it to the hull. I used a hair drier to get the KeelEazy to conform to the shape of my keel. It seemed to stretch and change shapes easily. KeelEazy recommends applying it in 70 degree weather. I live in northern Minnesota, and we get that temperature for one month out of the year. September isn’t it, so I used the hairdryer to heat the tape up.

During the trip, I did my normal get-out-of-the-boat-and-pull-the-boat-onto-shore portage routine which tends to scuff up the stern keel area. I also ran several miles of bony whitewater fully loaded. After the trip, I inspected the KeelEazy strip. It showed some creases and scratches where rocks had run across it, and the forward section had chipped in places (see picture). It seemed to hold up satisfactory, but I wasn’t pleased with the chipping.

Will it replace a fiberglass keel strip? At this point, it’s hard to say. For the BWCA and flat water canoe trips, I’m sold on the product. It’s lighter, easier to apply and probably produces less resistance than a Kevlar skid plate. Plus it looks better. I’m much rougher on my kayaks and would need to test it out over a season. My main concern is impact resistance. A Kevlar or glass keel strip offers some impact resistance, but the tape doesn’t offer any. I’m still not sold on the claim that it’s 14 times more abrasion resistant than a composite keel strip.

At $78 for an 18 foot kayak kit, it’s more expensive than if I bought fiberglass and did a fiberglass keel strip myself. If the 2-inch tape cost only $2 to $3 per foot, it would be a no-brainer to recommend, but right now, you can make your own fiberglass kayak keel strip for less than it would cost for a KeelEazy keel strip. If you don’t care about that and just want something that’s easy-to-apply, then KeelEazy might be exactly what’s needed assuming it lives up to the abrasion resistance claim.

KeelEazy Responds:

It was interesting to read your review. A couple of comments I’d like to followup with.

Regarding the chipping, it’s not completely surprising that there would be chips on the leading edge of the strip (to the right in your picture). As you are pulling (or paddling) the boat over rocks, the edge of the strip is going to hit the rock. Since that edge has glue all of the way to the edge, it sticks up and is going to occasionally catch on a rock. In that situation, a sharp rock could catch and cut off a bit of the strip, and I suspect that is what happened. If the strip were applied down the entire length of the hull, there wouldn’t be an edge like this to catch.

By the way, the sides of the strip do not have adhesive all of the way to the edges. When the KeelEazy strip is applied, especially when applied with a little heat and a roller, the adhesive will spread towards the edges. This actually pulls the edges down tighter against the hull of the boat, so there is less to catch.

It was interesting to read your review.  A couple of comments I’d like
to followup with.

Regarding the chipping, it’s not completely surprising that there
would be chips on the leading edge of the strip (to the right in your
picture).  As you are pulling (or paddling) the boat over rocks, the
edge of the strip is going to hit the rock.  Since that edge has glue
all of the way to the edge, it sticks up and is going to occasionally
catch on a rock.  In that situation, a sharp rock could catch and cut
off a bit of the strip, and I suspect that is what happened.  If the
strip were applied down the entire length of the hull, there wouldn’t
be an edge like this to catch.

By the way, the sides of the strip do not have adhesive all of the way
to the edges.  When the KeelEazy strip is applied, especially when
applied with a little heat and a roller, the adhesive will spread
towards the edges.  This actually pulls the edges down tighter against
the hull of the boat, so there is less to catch.

This article originally appeared on PaddlingLight.com. Leave a comment and an opinion by clicking through here: Initial KeelEazy Review: an Easy-to-Apply Kayak Keel Strip

The stickers I tested come as a set of two, mirror images cut from commercial-grade decal vinyl with the color going all the way through. You apply one sticker to each side of the boat, and the industrial strength adhesive makes sure it doesn’t come off. The application instructions that come with the stickers are thorough and provide enough tips that even an amateur sticker applier like me can stick it on perfectly. I really appreciated that the sticker package included a squeegee, which meant that I didn’t need to buy one.

To put the stickers on, you clean the surface on the canoe or kayak and heat it to 70 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Since, I live in the northland and since we haven’t seen temps above 50 this year, I used a hair dry to heat up the boat’s surface. Then you peel the backing, which exposes the sticky side. Carefully put it on the boat and squeegee it smooth before peeling off pre-mask material. When finished it looks fantastic.

Of the two sizes that I tried, I liked the 5-inch size better. It seemed to be more my size. The 8-inch version works best on canoes, because kayaks don’t have the room for it to fit. I got a turtle and a bear. Ilena likes turtles, so we put that one on her kayak. The black color matches the seam and keel strip. If you’re not sure about what color to order, Kanuyak provides a fun color selector that shows different color canoes with different color stickers.

These stickers are fun and inexpensive. Well worth checking out.

Kanuyak Canoe and Kayak Decal | 5-inch $12.95 | 8-inch $19.95 | More Info

This article originally appeared on PaddlingLight.com. Leave a comment and an opinion by clicking through here: Kanuyak Canoe and Kayak Decal Review

Bell Magic Kevlar canoe on Bald Eagle Lake in the BWCA.

For seven years, I worked for a sporting good chain that carried Bell. I remember the first few that we brought them into the store. The wood work, the lay-ups, the unique color of the Kevlar, and their signature shouldered tumblehome all beckoned to the paddlers in the store to take me to the nearest lake and paddle me. Of course, it was winter when the first canoes arrived, and I didn’t have a chance to paddle them until the ice melted, and it was a treat. I bought a Wildfire solo canoe.

As more friends paddled my canoe, they ended up buying a Bell also. By the end of the summer, one friend had a Merlin 2, one had a Magic, and one had a Northwind. We definitely had the Bell bug. And last year, I bought a Magic, too. These last few years, I’ve had the opportunity to paddle almost all of the Bell canoes, but I absolutely love their solos. In my opinion, there isn’t a solo out there that paddles better than a Bell. And that opinion is echoed by the majority of Bell canoe owners, which in turns sends their friends out looking for a Bell solo canoe. But most people still have one main question, which Bell solo is for me?

The Canoes

Bell makes several solo canoes: the Magic, the Merlin II, the Wildfire, the Yellowstone Solo, the Flashfire, the Rob Roy, and the Bucktail. (I’m leaving out the whitewater kayaks.) The Rob Roy is a decked canoe paddled with a kayak paddle, and it will not be covered in this article. The Bucktail is a small Adirondack pack boat, which is also paddled with a kayak paddle, and it will not be covered here. The Magic is a fast 16-foot touring solo that doubles as a recreational racer. The Wildfire is an all-around touring solo that works well on lakes and rivers. It also happens to be Cliff Jacobson’s favorite solo canoe, and mine also. The Merlin II fits inbetween the Wildfire and the Magic, it makes a good all-around canoe, but sacrifices slight river handling for added speed and efficancy for lake touring. The Yellowstone Solo is a plastic slightly modified version of the Wildfire, and the Flashfire is the Wildfire’s little sister.

Huh?

Those above descriptions are usually what you can gleam from the catalogue and reviews on the web, but really it still doesn’t answer, which Bell solo is for me? In order to find your fit, we need to answer several questions. This is one of those fun quizzes that you’ll add up the results after your finished.

1. Where will I use the canoe?
a. River only b. Some River and Lake c. Lakes only

2. How often will I use the canoe to flat-water tour out of it?
a. Never b. Once or twice a year c. That’s all I do.

3. Will I use the canoe for mild whitewater?
a.Yes, often b. Only now and then c. Moving water? No way.

4. Do I want to use the canoe for Canadian style or freestyle paddling?
a. Yes, in competition b. I like to now and then c. Huh? What’s that.

5. Will I race with the canoe?
a. Never. b. Once a year. c. Yes, and often.

6. Does this statement describe you? I just want a canoe to explore the small local lake.
a. Yes, exactly b. Now and then. c. No, big lakes only.

7. Do you like to go straight or like a canoe that turns?
a. A canoe must turn! b. I like to turn easily, but go straight also. c. I like to go straight and fast.

8. Do I kneel when paddling?
a. Yes, all the time b. When the water gets rough c. No.

9. Does this statement describe you? I like to have the fastest canoe when I’m out with my friends.
a. Not at all b. I like to be able to keep up c. I love to be first and fastest

10. How many Bell Canoes would you like to own?
a. Two b. Just one c. At least three

Now the fun starts. You get a chance to score yourself. For each question add up the points that corresponds to your answer. (1)a.1 b.2 c.3 (2) a.1 b.2 c.3 (3) a.1 b.2 c.3 (4) a.1 b.2 c.3 (5) a.0 b.1 c.3 (6) a.0 b.1 c.2 (7) a.0 b.1 c.3 (8) a.0 b.1 c.3 (9) a.0 b.1 c.3 (10) a.1 b.2 c.3

How’d you score?

Canoeing down Clear Creek in Iowa.

So, How Do I Know This Works?

Well, you don’t know for sure, but chances are that if you race or tour only on big lakes and want to go fast, then the Magic is going to be for you. If you like to paddle rivers or want a canoe that can do it all and are will to sacrifice tracking, then the Wildfire is for you. If you want an all-around canoe then the Merlin will be the canoe for you. The above questions are geared to get you to think about how you will actually use the canoe, and now that you’ve answered them, I bet you have a better idea of which boat you want.

Hold On a Second?

What about the Flashfire or the Yellowstone Solo? This is a great question. You may want to consider these canoes for two reasons. For a Flashfire, you qualified for a Wildfire in the quiz above, but you don’t weigh a lot or you may never want to use the boat for touring. This boat is built for a smaller person or freestyle play. Consider the Yellowstone Solo if you plan on beating your boat up on long trips down rocky rivers or if you are on a budget. It is built from Royalex, which is one tough material. Out of all the people I’ve canoed with, I’ve only known one person to put a hole through it, and it was me. Royalex is also less expensive than other materials, so it makes the boat less expensive. If you qualified for a Merlin II, but can’t afford it, the Yellowstone Solo is your next best bet.

But Shouldn’t I Paddle Them All

Yes, but paddle them with a grain of salt. If you’ve never been in, or haven’t spent much time in a solo canoe, be ready to be surprised. Most people are used to canoes that are 34 to 38 inches wide, but solo canoes drop down to 30 inches wide, which means that the boat will feel tippier. This isn’t unusual to feel in a solo canoe. The feeling will actually disappear after spending a couple of days in the boat. When I first started paddling Bell solos, I thought the Magic was the most stable, the Wildfire next and then the Merlin II was the least stable. But now that I’ve paddled them all, they all feel stable to me. If you’re just starting out, you may want to make sure that you’re solo has the longest seat drops installed in them. A longer seat drop will lower your center of gravity, which will make the boat feel more stable. Overtime, you may want to raise the drops. I have the shortest drops in my Wildfire and love it, but most people would find that high of a seat a little tippy.

Other than feeling tippy, most people find solos hard to control. This is because you sit on the pivot point of the canoe. By sitting on this pivot, your strokes tend to have more turning force on the canoe, so it seems that solo canoes turn a lot and don’” t go straight. If you learn, the C-Stroke going straight is easy. (Read this article for more info.) Still, if you don’t want to learn the C-Stroke, the Magic is like paddling a solo on cruise control. It goes straight as an arrow.

The third thing to concern yourself with when trying these boats is the conditions that you’re paddling in. Most places that allow demos only allow those demos on flat water under sunny skies. So, if you mostly paddle rivers, you may not experience the conditions you are likely to paddle in. Out of all the canoe and kayak manufacture’s reps that I’ve worked with in the Upper Midwest, they say there are really only two moving water demos that they go to. The first is in Fargo, ND of all places, and the second is an event put on only for employees of one chain of stores. So, if you paddle rivers, don’t expect to demo a canoe on one.

Really, spending a half hour in a canoe isn’t going to tell you much, especially if you aren’t used to solo canoes or in the typical conditions, you will be paddling that boat in.

Dan eating an apple in a Bell Yellowstone Solo. In Iowa.

That’s All Folks

That sums it up for picking a Bell solo canoe. This quiz is still no substitute for paddling all three and picking which one you like best, but it should narrow you down to only two of the three models. With this knowledge head to your local store and find a sales person, who actually asks you a ton of questions about where you will be using the canoe and your canoeing style. Get their recommendations, and then spring the results of this quiz on him or her. My guess is that they will be the same. Then buy your new Bell solo, ZRE carbon fiber paddle and head off into the sunset. Or if you’re like me, just buy two, a Wildfire or Yellowstone Solo and a Magic, then you’ll know for sure that you’ll have a Bell solo canoe for your every need.

This article originally appeared on PaddlingLight.com. Leave a comment and an opinion by clicking through here: How to Pick a Bell Solo Canoe

Sailing canoe with parts made from MetiWeld.

With one piece left to make, I came across System Three’s MetlWeld quite by chance while browsing their online site. Up to this point, WEST System was the only major brand we commonly use that I knew supported metal bonding. So I was intrigued by System Three’s MetlWeld for bonding metal and other dissimilar materials. It’s designed specifically for this purpose and doesn’t need any sort of filler added, as is typically the case when modifying epoxy to make an adhesive. I ordered a small sample kit of their SilverTip products to try it out.

MetlWeld can be used at temperatures as low as 50F. However, at a room temperature of 67 it seemed rather stiff. I warmed the room up to 72 overnight in hopes of making it a little more pliable. That didn’t seem to make a lot of difference. Also, the hardener looked as though it had separated slightly from its filler so it seemed prudent to stir it before measuring out. Because it comes already thickened, mixing resin and hardener was a bit of a chore, even in the small amount I was using (2 oz.). I didn’t have a lot of confidence in its getting thoroughly mixed so I stirred a full five minutes before I felt it was ready to use. This is in contrast to the usual method of mixing thin resin and hardener for 1 – 2 mins. before adding filler. Since the epoxy is thoroughly mixed at that stage, stirring in filler is not so critical and the amount can be controlled to suit the application. The material that came with the sample kit didn’t include anything in the way of instructions for modifying MetlWeld’s thickness.

Also, because of its thickness, I found it virtually impossible to apply the MetlWeld without getting too much on. This particular application is inherently messy with quite a bit of squeeze out anyway, but the thickness of the MetlWeld added to it. Squeeze out typically takes place over about 15 – 20 mins. or more as thickened epoxy responds slowly to the clamping pressure. In this case, it became too tacky to manage after about 20 – 25 mins. and I was left with squeeze out that had set too firmly to wipe off. This isn’t serious but it does mean there’s more cleanup to be done after it’s cured. Other than that, cleanup was the same as with WEST System.

System Three says to let MetlWeld cure at least 48 hrs. (at 77F) before putting a load on the joint. It certainly bonds well to aluminum and makes a strong joint. But I was surprised to find I could bend the new piece by hand. I simply can’t do that with the pieces I bonded with WEST System. That doesn’t automatically mean MetlWeld has less ultimate strength than WEST System but it clearly isn’t as rigid. In this application ultimate strength is not an issue–the pieces are too lightly loaded. The MetlWeld job is probably rigid enough for my purposes. Whether or not there’s any difference in long term durability will have to wait until both have been in service for a while.

My take on it at this point is that MetlWeld is a reasonably adequate alternative for what I’m doing but I definitely prefer WEST System in this application. WEST System is easier to use, much easier to control (using that word loosely), ends up with a neater job and takes a heavier load before deforming.

There are a couple of caveats that should be noted here:
One, given the non-critical load on these fittings, I didn’t feel the need to pursue System Three’s technical support so this review is absent any helpful perspective they could provide.

The other is that this is a specific application done under one set of conditions and shouldn’t be taken as a general indication of MetlWeld’s suitability for bonding. In this case, it didn’t work nearly as well for me as WEST System.

Review by Charles E. Campbell
Reviewed: System Three MetlWeld
Date Reviewed: 5/10/06

This article originally appeared on PaddlingLight.com. Leave a comment and an opinion by clicking through here: Review: A Comparison of System Three MetlWeld and WEST System for Metal Bonding

It’s also the boat that generates the most responses via email to me, and the main question is how I went about building the kayak. I’ve had on more than one occasion a visitor to the site email me asking me to do an article about building a skin-on-frame kayak. I may write a short article, but I didn’t document the process as I should have, and I’m not sure I could write an article that covers the process like Build Your Own Sea Kayak by Bob Boucher.

The Skinny on the Video

This video covers the process in depth and is a resource that I wish I had had before I started building my skin-on-frame. I found it at my local library, but I imagine it is worth its price to the beginning skin-on-frame builder if you can find a place to buy it. The section on rib bending – the part of the process that I found most frustrating – is worth watching the video alone. It was also interesting seeing the video after building a skin-on-frame to comb it for great tips that I should have used. A few of the great ideas that I liked are these:

• Use a pocketknife to cut the mortises for the ribs.
• Put lines every couple of inches along the top of the gunwales the entire length of the kayak. These are used to line up and square off the deck beams.
• Lash the frame down to leveled sawhorses.
• Finish nail the deck beams to hold them in place while drilling the holes for the pegs.
• Use a pocketknife for cutting the notches for the lashings.
• Cut the rib length after you steam the ribs, but before you put them in the mortises. Use pruning sheers to do this.
• Peg the ribs at the chines instead of messing with lashing.

Skin on Frame kayaks at Lutsen Resort's 2007 Meet at the Beach

The Bad Parts of the Video

There isn’t really anything bad about this video, expect for one issue. Every book that I have recommends building an angle into the gunwales from the start. This angle gives the boat its nice flowing sweep at the sheerline. Boucher actually ignored this angle until further into the build and then uses the cuts on the ends of the deck beams to force the angle into the gunwales. This just seemed to make something that is easy to accomplish up front harder, because you have to do it later and fight some of your work. I’d ignore his advice here and work from the books.

Conclusion

This video is a great resource for the future skin-on-frame builder. I highly recommend it, but just make sure you ignore the way he creates the sweep in the sheerline.

Other Skin-On-Frame Kayak Building Resources

If after watching this video, you’re ready to jump in and build your own skin-on-frame kayak, these are the best books I’ve found detailing the process.

• The Aleutian Kayak: Origins, Construction, and Use of the Traditional Seagoing Baidarka
• Building Skin-on-Frame Boats
• Building a Greenland Kayak
• Building the Greenland Kayak : A Manual for Its Contruction and Use

Date Reviewed: February 27, 2006
Reviewed By: Bryan Hansel

This article originally appeared on PaddlingLight.com. Leave a comment and an opinion by clicking through here: Build Your Own Sea Kayak Video by Bob Boucher