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Re: Strength: S & G vs. Fiberglass
By:Tapio Manner
Date: 8/22/2000, 10:49 am
In Response To: Strength: S & G vs. Fiberglass (Al)

: I'm new to sea kayaking and have been thinking about building a stitch and
: glue boat. I recently talked to some people who said that they preferred
: fiberglass because wood boats are too delicate. the S & G kit
: manufactures claim that their boats are stronger than glass. Which is
: true?

: I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.

: Thanks,

For this question "strength" is not an unambiguous word. You can easily list atleast half a dozen various strengths that are relevant (qlobal bending, panel bending, puncture small and large, hit, abrasion etc.). And remember strength and stiffnes are not the same thing. And you must compare somewhat equal designs ie. weight and size. If you want practical strength you can forget mats on the glass side. Explaining all the variations would take a few weeks so maybe it is best to say that from both materials properly used you can get good kayaks.

Tapio Manner

Messages In This Thread

Strength: S & G vs. Fiberglass
Al -- 8/21/2000, 4:33 pm
Re: Strength: S & G vs. Fiberglass
Tapio Manner -- 8/22/2000, 10:49 am
Re: Strength: S & G vs. Fiberglass
Lee -- 8/21/2000, 8:29 pm
Re: Strength: S & G vs. Fiberglass
Dean Trexel -- 8/21/2000, 6:49 pm