Alright, I’m picking a canoe model (first time buyer) and I’ve noticed some of them come with little flotation tanks in the bow & stern. Most of the ones I’m interested in don’t, though. So; if you capsize a royalex or fibreglass canoe, does it float? Or do you need to add flotation (like the pool noodles discussed in another thread below, or an airbag, or whatever)?
I’m not going whitewater, not any time soon anyway, so this isn’t really what I’m asking about. I’m talking if you screw up and capsize in a deep lake - does your boat sink to the bottom, or does it have enough buoyancy to stay up so that you can at least swim to shore and correct it, if not enter on the water.
I aksed the same thing today!
I asked the same thing today. See a couple of posts down about Old Town Guide 147 floats.
My Royalex stays afloat, but
it just hovers with the gunnels slightly above water. I’m probably adding flotation.
Royalex by nature of the material
floats, as it has a foam core layer. Fiberglass boats may or may not have flotation built in(some use foam structural ribs) depending on the design and vintage. Some lower end plastic canoes have styrofoam incorporated into the seat pedestal supports, or an exposed foam block mounted beneath the bow and stern deck.
Generally, any flotation is just to prevent the boat from sinking to the bottom. The boat submerged to the gunnels is pretty much standard fare these days for boats with “flotation”
flotation is the law
All boats sold in the US of A are required to have adequate flotation to keep the boat from sinking.
On fiberglass and aluminum canoes the flotation is usually a compartment under the ends of the canoe.
In the better plastic boats there is a swiss cheese-like center sandwiched between two layers of royalex, or whatever.
The cheaper plastic boats (think Pelican) drop a premolded liner complete with seats, coolers, and drink holders into the hull and is sealed at the edges (maybe), which is why they are what they are and you truly do get what you pay for.