Does anyone own a Necky Chatham 18 with the carbon layup? Is it noticeably stronger and/or lighter than the fiberglass layup?
based on Necky web site
The carbon is supposed to be 48 lbs, while the fiberglass is 53 lbs.
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seems to me
anything that’s going to damage the glass boat will damage the carbon boat. I’m not operating from any A/B destructive testing but it’s my sense after owning a glass Chatham18.
Necky layups
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLaK7rOWgHs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dtk818WSiU&feature=related
I always wondered
why they sold me that kayak so cheap 
Now I know.
Mark
epoxy?
that surprises me, the Chatham I had smelled like vinylester. The description of Soric over coremat makes sense. I’ve seen the coremat on kevlar CD boats get soft with impacts, I don’t know if that’s because of water intrusion into the kevlar or the corematerial but it’s enough to make me prefer a glass CD boat.
It would be interesting to see destructive testing with s-glass/carbon core laminates.
if you need someone to mangle a C18
– Last Updated: Feb-03-09 8:17 PM EST –
just give it to me
apparently I've found a few tests the guy in the film hasn't discovered yet
LeeG
Your 18 was vinylester and has soric in it. The new Chatham’s made in Thailand are epoxy lay-ups post cured also employing extensive use of soric.
The Thai boats are by far the finest Chatham’s / Necky’s ever built. Much about how the kayaks were built was changed during that transition and the new models are insanely strong.
The only reason to choose carbon is the “bling” factor. Glass epoxy as you can see is superb.
cool
when I watched the video above I was thinking how that would work on the old express I had with 24oz roving. I’m sure it would fracture. This is neat.
Trade my Romany for a new Chatham 16?
– Last Updated: Feb-04-09 5:13 PM EST –
So maybe I can trade my Romany Elite for a new layup Chatham 16;-)
The idea of a very good playboat (surf, rock gardening, etc)which would be fairly light yet more resilient than my Brit boats is seductive.
Fiber glass Chatham:
I have been considering a fiber glass Chatham 17 or 18, ever since paddling the poly Chatham 17 I bought for my wife. I recently found a new fiber glass 18 on a dealers rack at a very attractive price, and if I could be sure it was of recent enough manufacture to qualify as the same as the one demo tested in the above videos, I would buy it. Any help here? Salty? Thanks for any insite you may provide. Ken…
wilsoj2 defection?
Say it ain’t so! This I’ve gotta see! Losing the Romany for a Chatham? What’s next? Poling a Pungo?(which happens to be fun albeit a rather wet experience)
Enough procrastinating for me, back to 303-ing hatches and gaskets.
See you on the water,
Marshall
The River Connection, Inc.
Hyde Park, NY
www.the-river-connection.com
Spring’s gotta come sometime.
Losing the Romany?
Well, it would be very hard for me to give up my Romany - though in trade for a new layup Chatham 16…
Besides, 3 of our 10 kayaks are not British - 2 of the ww boats and one of the sea kayaks 
It would likely NOT be a new one
manufactured to the standards in the video. My guess is it’s blown out inventory from Old Town which is why it’s priced low. Could be OK though for the price. The boats built in Thailand are FAR superior regardless of how one feels about foreign manufacture…they are awesome.
For those curious as to how to tell the difference, the Thai boats have a perfectly flush seam and superior bulkhead fitting etc. They also have a secondary bead of sikaflex around the hatch rings.
US made boats have the lip on the lower edge of the seam as it’s a box / bonded seam.
Very different boat
IMHO a Chatham 18 is a very different boat than a Chatham 17. Both are good boats but different personalities.
A Chatham 17 feels more like an Explorer or Tempest 170 while a Chatham 18 is faster, narrower, and more of a tracker.
The layups on Chatham 18s of any vintage I’ve seen are very good.
17 is the most tracky
also the most mainstream of the three. The 18 is more playful on edge than the 17 (at least for the designers).
that was not my experience
Fair enough
That is what makes reviews so bogus and subjective. For “me” the 18 is far more playful. There were two designers of that boat and they agree that the 18 is more playful. The 17 is very stiff compared.
Now, your size and weight can change that dramatically as can your comfort on edge. So, for you the 17 may be the more maneuverable boat in practical terms.
new layup
it’s about time someone starts using epoxies for composite layups. i searched their website but they don’t tout it anywhere, they should as it would be very unique and make for what should be the toughest production boats available. so are these boats painted with special industrial paints, i reckon they won’t be gel coated…
epoxy gel coat
They are tough