Cold cracks of the type that folks normally talk about ARE caused by the hull attempting to shrink beyond the physical limitations imposed by the gunwales. The situation you describe will not cause the hull to shrink relative to the gunwales - it will cause the gunwales to shrink relative to the hull. The nature of the cracks propagating downward away from the rim and eventually fading out can only be explained as excess tension concentrated at the rim, with the stress dissipating with distance from that margin. If you think you can cause cracks of this nature by compressing a material sandwiched between two confining layers, you are choosing to ignore some very basic physical properties.
I'm not saying cold cracking with aluminum gunwales can't occur. I'm saying that if it does occur, I'm sure it's by the mechanism everyone already knows.
Again, I've met way too many people who do technical work and do a good job yet still carry false notions about the way things are and why they happen, to simply "believe" such a person without applying any logical reasoning.
I know you don't care whether I believe your explanation. I only responded because you put some words in my mouth that I never said. Still, it would be cool if you could provide some sensible reason that shows how such cracks (wider at the edge, fading away with distance from the edge) could form in a sheet-like material when the edge of that material is in compression. Simply telling me that it can happen isn't the same is providing a reason that squares with the physical world.
Under deck and stains Under deck is fine. But the stains from dealing the deck may be hard to get off depending on the material of the canoe. I usually protect our kayaks before doing that and have been able to clean off any misses on the fiberglass hulls, but it doesn’t come off easily. I suspect I would have a much harder time if I didn’t always move the kevlar canoe first.
You’re in NC and talking about cold cracks? How did cold cracks even enter the conversation?
And aluminum is not ash. I have NOT heard of cold cracking with aluminum gunwales. One reason is that there are very, very few Royalex canoes with aluminum gunwales. Ash, or vinyl (with a floating aluminum insert) is the rule.
Are you the one who brought cold cracking into the discussion? Why?
Minus five and ash gunwales could do it. But it isn’t worth speculating about aluminum gunwales, because except for the old Blue Hole OCA canoes, aluminum on Royalex is rare.
Buy it. What’s worse, a canoe stored under a deck or a canoe that is used all the time and sits on the beach baking in the sun? Negotiate a fair price and enjoy it. Anything that could be wrong will be obvious in seconds.
should be fine I’ve stored boats on a rack under my deck, which is about 8’ off the ground, for years. They have been fine there. As far as the one you are looking at is concerned, I would suggest taking a look at it to get an idea of the condition before you commit to buying it.