Has anyone compared the construction of a QCC carbon/kevlar boat before and after the acquisition by Johnson? Any differences?
My 6 year old Q700 has developed a slight indentation/deformation on the hull a foot in front of the seat, not near the bulkhead. There is no wear whatever in this area. The shape of the fabric threads is visible in a wavy gelcoat on the outside and nothing visible inside. I plan to take a photo and discuss with QCC. I don’t have any idea what might be the cause or if it is a dangerous weakness.
wenonah not johnson
I think I meant the acquisition of QCC by Wenonah.
Wenonah is a quality company.
My carbon/kevler 700…
which was purchased before the buyout, has had several flaws like that. I took care of them myself.
As much as I like the boat,I wouldn’t buy another carbon/kevlar one. I would go back to the all kevlar.
My first two which were kevlar were the best quality kayaks that I have ever had.
Jack L
wenonah
I wonder why Wenonah/Current Designs/QCC boats are not in the paddling.net gear guide. Do they have to buy an ad before they are listed?
how?
How did you take care of this flaw? The hull is slightly deformed where the weave shape can be seen. Were you able to remove the deformation?
Despite this, the Q700 remains my favorite to paddle of the numerous boats I have owned and tested.
Jack, on general composite principles,
anyone would be crazy to want an all Kevlar boat, versus one with some carbon layers. The problem, as I understand it, is that QCC was putting the carbon layers inside which is rather irrational.
My biggest beef with Wenonah is their all Kevlar hulls.
Mine (there were several)…
– Last Updated: Jan-05-14 1:44 PM EST –
were all indented, and it was easy.
Sand lightly, clean with acetone, and then a few coats of epoxy. Tape a clear piece of plastic film, (like overhead projector stuff or note book page protector)over the wet epoxy. The next day, take the film off. When you are satisfied with the finish, use a good grade automotive spray paint to match the color.
My hull is white so it came out perfect.
I concur with your last sentence.
jack L
Good heavens !
I can’t agree with that.
I have four Wenonah Kevlar canoes, and like them all.
My two Jensen 17’s are the sweetest tandems to paddle.
I have friends all over the place that have Wenonah Kevlar canoes, and have never heard a bad word about them
You must have a grudge against Wenonah!
Jack L
Thanks,
But having never worked with epoxy I don’t have any confidence that I could do a good job. I think I will just live with it for a while to see if it gets worse. I don’t think it is a safety issue.
a question remains
Will an all kevlar, all carbon, or kevlar carbon Q700 be built any differently than my current 6 year old boat, now that Wenonah owns QCC.
I am toying with the idea of selling this Q700 and buying a new all carbon one in order to save 2 lbs, and get shiny/no-scratches.
Decades ago, studies showed that
S-glass outside, Kevlar inside gives the most damage resistant layup. You can like all-Kevlar all you want. Wenonah’s best thought out layup is Tufweave.
What constitutes a good design?
I think it depends on what the boat will be used for. No one would choose an ultra-light hull for paddling where hard impacts can’t always be avoided (and certainly not for places where light impacts and frequent scraping are common), and few people would prefer a 60-pound boat for a flatwater trip with long portages over one that weighs less than 40. I don’t think it’s a question of which design is best, but which design is best for a particular job. People say this about hull shape all the time, and I think the same can be said for hull construction.
From
What I understand is they have changed the schedule of the layups which makes for a slightly heavier boat. My QCC 400x did experience spyder cracks in the gelcoat, other than that I thought it was a good boat. I believe it was 2010 model which I don’t own any more as it was to wide for me.
Agreed
Jack L
Repair
If/when you want it done, I would think Driscoll Marine (next door to Aqua Adventures) or any of the boatworks on Shelter Island could do it if you don’t want to mess with it yourself. Might call around & ask.
Kinda agree with G2
Unless some core was employed for stiffness. I’ve seen all Kevlar canoes with great coring that were fine. Kevlar is usually combined with glass or carbon. QCC stuff I’ve seen (limited) was well made.
Yeah
– Last Updated: Jan-06-14 2:07 PM EST –
All the all-Kevlar canoes I've seen have a core for reinforcement of the floor. I bought my all-Kevlar Merlin II before I knew anything about core reinforcing. I had a choice of all-Kevlar or "Black Gold" layup (one boat of each was available), and had I known more, I might have paid more for the Black Gold to avoid the potential hassle of trying to make a repair within the area of the core someday. Still, there's a lot to be said for a 15-foot canoe that weighs just 31 pounds, as long as you don't take it where it wasn't meant to be used. I haven't figured out if Charlie Wilson's statement about some Bells having a core that tends to flatten-out the bottom applies to my boat or not.
Driscoll
Thanks for that suggestion. I will give them a call.
Fabrics can be visible
– Last Updated: Jan-06-14 7:29 PM EST –
In a resin/cloth matrix. Is your issue that the cloth is visible?
P&H clear coat Kevlar/carbon hulls are very wavy. Seems to me you are bothered by insignificant changes.