royalex or R-84?

Mohawk makes a lightweight Royalex called R84. Any comments on how it hold up in shallow, rocky rivers?

There are suburban myths that the skin
of R84 wears faster than the skin of Royalex. I don’t believe it. The skin on my Royalex boats is a soft vinyl and is easily abraded. However, it has a slippery quality that holds wear down somewhat. After some years, the vinyl wears off the ABS and you have to paint or patch to protect the ABS from UV.



For equal weight, R84 can be stiffer and stronger. But usually, Mohawk aims for good stiffness with lighter weight. The outer layer is a kind of acrylic. It is fairly hard, but as plastic, it will scratch. If you paddle gravelly rivers, I suggest using paste wax on the R-84. It will slip about as easily as Royalex. Just be careful, waxed boats sometimes slide down the bank into the river before you’re in them.



Remember that Royalex and R84 boats will seem a bit soft the first year. Then they spontaneously harden and stiffen. Just go easy while the boat is new.

it’ll be fine
my Dumoine is R84, and after 10 years of nothing but poling and running rocky rivers, skidding it up ledges etc…the hull is fine. I shattered a gunwale, but the hull is fine.

"Fine"
A word of warning.

Dagger Matt’s “fine”, while pretty much the same as my “fine”, may be considered “well used” or even “beat up” by some peoples standards.

But I don’t think Matts boat would be any more “fine” if it were Royalex. In fact I always thought it was Royalex.

Princess Di was a Royal ex, and look
at what happened to her.

Have to agree with that
Matt’s definition of “fine” might be a little different than many paddlers, but his boats definitely have “charactor”.



http://good-times.webshots.com/album/579883286LOqVPz

2 going on the river today

– Last Updated: Jun-15-12 5:58 AM EST –

Aaron graduated yesterday, homegirl Sharon wants to do the Riverton run, so the Dumoine and Reflection will be carrying a half dozen poles and my boy and me, after I go into work just long enough to get a few chuckles and leave. Got to watch out for those fiberglass shards I haven't sanded down yet...and go easy on the painter that's tied to the broken thwart.....but the hulls FINE!!!

HA
Ive read this thread twice just to read this post twice. Hilarious.