Vinyl Gunwales Supplier

Advice
#1

I have an old boat of mine, a Mad River Explorer 15, that a friend owns and hasn’t been healthy enough to care for the wood gunwales. I’ve removed decks and seats and the gunwales are all “Toast.” I’ve re-gunwaled a canoe with vinyl before and would like to do the same with this boat. I’ve looked and can find only wood and aluminum. I don’t care for aluminum and would prefer to go low tech rather than have the wood maintenance issue in this boat.



If anyone can inform me where to find vinyl gunwales, I’d certainly appreciate it. Thanks!

#2

I would try to work with a Wenonah
or Mad River dealer, and see if they can nest a set of vinyl gunwales inside canoes they are having delivered.

#3

When
is your next BWCA trip? Last I knew Northwest Canoe in St. Paul kept vinyl gunwales on hand.



Alan

#4

Thanks
I’ll check with a couple Mad River dealers and if I strike out there it’s time to call Northwest and take off up north!

#5

Try Mohawk Canoe
Check with Ricard Guin of Mohawk Canoe. They might have gunwales for some of their longer boats still hanging around and might be willing to sell them since they can’t get Royalex to make any more.

#6

Do they have aluminum reinforcement?

– Last Updated: Jun-24-14 10:46 AM EST –

If you look closely at the gunwales on my Mohawk, the gunwales have a series of very slight bends at discrete locations, rather than being continuously curved (or at least a lot of the curvature is created by many distinct bends in small increments - I'd have to go look at it again). That makes me think there's metal reinforcing of some kind. If so, that could certainly complicate the shaping process for the average person.

#7

Vinyl Gunnels
Call some of the canoe rentals in your area and see if they have any scrap boats that you might salvage some from. That’s what I did.

#8

Never Thought About That
What a great idea!

#9

Gunnels
I used to buy them from a company in Athol MA. It is now called PEXCO and I know they have other locations in the USA. I am not sure if they still do that type of extrusion anymore or how they go to market. There is also an extrusion Co in SC called Loxcreen Metal Source that catalogs canoe gunnel extrusions, again not sure how they go to market.

#10

THanks
Athol, MA, haven’t heard that place in awhile. My great uncle moved there after WW II and worked as a tool & dye worker for 40 years until he retired and moved to Florida.