Composite Canoes
Composite Canoes
The term “composite” simply means combining fibers together with resin. In composite canoes, various woven fabrics are hand shaped in a mold and bonded together with resins. Any combination of fibers and resin is a composite, but there are a wide variety of materials and methods. All Wenonah Canoes are manufactured using a vacuum bagging process to ensure the ideal resin to fabric ratio. Many hours of skilled labor are required to make a great composite canoe. This, plus the cost of high-end materials make them fairly expensive, but their lightness, toughness, and performance make composite canoes the best value.
Ultra-light Construction
Ultra-light hulls are stiff and incredibly light. They are ideal for speed and distance paddling and for all people or conditions that demand the lightest gear. In our Ultra-light construction a structural-foam core and ribs are laminated into the hull and sides. We also add extra fabric layers to strengthen specific targeted areas. Aluminum plates are strategically laminated into the hull. Seats, footbraces, and all hardware is then riveted into these plates. This gives a very secure connection and eliminates rivet heads on the exterior.
Color Options
Ultra-light hulls have a "skincoat", showing the fabric's color on the interior and exterior. A colored finish is a no-cost option, but adds 5-8 lbs.
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Kevlar Ultra-light
Kevlar®, the fiber used for aerospace, body armor and bulletproof vests, is amazingly light and strong. We’ve used it for more than 30 years to construct extremely light and tough canoes. Wenonah Canoe is the world’s largest maker of Kevlar® canoes. |
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Graphite Ultra-light
A Graphite Ultra-light canoe is made the same way as a Kevlar® Ultra-light, but with Graphite as the outer layer. It’s ideal for paddlers desiring more stiffness in their composite
canoe. Graphite transfers energy better than any of our other materials, which makes these the most crisp paddling canoes. The aesthetic appeal of a black Graphite canoe is also undeniable. |
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Flex-core Construction
Flex-core construction creates a more rugged canoe than our Ultra-light core, and is meant for general paddling on all but extreme waters. In our Flex-core constructions a structural-foam core is laminated into the hull, orienting the composite fibers carefully to distribute loads. We add an extra fabric layer to the whole hull. This adds a bit of weight but makes for a stronger, more ridged canoe. Side ribs are not needed because this layup distributes more material throughout the hull. The result is a tough canoe that is still fairly light weight.
Color Options
We offer 8 colors of gel-coat finish for the exterior of Flex-core hulls. The interior of the hull shows the fabric's natural color.
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Kevlar Flex-core
Using Kevlar® in our Flex-core layup adds a little weight, but saves some money. The extra layers of fabric and gel-coat finish makes these boats slightly more resistant to damage than our Kevlar Ultra-Light canoes as well. |
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Tuf-weave Flex-core
Wenonah’s Tuf-weave® material is an interwoven fabric made of 50% polyester and 50% fiberglass that out performs either material alone. The Tuf-weave® layup results in our most durable composite canoes. Tuf-weave® canoes offer improved impact resistance and are a great compromise between light weight, performance, and price. New for 2011 we have revamped our finishing process making for even more weight savings over previous years' models. |
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