I know… I’ve been promising to write an update on the Canoe and Kayak Coating Abrasion Test that I ran back in the Winter/Spring of 2008.  In the past month or so there has been a lot of discussion about it on Björn Thomasson’s website.   Here it is… finally.  This update mostly concerns the “white graphite.”  Actually there’s not much more than what I wrote in a comment… At this point we can not recommend [...]

I just received this message from Gonzalo. He seems to like his Nereida!  I can’t wait to see some pictures of it in Spain. Dear Dan Nereida is just INCREDIBLE We have been paddling together an is FAST, ELEGANT…and almost sexy!! I still don´t have photos on the sea, but believe: everybody turns and stare at her. I can stand about 5-6 Knots, she surf waves, is stable…the perfect kayak?? I am a HAPPY MAN [...]

I’m always looking for the best coating for the canoes and kayaks I build and paddle. Wether it be a clear varnish or an opaque paint, whatever I use it has to meet two basic requirements. It has to protect the epoxy matrix from UV and abrasion damage. Epoxy will break down over time when exposed to the UV rays in sunlight so the coating must have a good amount of UV protection. Every boat [...]

As most of you know during the day I work for the State of New Hampshire’s Department of Transportation (NHDOT is so much shorter) as a contract administrator (civil engineer in charge of construction projects). At night and weekends I’m building boats. Every season the DOT’s Public Relations Officer, Bill Boynton, publishes a department-wide newsletter called “On the Move.” It’s a pretty normal company newsletter: a message from the Commissioner, developments in the industry, who [...]