Replacement for Royalex?

[Al Agnew]

When the company that manufactured Royalex, THE material of choice for river canoes, decided to stop making it because the volume of the demand for canoe material wasn't enough to make it as profitable as they wanted, and refused to sell the patent besides, the canoe world lost out.  Royalex canoes suddenly became much more expensive when you could find one.  Guys like me stockpiled a couple of extra Royalex canoes.  Everybody was bummed out.

Most canoe companies, wishing to keep the same models of plastic canoes, switched over to the heavier and more difficult to repair poly materials.  Some, like Wenonah, who always produced the same model in Royalex, glass, and kevlar, just dropped the Royalex model.

But a Canadian company, Esquif, decided to try to invent a material comparable to Royalex.  It took a couple of years, but they finally more or less perfected the material they call T-Formex.  Esquif has been producing T-Formex canoes for more than a year now, and have begun to sell the material to other canoe manufacturers.  Wenonah took them up on the offer, and now have several models available in T-Formex, including their Wilderness solo, Spirit II, Aurora, and Prospector.

So far there have been few reviews on the new material that I could find.  But what few there are say that it is slightly lighter in weight than Royalex, significantly more durable (less likely to dent), and a little stiffer.  The Wenonah models are more expensive than the same models were in Royalex, however.  It's not going to be a cheap material.

But if you are thinking of buying a new canoe for Ozark river fishing, the Wenonah Spirit II in T-Formex might be an excellent choice for a tandem, and the Wilderness a very good choice for a solo...if you don't mind spending the money.  The Wilderness suggested retail price is $1899, the Spirit II SRP $2099.  They so far haven't updated their website to give the weight of the Wilderness in T-Formex, but the Spirit II is said to weigh 64 pounds (it's a 17 foot canoe).

Or you can wait another year or so and see what other models become available.  But the Wilderness would be about my second choice for a solo canoe (behind the Vagabond, which is not yet produced in T-Formex), and the Spirit II in Royalex was only slightly inferior in design to my favorite tandem, the Old Town Penobscot. 

[moguy1973]

Good to know, but yikes on those prices...

[Al Agnew]

I agree, but Wenonah seems to have raised the prices of all their canoes.  The Spirit II in the other layups is still more expensive than the T-Formex.

[Greasy B]

Thanks for the update Al, I gave my beloved Penobscot 16 to a friend and had intended on buying a Wenonah Wilderness to replace it. I'm not really worried about durability so i was prepared to go with Fiberglass but now  that T-Formex is available I think that will be my choice.

[ness]

There just may be something to the whole 'supply and demand' thing ?

[fishinwrench]

IMO the Royalex caliber of paddlecraft is for guys that are Canoeists first, fishermen second.   Fishermen don't need featherlight canoes designed for speed.  Most will do better in slower heavier boats with more initial stability. 

The poly-link rigs are perfectly sufficient until you cross that line of wanting to be a precision paddling wizard.  

[Greasy B]

Yeah I agree but I happily crossed that line long ago. I still have a trusty 169 but good lord it's a dog to paddle. 

[fishinwrench]

40 minutes ago, Greasy B said:

Yeah I agree but I happily crossed that line long ago. I still have a trusty 169 but good lord it's a dog to paddle. 

Wanna sell it ?

[Chief Grey Bear]

4 hours ago, fishinwrench said:

IMO the Royalex caliber of paddlecraft is for guys that are Canoeists first, fishermen second.   Fishermen don't need featherlight canoes designed for speed.  Most will do better in slower heavier boats with more initial stability. 

The poly-link rigs are perfectly sufficient until you cross that line of wanting to be a precision paddling wizard.  

Spot on! 

Sometimes I still have to slow mine down. I'm not a sightseer. I'm there to fish. Yes I take in all the beauty that surrounds me but that comes in a very close second. 

And really at the end of the day how much heavier are they? And what does it matter? I'm not carrying it around on my shoulders all day. I'm sitting in a very comfortably with my cushioned seats enjoying the day. And I don't pack light either I take everything I want.

I just never found the love affair attraction to Royalex. There are suitable materials out there just as worthy if not more. 

[Greasy B]

3 hours ago, fishinwrench said:

Wanna sell it ?

Not until have a replacement.