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Boundary Waters Quetico Forum Gear Forum Anyone have experience with NovaCraft's TuffStuff |
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02/14/2020 07:08AM
With Roylex no longer being made companies have gone to other materials. Living in South West VA, we have a lot of small shallow rocky creeks and rivers. Does anyone know or have experience with NovaCrafts TuffStuff material? Looking at a NovaCraft Fox 14 solo in that material, dealer says it will survive our local rivers and streams other than scratches in the gel coat. But want to see if anyone else has experience with it before I find out the hard way.
02/14/2020 03:02PM
Don't have experience with Tuff Stuff, but I do with IXP, which I believe is essentially the same layup.
Pros: Stiff, no foam, easy to repair. Very durable, hit a few pointed granite rocks and no major damage. After a couple years there a few fibers you can feel, but has held up remarkably well. Allows for "better" canoe shape/design then Royalex. Easy to repair.
Cons: This is subjective, but I don't think it "slips" over rocks like Royalex does. While the bottom of my royalex canoe is scratched, it is at a surface level, while the IXP, which is only two years old, has worn to the first layer of cloth in a few places.
Bottom line is I think it will hold up very well with minor maintenance. As it starts to wear through the resin, just sand and add a few coats.
Pros: Stiff, no foam, easy to repair. Very durable, hit a few pointed granite rocks and no major damage. After a couple years there a few fibers you can feel, but has held up remarkably well. Allows for "better" canoe shape/design then Royalex. Easy to repair.
Cons: This is subjective, but I don't think it "slips" over rocks like Royalex does. While the bottom of my royalex canoe is scratched, it is at a surface level, while the IXP, which is only two years old, has worn to the first layer of cloth in a few places.
Bottom line is I think it will hold up very well with minor maintenance. As it starts to wear through the resin, just sand and add a few coats.
02/15/2020 01:34PM
fadersup: " Watch this. "
The canoe in this video is TuffStuff Expedition, much heavier.
Last spring I purchased a Nova Craft PAL in TuffStuff for its claimed strength and durability. I took out the stern seat and paddled it solo from the bow seat on my 13 day Q trip. I do like the on the water performance of the canoe and it fits my tripping style.
The TuffStuff layup on the other hand, I have a few issues:
When I got the canoe home from the retailer and looked it over much more closer I noticed chip-outs and cracks in the gelcoat where the eyebolt comes through the hull on one end.
Returning home from the Q trip I noticed cracks in the gelcoat on the port side hull just forward of centerline, and the cracks penetrate the hull to the inside. Fibers can be seen where the skin coat has chipped off. The only thing I can think of is that when I took the canoe off my shoulders, I always dropped it onto my thighs before setting it down, and maybe the repeated light impacts on my thighs caused this damage. The canoe took NO impacts during the trip.
I contacted Nova Craft about this and they referred me to deal with the retailer on these matters. I contacted the retailer and NEITHER have got back to me. I probably wont ever purchase another thing from either. I'm now looking at a few hundred bucks in kits to repair it, after 1 trip. Thinking I should've got the Souris River Quetico 16 in kevlar.
singlebladecanoe, go with an ABS plastic over "TuffStuff". JMO.
“A republic, madam – if you can keep it.” - Benjamin Franklin
02/15/2020 04:20PM
their website shows them throwing a canoe off the top of a building, if that what your canoe needs to survive
tuffstuff weighs about the same as Wenonah's toughweave,
tuffstuff is said to be a mix of rock (basalt) and poly, no really, that's what they claim
tuffstuff weighs about the same as Wenonah's toughweave,
tuffstuff is said to be a mix of rock (basalt) and poly, no really, that's what they claim
let science, not politics decide, ... but whose science?
02/15/2020 04:23PM
LittoralZone: "fadersup: " Watch this. "
The canoe in this video is TuffStuff Expedition, much heavier.
Last spring I purchased a Nova Craft PAL in TuffStuff for its claimed strength and durability. I took out the stern seat and paddled it solo from the bow seat on my 13 day Q trip. I do like the on the water performance of the canoe and it fits my tripping style.
The TuffStuff layup on the other hand, I have a few issues:
When I got the canoe home from the retailer and looked it over much more closer I noticed chip-outs and cracks in the gelcoat where the eyebolt comes through the hull on one end.
Returning home from the Q trip I noticed cracks in the gelcoat on the port side hull just forward of centerline, and the cracks penetrate the hull to the inside. Fibers can be seen where the skin coat has chipped off. The only thing I can think of is that when I took the canoe off my shoulders, I always dropped it onto my thighs before setting it down, and maybe the repeated light impacts on my thighs caused this damage. The canoe took NO impacts during the trip.
I contacted Nova Craft about this and they referred me to deal with the retailer on these matters. I contacted the retailer and NEITHER have got back to me. I probably wont ever purchase another thing from either. I'm now looking at a few hundred bucks in kits to repair it, after 1 trip. Thinking I should've got the Souris River Quetico 16 in kevlar.
singlebladecanoe, go with an ABS plastic over "TuffStuff". JMO."
You're saying the retailer sold you the canoe as new but it had that level of damage off the lot? If you're positive, I would get someone in charge on the phone and give them one more chance to do the right thing before proceeding to blast them on every site I could. Total BS.
I'm thinking they bought it from Nova Craft as a blem and should have been selling it as such.
Question: what's with the eye bolt? I've never seen that on a canoe.
02/16/2020 08:48AM
Tough stuff, if memory if functioning -----Inegra+basalt in a poly-resin. Tough material that forms better than Royalex not quite as well as f-glass, carbon, and Kevlar, is stronger but somewhat heavy. Used under different names by several makers. 3 years ago Ted Bell had a demo-display at Copia for folks to whail on with 2 pound mash hammers. The noise carried across the whole sales floor on a regular basis all 3 days!
I personally feel it's overkill for a canoe. But then have run e-glass composite canoes thru a lot of rocks without worry. The polyvinyl gel-coat scratches the same and base construction is flexible. I sure do not toss my canoes down stairs and onto rocks.
butthead
I personally feel it's overkill for a canoe. But then have run e-glass composite canoes thru a lot of rocks without worry. The polyvinyl gel-coat scratches the same and base construction is flexible. I sure do not toss my canoes down stairs and onto rocks.
butthead
"never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups" George Carlin
02/16/2020 01:46PM
The eye bolts on bow and stern ends are installed by Nova Craft and are for attaching painters and for lining. I believe they're on every Nova Craft canoe. I personally don't like them and plan on filling the holes in with epoxy and finishing with gelcoat when I make the repairs.
fadersup, No, I'm not saying the retailer knowingly sold me a damaged canoe. I had to look closely to see the cracks around the one eye bolt and loosen it to see the chips. But, you never know. The retailer is in up-state NY, near Lake Ontario, and it's pretty much a day's drive up and back for me from here in PA. Since I'm so far away, maybe they thought they'd never hear from me again...
Not sure what you mean by - "I would get someone in charge on the phone and give them one more chance to do the right thing before proceeding to blast them on every site I could. Total BS." Are you saying that's what you'd do, or that's what I'm doing? This is the first and only time I've posted about this. I didn't mention the retailer's name or "blast" either party, other than saying I wont purchase from either again. Like I said, I've contacted them (and Nova Craft) and gave them a chance.
When I contacted Nova Craft I gave them the serial number and they never said if it was a blem or not. And I hadn't even thought of that. I'll contact Nova Craft again and see if they'll give me an answer on that. We'll see...
fadersup, No, I'm not saying the retailer knowingly sold me a damaged canoe. I had to look closely to see the cracks around the one eye bolt and loosen it to see the chips. But, you never know. The retailer is in up-state NY, near Lake Ontario, and it's pretty much a day's drive up and back for me from here in PA. Since I'm so far away, maybe they thought they'd never hear from me again...
Not sure what you mean by - "I would get someone in charge on the phone and give them one more chance to do the right thing before proceeding to blast them on every site I could. Total BS." Are you saying that's what you'd do, or that's what I'm doing? This is the first and only time I've posted about this. I didn't mention the retailer's name or "blast" either party, other than saying I wont purchase from either again. Like I said, I've contacted them (and Nova Craft) and gave them a chance.
When I contacted Nova Craft I gave them the serial number and they never said if it was a blem or not. And I hadn't even thought of that. I'll contact Nova Craft again and see if they'll give me an answer on that. We'll see...
“A republic, madam – if you can keep it.” - Benjamin Franklin
02/16/2020 02:44PM
I have a NC prospector and I purchased it new from a retailer in upstate NY, had it shipped to the Midwest. Likely the same outfit.
I agree with your not mentioning their name but if you feel like you've been handed a raw deal and they don't respond, I don't see a problem calling them out. Personally I would be more aggressive in trying to get management on the phone, sometimes complaints get lost and a lack of response is simply a mistake.
I've spent a lot of time drooling over various Nova Craft hulls, the eye bolt thing is definitely not standard issue. Good luck to you on this.
I agree with your not mentioning their name but if you feel like you've been handed a raw deal and they don't respond, I don't see a problem calling them out. Personally I would be more aggressive in trying to get management on the phone, sometimes complaints get lost and a lack of response is simply a mistake.
I've spent a lot of time drooling over various Nova Craft hulls, the eye bolt thing is definitely not standard issue. Good luck to you on this.
02/16/2020 03:49PM
fadersup: "I have a NC prospector and I purchased it new from a retailer in upstate NY, had it shipped to the Midwest. Likely the same outfit.
I agree with your not mentioning their name but if you feel like you've been handed a raw deal and they don't respond, I don't see a problem calling them out. Personally I would be more aggressive in trying to get management on the phone, sometimes complaints get lost and a lack of response is simply a mistake.
I've spent a lot of time drooling over various Nova Craft hulls, the eye bolt thing is definitely not standard issue. Good luck to you on this.
"
The Nova Craft Fox 14 my local dealer has, has the eye bolts bow and stern. They told me it was a new standard on their canoes for painters.
02/16/2020 08:40PM
If you look on the Nova Craft web site, a lot of the canoe model pictures show the eyebolts. Not sure it is my favorite way to attach a painter but I guess it means just one hole and the stems may be a strong place to attach something.
03/10/2020 07:38PM
Sorry singlebladecanoe, I didn't mean to hijack your post last month. I'll fill in all those interested with the latest info and wrap up my Nova Craft TuffStuff issue.
Thanks singlebladecanoe, this post was good in that it prompted me to get back in contact with the other parties, I had kind of got busy with other things and put it on the back burner for to long. I re-emailed the retailer and Nova Craft with my problems, the retailer said they "did not think" my original email "ever got thru". Well, after several emails back and forth and Nova Craft personnel getting involved, I finally spoke with Steve Procunier, Dealer and Outfitter Sales Manager at Nova Craft Canoe, and in a little over a month from now I am getting a new canoe, they're going to replace the canoe and may also be delivering it to my home. I truly am shocked and surprised by this. I was hoping at best that maybe I'd get the repair kits for free, but a replacement canoe, WOW! I was almost speechless when Steve told me. They never even really questioned my story or pictures, I guess they want to examine the canoe. I'm thankful now that I never did really bad-mouth them. What can I say now, other than WOW! They stand behind their warranty.
singlebladecanoe, so what did you decide? I now can't say enough about Nova Craft, though for river tripping/fishing I still would go with one of their SP3 roto-molded polyethylene hulls. Still JMO.
Thanks singlebladecanoe, this post was good in that it prompted me to get back in contact with the other parties, I had kind of got busy with other things and put it on the back burner for to long. I re-emailed the retailer and Nova Craft with my problems, the retailer said they "did not think" my original email "ever got thru". Well, after several emails back and forth and Nova Craft personnel getting involved, I finally spoke with Steve Procunier, Dealer and Outfitter Sales Manager at Nova Craft Canoe, and in a little over a month from now I am getting a new canoe, they're going to replace the canoe and may also be delivering it to my home. I truly am shocked and surprised by this. I was hoping at best that maybe I'd get the repair kits for free, but a replacement canoe, WOW! I was almost speechless when Steve told me. They never even really questioned my story or pictures, I guess they want to examine the canoe. I'm thankful now that I never did really bad-mouth them. What can I say now, other than WOW! They stand behind their warranty.
singlebladecanoe, so what did you decide? I now can't say enough about Nova Craft, though for river tripping/fishing I still would go with one of their SP3 roto-molded polyethylene hulls. Still JMO.
“A republic, madam – if you can keep it.” - Benjamin Franklin
03/11/2020 05:53AM
That's great to hear! Thanks for the update. I don't mind paying for a new canoe, I think it is a relatively cheap hobby. I do expect the manufacturer to stand by it though. Glad they stepped up and did the right thing. Hopefully your new canoe will have no issues and you will put many miles on her.
03/11/2020 07:37PM
LittoralZone, no worries, glad to hear they got you taken care of and everything is being made right.
I did pick up the Fox in ToughStuff due to the dealer swearing it would be ok in our local rivers and creeks and the fact they cut me a deal on it. I got to talking to NovaCraft on FB after I bought it and they said I shouldn't have any structure issues with it for that purpose but to expect for the gel coat to get scratched and if hit repetitively hard enough it could chip the get coat. So now I am on the fense of what to do with it. Either just use it in our rivers and creeks knowing that it will get scratched, save it for if the wife ever wants to paddle a canoe in deeper water with me, or put it up for sale before I put it on the water.
I did pick up the Fox in ToughStuff due to the dealer swearing it would be ok in our local rivers and creeks and the fact they cut me a deal on it. I got to talking to NovaCraft on FB after I bought it and they said I shouldn't have any structure issues with it for that purpose but to expect for the gel coat to get scratched and if hit repetitively hard enough it could chip the get coat. So now I am on the fense of what to do with it. Either just use it in our rivers and creeks knowing that it will get scratched, save it for if the wife ever wants to paddle a canoe in deeper water with me, or put it up for sale before I put it on the water.
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