If you are considering a new T-Formex tripping canoe but you have issues with the weight of these boats, have a look at Esquif’s new T-Formex Lite layups. T-Formex Lite - Esquif.
The earlier Royalex boats were heavy beasts with thick plastic laminates over the entire hull. Eventually the canoe builders learned to utilize strategic structural reinforcement. Thick layers are needed on the bow and stern quarters and chines for impact and abrasion resistance. However, carrying it mid-ship and up the sides increases weight without adding a lot to durability. Reading Esquif’s media release for T-Formex Lite, it seems they are using selective reinforcement with T-Formex to achieve an average 20% weight reduction, which is significant.
The big Canyon in the Lite layup is advertised at 65 lb, and the smaller Pocket Canyon at 53 lb. And if you want to cut several more pounds while pumping up the esthetics a notch, take the wood trim.
The most interesting new Esquif boat is the 15’11” Prospector Sport in the Lite version. Bing Videos. Those of us who have been around the canoeing block a few times know that often advertised hull weights can be really optimistic. However, the guys at Paddle.ca in the video put the canoe on the scales and came up with just 55.3 lb. That’s very impressive for a 16 foot plastic boat. It’s almost the same weight as a Nova Craft Prospector 16 in their TuffStuff composite.
The Prospector Sport is also a very different canoe from their original Prospector, and the changes make it much more competitive as a serious river tripper. It has significantly increased volume, being 15.5” deep compared to 14”. The rocker has been upped to 3.5” from the original’s 2.75”. The bottom cross section is also more arched, which is an ideal shape for imparting stiffness to the lighter hull.
So, if I were in the market for a new river tripping canoe, I’d definitely include these new models in my comparison shopping list.