May 2003
Volume XV
Issue 1
Abridged Edition

Tips From The River Rats

UV makes Brittle Boats
Ice Ledges Scream "No Paddling"
More tips!

UV makes Brittle Boats

By Tom Todd

ABS, the major plastic component of many boats today is very susceptible to alteration by exposure to UV light such as that contained in sunlight. Most other plastics suffer from this same susceptibility to UV breakdown. The effect of this alteration is to make the ABS brittle, causing it to break instead of bend when hitting a rock. A typical ABS canoe is made of a vinyl-ABS-ABS foam-ABS-vinyl sandwich. With exposure to UV light, the ABS foam is also more likely to be brittle and cause delamination. The function of the vinyl is to protect the ABS from abrasion and the UV light as well as provide resistance to chemicals and oils. The vinyl contains colorants and UV light absorbers.

The vinyl cannot absorb all the UV, especially if it has been abraded off.

Storage of your boat outside will make it brittle much faster than inside storage. I've even seen ABS stored inside a garage in the rafters get brittle from UV coming in through the garage door windows.

When storing your boat, try to store it inside, covered if possible. If your boat must be stored outside, wrap it completely with a couple of layers of a dark colored tarp. Generally boats are built with a lighter colored inside that doesn't protect as well from the UV, so wrap the boats completely.

If the vinyl has been abraded off your boat, get the proper paints to protect it and be extra careful to store it inside.

When buying a used boat, check to see that the boat has been stored inside. If it has been stored outside, there may not be much 'life' left in it.

Ice Ledges Scream "No Paddling"

By Tom Todd

In a recent email I wrote:

Sorry to say, the ice and snow is delaying our season start. Ice ledges are a contraindication to paddling. If you see ice ledges protruding from the banks, don't paddle.

I got the following question:

There has been open water there most of the winter. A NH state landing area makes it a good location. However you're warning about "ice ledges protruding from the banks" makes me cautious.

Can you tell me how to recognize an ice ledge and why they are dangerous? Do ice ledges prevent a capsized paddler from climbing out of the water onto the shore?

Sometimes verbal imagery is the best warning. Here is my response:

Ice ledges are the most dangerous feature ever encountered in paddling. If one get sucked under an ice ledge, even with a almost imperceptible current, there is no possibly of getting out and of course there is no air.

An ice ledge is an any ice protruding from the bank which is on the top of water.

Imagine trying to claw yourself along a smooth wet slippery ice surface while underneath it in cold water and most likely not knowing which way to go while the water may or may not be pushing you in the wrong way. Of course you were already out of breath when you went under and obviously there is no air available.

... and no one willing to risk their life retrieving you.

Oh, yes. You grabbed the edge of the ice as you were being sucked under and that thin slippery edge didn't break off as you went under. Have I got the image burned in your mind? Quite frankly it sends shivers up MY spine.

OK, of course you can stay away from those and be perfectly safe, right?

There isn't really any current, right?

And you're a competent paddler that always is under control, right?

And you've never dropped a paddle while paddling with gloves, right?

... and never tipped over trying to grab it.

And of course you have a 100% bullet proof hand roll, right?

And you're wearing an exposure suit so that you aren't incapacitated in about 30 seconds in this water, right?

And you never have to take out in some place other than where you planned, right?

And you can walk on slanted or thin ice without ever slipping, right?

And you carry some sort of ice gripper to pull yourself out onto the ice.

And of course you're paddling with others who might try to rescue you if something does go wrong, right?

Oh, I just got your renewal form.

You usually paddle alone. That saves telling someone's relatives that you convinced them to paddle in such unsafe conditions.

And even if all of these were true, I still wouldn't risk it.

The minor pleasure is not worth the tremendous risk. Go skiing instead.

A number of fatalities paddling involve foolish paddling when ice ledges exist. Although I can find no specific Coast Guard statistics point to ice shelves, the most recent USCG statistics indicate the most paddling deaths involve cold water in the shoulder seasons when fewer people are paddling.

We'll never run a trip with ice ledges. (I'll paddle with small broken pieces of ice in the river, but not with ice ledges.)

I hope this dissuades you from paddling while there are ice ledges.