Jack

That CF is touchy stuff, it actually is a bit stronger then any fiberglass, but it fails without warning, though that isn't the real reason for the s-glass. The limitation is that the market demands are few with the prohibitive costs of CF products. Without demand, it's not made, and that's the real reason.

I'm not even going to tell you what our CF furl boom cost us for our boat. All I can say is that the friggin aluminum POS that was replaced was so corroded that it was a wonder it didn't fail. This then begs the question; wht aren't in-boon furlers made out of CF or something else? Who knows, but cost is a real big reason. One can surmise that the special handling for lay-ups is a potential reason, though I think it a lame excuse. For instance, there's a yacht in SD Bay that has a 196 foot CF mast that cost $1.7 MILLION to make and install (it's the buzz around the boatyards). In my opinion, well, I'm not even going to go there.

That brings me to a third point in the never-ending CF debate: most people simply can't afford or justify $200 a pop for a kayaks worth of CF. It's a rich man's fabric, and the costs far outweigh the benefit for most people-my opinion. I know this might fuel the fire or get people's goat, but that's just the way it is.

: Our "Elte" layup which is even lighter and stiffer has a layer of
: 4oz prepreg s-glass, pre-preg 5.7oz CF, nomex honeycomb core, pre-preg
: 5.7oz CF. I think the s-glass is used in this laminate because the
: honeycomb core with only CF is prone to impact damage.

: Of course we achieve low weight by vacuum bagging all our laminates and many
: of them are then cooked in an autoclave under presure. This ensures a high
: fiber to resin ratio that you can't achieve with a hand lay-up.

: Regards

: Jack