Originally Posted by
MetalPedaler
Yesiree! No matter how much anyone may love 'em, wooden boats were just ridiculous. It was truly a case of just using a technology that worked....but just barely- simply because there was nothing better at the time. Naturally, when fiberglass boats first came out, they had their problems for a while...but they got those problems sorted out in pretty quick order.
Unlike with bikes, I think everyone pretty much quickly realized the benefits of fiberglass, and was happy to get away from wooden boats. But then, you didn't hear about fiberglass boats breaking in half, or being ruined because they got scratched or sustained an impact. They decreased owner maintenance; and unlike bikes, they made for far more durable boats.
You wanna talk heavy? I used to have a fiberglass-over-plywood work boat! It was like a tank!
The comparison to the development in boat (canoes and kayaks specifically) technology is an interesting one. At the risk of repeating what you just said, I can see how the switch from wood to aluminum to composite materials most certainly presented noticeable and meaningful improvements to the average recreational user. Specifically when it came to care and maintenance. Your average weekend boat warrior is likely rougher (not to be confused with agressive) with their equipment and is more likely to not care about maintenance and any required special care. Not to mention that dragging the thing to and from the roof of the car is likely a whole lot easier than in the past. None of those improvements are sexy. Durability and practicality isn't terribly attractive. Yet in this case, this development likely gets more to stay involved in the sport because the equipment is easier to deal with and is less likely to fail. Then, after a while the weekend boat warrior begins to lust after the old fashioned, heavy, fragile, high-maintenance and extremely beautiful hand-made wooden canoe. It's counter-intuitive, backwards reasoning.