Beware Those "Next Big Thing" Promises

Consider, for example, this ad, which accompanied a 1977 Popular Science article. The actual opening statement in that article read as follows: "Fiberglass, the core of modern hull construction, is now obsolescent."

As noted by Bryan in a Feb. 15, 2013, Bass Fishing Archives piece, "That's a pretty bold statement, surely made mostly to grab the readers' attention"--and I agree wholeheartedly. All writers usually learn that lesson early on...or spend a lot of time looking for new jobs.

In the case of the Popular Science article, it was promising that Kevlar, with its "some 25 percent lighter, 50 percent stronger, and 50 percent stiffer" qualities was going to make fiberglass a thing of the past. DuPont's invention then was recognized as the strongest synthetic fiber in the world.

"Yet, nearly 30 years after this article made print," continued Bryan, "fiberglass still seems to be alive and well in the boat-manufacturing world. Still, back in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Kevlar boat hulls (like the one on this 1978 HydraSports) were 'all the rage.' The promise of indestructible hulls had the bass boatin' world abuzz."

So, what went wrong?

As Bryan explained, "On the surface, it seemed like a great idea. Lighter weight meant better fuel efficiency and easier towing, a big deal back in those days of double-digit inflation and gas embargoes. Where ramming a stump or other solid object would puncture a hole in the hull of a fiberglass boat, it only would dent a Kevlar-built hull--and, in some cases, could be popped back out.

"Remember that ad where the bulldozer was running over the hull of a HydraSports boat? At one point, according to some accounts, HydraSports was building 93 percent of their boats with the stuff."

There were several problems, though:

     * Kevlar was more difficult to work than fiberglass.

     * It was trickier to prepare for lamination.

     * While it had great tensile strength, it was relatively weak in compression. And, as one expert remarked, "It is one bad mutha when it comes time to repair it." He explained you need special shears/blades, an understanding of the fabric and its madness, and a bit of masochism to boot. His advice was, "Save your money, your repair-bill hassles, and get on with it, using fiberglass. If your boat is going to be subjected to some measure of hard-lick abuse, add more glass to that area and get back on the water."

     * Finally, it was a pretty costly material, adding between $300 and $500 per boat built with the stuff (doesn't actually sound like much). Kevlar woven roving costs $14 per yard versus $1 for fiberglass.

While HydraSports was the first manufacturer to introduce the bass-fishing world to the Kevlar 49 aramid fiber in 1976, Skeeter soon joined in the venture, with the introduction of their 1977 Wrangler 16-foot model (pictured in the ad at the start of this article and at right).

In the interest of leaving y'all laughing--or smiling, at least--I dug around the Internet until I came across an angler who had posed a couple of questions in 2000 to his fellow forum members about an old Skeeter Wrangler (his first boat) he just had bought and restored. He began by explaining that, while the boat was rated for a 175-hp outboard, he had installed a rebuilt 225 Merc. The first problem, as he described it, was, "I'm only getting about 79-82 mph. I figured I'd see near 90. Should I try raising the motor?" he asked.

Then he noted that "the boat also seems to slide in the corners" and asked what he could do for that, as well.

The first response he got was as follows: "Hope you've got a good kill switch, life jacket, and a Kevlar suit with reinforced crotch, 'cause God forbid that you should flip that thing! Have you any idea what the force of water at 90 mph will do to the weakest spot if you go in feet first? Can you say 'sphincter blowout'? Good luck."

Said Bryan in closing his Bass Fishing Archives piece, "I still see where Kevlar is being used in some hulls of modern-day bass boats, usually in the more custom-built lines. Again, it seems like a case of great science, but just not at the right time."