Can you give any Information of the toughness
of the Expediton kevlar layup. I see from pics
that there is no floatation in either end.
Does it have a foam layer in that grey area in the flooring. how is the hull for stiffness,
flexing or oilcanning.
How is the build Quality.
Does MRC add xtra layers in specific areas, bow,stern, seat, eg.(bell)
How's it paddle,
Do you like the slight v shaped hull or would you prefer something more rounded
I am considering picking one up,and I have only paddled the all fiberglass Indy, Thanks for any Indy Info you may care to share.
man that coffee was Good. ;0)
Ah’s has a ‘glas Indy fer many years an’ it be a mighty’ excellent boat wit great secondary stability. Coon-struk-ion be superb ‘specially de wood trim. One great boat. As fer de Kevlar version, me dun’t know. Never tried one o’ dose.
Call Chicagoland Canoe Base at an off hour and Ralph or Vic could tell you. Ralph lays up boats in glass, and they have been a MRC dealer for a very long time.
My impression is that MRC Kevlar is quite tough, but I disagree with them on the high proportion of Kevlar. I would prefer S-glass on the outside for wear and stiffness. At one time MRC provided such a layup, but when the market contracted, they stopped.
Will be calling CCB hopfully shed some light
Thanks,
I'm not sure If toughness Is the right term.
mabe I should've said stiffness and strengh.
From what I have been able to gather from pics and talking to people only the fiberglass/kglass Indy's have floation tanks built in the ends kevlar and kev light have a foam layer in the floor.
fiberglass/kglass are easy to spot cause the color is on the inside of the hull as well as the outside.kevlar and kev light have the familiar yellow ish rawl kevlar interior with the eye shaped reinforced area on the floor.
my opinion is that floatation tanks in either end can also help with strength and stiffness.
What does MRC do to strengthen the ends of their kevlar hulls . The foam layer in the floor and along the keel Line Is one thing but what about the ends.
Do they add extra Layers like bell and others.
I Like a strong somewhat ridgid hull,( no kevcrystal like hulls) The Indy I'm considering Is one of the last off the assembly line so to speak '2002-2003'. I'm wondering if the last few were built with any less hootzpa then the older hulls.(I've heard there were changes in quality as of late)
the canoe is 250 miles from me so I dont have
the opportunity to go look at it.
Its not that I dont to trust the seller he is a very reputable dealer, seems like a great guy.. but I do Trust the knowledge Here at p-net
Thanks for letting me ramble SYOTR, Ed
Indy Quality My closest paddling buddy used to work at a canoe shop here in Ann Arbor and I’ve looked over quite a few MR boats at places like Rutabaga.
My take is that MR quality is inconsistent and one can find very nicely done boats with excellent details and one can also find boats with disappointing details. And their more recent boats seemed more inconsistent. IN general I’d say the quality and attention to detail is a notch below a Hemlock or Bluewater or a Swift but they still make a very nice boat.
For stiffness you can flip the boat over like a turtle on it’s back and just poke at the hull (not as hard as you can) gently and see how easy it is to deflect. Plus pick it up and see if it’s squeaky - and hopefully paddle it and see how solid it feels and whether it flexes at all when you get in.
Personally I would never order a MR boat, I’d have to see it before buying.
I’d get an Indy Ed, and I’ve had quite a few solos. The shallow vee is a sweet design…like Blackhawks. When I used to paddle a Zephyr exclusively I thought the Indy was too big and sluggish, but the Zephyr is tiny and when I paddled an Indy years later it felt like a little bullet to me. They’re sweet for sure.
Only 250 miles away?
==> By Sunday please tell us how you like your new boat Ed.