Mad River identity help

Advice
#1

[http://s30.postimg.org/4xv5c7uvx/image.jpg](http://postimg.org/image/4xv5c7uvx/)



Any idea on model, year and material.

Thanks kirk

#2

Another pic
[http://s8.postimg.org/j5pm11sut/image.jpg](http://postimage.org/)

[image upload no size limit](http://postimage.org/)

#3

What Are the Specs?

– Last Updated: May-28-15 11:22 AM EST –

LOOKS like an old Explorer, but could be a Malecite? Many of their boats had a thwart rather than a yoke in the older models. If it's 16'6" and 33" beam it's a Malecite. 16' and 35" or so and it's an Explorer.

#4

Material?
Any guess on material

#5

Not From Those Pictures

– Last Updated: May-28-15 12:17 PM EST –

Looks like royalex, but could be Fiberglass? Not kevlar, because the inside wouldn't be gray. Does the the material "Feel" rough on the interior, or is it smooth? Are there floatation tanks (hard to tell from the pics)? If so, it's 'Glass.

#6

My guess is fiberglass
I am pretty sure I can see a float tank in that first photo. The stem appears to be finer than that of the Royalex Mad River Eclipse that I paddle (on that Royalex boat, the rounded stem is as big across as a person’s fist). I see a “stripe” on the top of the gunwale, but it appears crooked, rather than being the exposed edge of Royalex running down the center, so it must be something else. All those things point to it being fiberglass, not Royalex, but with such small pics I’m not completely sure.

#7

Better pic I hope






[http://s23.postimg.org/wt09h15ij/image.jpg](http://postimage.org/)

[image free hosting](http://postimage.org/)

#8

Yep, there’s a float tank
The boat is not Royalex. I assume the only alternative in this case is fiberglass.

#9

Thank you for the help

#10

Appears to be a swath of damage on
the inside of the hull. Looks like composite damage. Or, it might just be dirt…

#11

Could be one of their all-Kevlar boats.
That would be consistent with the swath of inside compression damage seen along one chine in certain of the photos. Not hard to fix, if the hull is not split through to the outside.

#12

Better Inside pic

– Last Updated: May-28-15 6:20 PM EST –

I have not seen this canoe in person but was told it it filthy from being in a greenhouse for 2 years. He is asking $500. Here is a pic of the inside somewhat cleaned.

http://s24.postimg.org/x5nxohh5x/image.jpg

And the bottom here

http://s24.postimg.org/3xixfa4o5/image.jpg

#13

I See Better
Stems to fine for royalex. Got to be 'glass.

#14

Fiberglass Explorer or Malecite
It is clearly a composite hull with flotation tanks, and it has the characteristic V bottom of the Explorer and Malecite. There were other V bottom MRC tandems but the proportions in the photos do not suggest those models.



Mad River Canoe did use inwales and outwales that were squared off (non-radiused outwales) prior to 1985, but I do not believe those gunwales or deck plates are stock. It does look like there is a “stripe” between the inwales and the outwales suggesting that the rails are “sandwiched” with the top of the hull visible between them. This was the normal arrangement for Royalex Mad River canoes, but MRC used rabbeted rails on all of their composite boats with a kerf of wood covering the top of the hull. I have also never seen an MRC boat with deck caps/plates quite like those.



MRC did in fact paint the interior of some of their Kevlar boats grey, but as far as I know only the hull bottom was painted, not the sides of the interior. At least that is how my vintage 1981 MRC Kevlar Explorer is.



Assuming the wood trim replacement was done well and there is no significant hull damage I would say the boat is a good value as long as you don’t mind the weight. A fiberglass Explorer will run around 70 lbs and a fiberglass Malecite around 62 lbs or so.

#15

Guessing it’s an Explorer
Based on the depth of hull suggested by the seat hangers.

#16

Get the width and depth
As suggested above, that should narrow the probabilities as to Explorer vs. Malecite. Of course, that raises the cryptic issue of whether Mad River measured beam from the outside of the outwales or from the hull-to-hull.



I’m not sure the length would be dispositive. Weren’t composite Explorers longer than the 16’ Royalex ones at about 16’-6"?

#17

Very similar overall dimensions -

– Last Updated: May-31-15 2:25 PM EST –

Composite Explorer is nominal 16'4"; Malecite nominal 16'6". Steve is right about the seat drops. Malecite has low sides and short seat drops. The photo of the bottom looks more like an Explorer, too. Malecite has tumblehome in the center and round chines; Explorer has vertical sides in the center and fairly sharp chines.