I purchased a used Mad River Quest Canoe (14feet, 7 inches, royalex, 54lb) about a year ago and have a few questions.
My wife doesn’t want to participate in a “stability test”, so I am interested in hearing opinions regarding initial and secondary stability. It seems rather tipsy with both of us in it, but so does my OT Pack with me in it and the Pack can be leaned on it’s side to the point were water comes in without tipping. The Quest has Slight Rocker, Asymmetrical Hull Shallow Arch w/Flare.
Thanks in advance.
Bob
I don’t know that one, Bob. I have a MR Guide, same length, 28" width, which can be paddled tandem under quiet conditions. We have a 15’ MR Synergy, 28" wide, high rocker, not very stable, actually better solo than tandem. I’ll have to go to the MR site to find out about the Quest.
I’ve only seen one since I got into paddling in about 1996.
I think it may be asymetrical, narrower in the bow and fuller in the stern.
I tandemed one on a class I stream some years back. We probably ran about 350 lbs between us. My recollection is that it was pretty steady and like the Explorer firmed up quite a bit on a lean so I’d say it’s got good initial and secondary stability.
But then my idea of stabilty may not be the same as somebody elses.
The first thing I do with a new boat is take it out somewhere that I don't mind dunking, and see just how far over I can go before it dumps me. The only way to know where the limit is, is to try it until you've gone too far. That way, you'll have a better idea of what you can realistically get away with when you don't want to swim.
In fact, I'm looking forward to doing exactly that with my most recent kayak purchase this Sunday. For some reason the wives and girl friends are never into this idea, but sometimes they find out on their own when they're not expecting it, and move too quickly to grab something from the cooler. Personally, I'd rather find out with an empty boat and some swim trunks on, in clean water, rather than finding out will a fully loaded canoe in muddy mucky water.
In fact, I'dve never figured out how safe standing and moving about in various canoes was, if I didn't have the attitude that I'm gonna get plenty wet the first few times.
BTW, did you know you can stand in your Pack? It's squirrelly, but I'm getting more used to the idea of standing to pole mine. (Gently, very gently)
Mad River Quest Canoe Natural_wonder, I’m going to take a guess here, but I’m thinking that you aren’t 62 years old, 6 foot 3 inches tall and weigh 265 pounds. I am, and the only time I would consider standing in my Pack was if there was a high bridge to grab onto right before I go over a waterfall.
If I am the only one in the MR Quest will the results be at all similar to what they would be with my wife in it?
probably not Most canoes behave differently depending on how much weight they have in them. Find a friend who doesn’t mind getting wet and go out and do a tandem stability test :).