older mad river freebie questions

Advice
#1

i just picked up an older fg mad river canoe, 16.5’ x 33", it needed a new home and refurbishment. so of course i volunteered to take it! the hull numbers are mad63728m780. i’m guessing it was made in 1980? the hull has relatively fine lines compared to modern mad river boats i see. it has a v hull form with some rocker. its fiberglass, very neatly laid with no chopped glass, stringers, ribs etc. and pretty light at about 60 lbs. this hull deserves to be paddled. anyone know what model it might be? two pics here

http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2775635440053419764vOltYy?vhost=outdoors

thanks : )

dan in rainy port royal

#2

Malecite? Not big enough to be a glass
Explorer. The end caps are just like those on my '73 MR Compatriot. The glass work on the Compatriot was very neat and clean also. Several layers of FG laid tight together, flexible and strong.

#3

That’s what I thought

– Last Updated: Nov-12-09 4:43 PM EST –

Something about the lines don't look quite right to my eye. But, Dave Curtis told me that there were actually a couple of different iterations of the Malecite. He said Jim Henry later made it a bit dryer as a tandem using more bow volume. Maybe this is an original and that's why it looks a bit "off" to me. There doesn't seem to be any tumblehome in the pics. It appears slab sided. The Malecites I am familiar with are not.

The measurements would be right ... especially if the 33" if from outside to outside gunnel.

#4

a pic of a top-secret Malecite “AWACS”
… model from the cold war years



http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2080817370054054916oiasJc



And here’s an even older '74 that Topher took pics of at BMO.



http://sports.webshots.com/album/100180096gHIaeB



They can look slab sided from the side.

#5

gunwales and thwarts are not original
hard to say what the original measurements were. the shape is a little ‘lumpy’ because of the way the gunnels and thwarts dont quite fit. it does seem to have some tumblehome. its a sweeet shape, deeper v than i’m familiar with.

#6

I think you got yourself a Malecite
Congrats. Nice hull.

#7

thanks!
the pic of topher’s boat that shows the v bottom looks like it. i’ve not seen another canoe with that much v. the hull i got is in much better condition. all it needs is wood. i’m excited!

#8

Sure looks like…
…what I just paid $650 for (Malecite), only mine isn’t needing any work. I’d say you got the better deal. If the hull looks as good as it seems to in the photo - what a great project boat! Bet you can get it in fine shape for under $100 if you have the appropriate tools & skills. Congrats! I’d love to make a find like that. Let us see the final product when it’s done, eh?

#9

Definitely a Malecite
The serial number indicates that it is a Malecite. Most likely a '78, but the “0” at the end of the ser# is a tad odd. Anyway, the “6” that follows “MAD” is the ID for the Malecite. In later years the ID became “6X”. It appears to have some modifications made to the seat and thwart hardware. The decks are original and the rails look original, too. Back then they were rectangular shaped. Not until ‘84 did MRC go to the curved rails.



Happy paddlin’,



Rob