Opinions: Mohawk Canoes

I would like to hear the paddling communitys opinions/thoughts of Mohawk Canoes going out of business. Testamonials, feelings, hopes, whatever. All replys appreciated.

Mohawk were once well
respected for their white water canoes. When i say that i am referring to Probe and Viper models. I owned a Probe 12 and have no complaints. It was dry, good initial and secondary stability, handled well and lighter to carry than others. Only thing i didn’t care for was the thinness of its outter layer which probably made it lighter at the same time.

Sad :^( Never got the three boats I

– Last Updated: Jan-13-06 2:59 PM EST –

wanted to buy from Mohawk. Wanted a Probe, a Solo 14, and a small tandem (Odyssey 14, 15, or 15T?).

Did get some good outfitting accessories from them, and lot and lots of advice and examples from their website and some over the fon.

Mohawk was always; good advice, good accessories, good service, and of course good canoes!

Always recommended Mohawk to other paddlers and new paddlers without reservations!

>:^)

Mick

it’s a shame
I consider Mohawk canoes to the be best bargain available for the entry level canoeist. Good desigs, well made boats at a reasonable price with quick courteous service. A paddler could spend hundreds of dollars more on a canoe and not get much more.



Sure their boats didn’t have the cache’ of Wenonaplace or Bell. (Mail order and internet sales probably dictated that).



But like the cable guy says Mohawk "got ‘er done’.

I got the solo 14
but I sold my Odyssey to do it. Kinda feel bad now, should have kept both!

??
I myself would be as sad as everyone else to see them go. I started in a Mohawk. Since i have been paddling i have paddled a wide range of watercraft from rafts to ww kayaks to high-end canoes. You are hard pressed to find a company that brings to there nitch the blend of service, quality and value that Mohawk brings to theirs. If they come back, the first thing i will do is mortgage my house and buy two of everything they have to offer!

Mohawk made some very good
canoes for the money but they also made some very mundane flatwater ones. Today design and efficiency will make or break a canoe company. Low cost is inviting to the masses but many of those canoes don’t have anyone to love them. High cost to produce can kill you too but a good boat that is a pleasure to paddle is worth saving up for.



It helps to be just a little bit crazy too.

Only bought accessories but enjoyed it
They are a pleasure to deal with. In the back of my head, I always intended to buy a factory outfitted Probe.

Ah. Go ahead. Just one more little canoe

– Last Updated: Jan-13-06 4:22 PM EST –

Hee, hee, hee ...

What are friends for if not getting each other into trouble?!

Besides if you take the last one then that will save me!

>:^)

Mick

I haven’t tried to push it but
Something tells me I’ve got some wife-imposed fleet management operating right now. She’s been buying furniture.



Besides, I’m waiting to buy yours used. Don’t you go screwing me now by missing the last one!


They had a well balanced line up
I thought that Mohawk had one of the best balanced line up of canoes of anyone out there. Nothing high-end, sure, but I don’t think that any advanced canoer couldn’t find a couple models that he’d like to have on the rack. A better offering of composite canoes would certainly add value to the company, but we rock-bash around here; we have to or else cut our days on the water in half. And speaking from my neck of the woods, don’t underestimate those “mundane flatwater designs” for generating income. My local outfitter probably sells 3 rec boats for every serious boat to go out the door. Those boats are what pay his bills. I own 2 different Mohawk models and can think of 3 others that i would like to have. I really love their paddles too. I have used paddles costing 4 times as much that I liked half as well. Lets hope someone buys them up, keeps everything they have now and add lots more!!

Ok, ok…
someone needs to just pull out their wallet and buy the company and keep it running…any takers?

my testimonial, 17’ fg ranger
i bought it in 1978. its fine lines make it faster and prettier than most. i think it was a jensen design. it has proven to be a tough, versatile boat. its been paddled, raced, sailed, rowed, used for fishing, camping, and courting. not for sale.

Will Be Missed
I have an old Challenger which has served me well for many years. I had hoped to add a new R-84 Odyssey to my collection but it looks like I waited too long. From what I hear, if they find a buyer Mohawk may be resurrected (probably under a new name). I can only hope that if someone buys the company, the new owner will offer the same quality and service as before.

What’s in a name?
Why on eart would someone spend the money buying a good to outstanding company and then change the name?!


:^)



Mick

I’ll be very sad if they disappear
I consider my purchase of a Mohawk Odyssey 14 last spring to be very fortuitous. I’d heard lots of good things about their Solo 14, but by doing some comparisons of the specs of that boat to those of the Odyssey 14, I opted for the Odyssey. Also, I’d already seen what a sweet boat the Odyssey 14 could be when in the hands of an accomplished paddler. This summer I made the off-hand remark to fellow P-Netter PJC that the more time I spent in this boat, the more I came to appreciate what it could do for me. He made the observation that that is one of the prime indications of a really good design, and I’m sure he was correct about that. Forget about the fact that this boat was cheaper than most comparable ones - I consider it to be a bit of a classic, a design that will be remembered by experienced paddlers for a long time to come.

It depends on the buyer
If Mohawk gets absorbed by a large company, for example Wenonah or someone like that, then the Mohawk models might be incorporated into the Wenonah (or whoever) lineup and the Mohawk name would go away. It’s a simple matter of buying the molds, etc. and using different decals. Another scenario would be for someone to buy Mohawk and continue to run the the business as an independent entity under the same brand name, but the trend in business is toward mergers and acquisitions so we’ll see. In either scenario the buyer, if there is one, will motivated at least as much by turning a profit as by maintaining tradition.

Notice that big companies normally
keep well known names as that is a big part of what they pay for and it would costs a lot to get advertizing value that is free by keeping the name. Look at Confluence, We-NO-nah, and others for examples. Just go to their sites and lok at all the names!


:^)



Mick

Only limited
experience with my mohawk solo 14, but i love it. i hope the company survives. cause i can see myself buying another canoe from them.

how does the odyssey
compare to the vagabond? Just interested as I have the vagabond and was looking to add the odyssey 14 or 15 if I can get one…Too bad they are thinking of closing the company :frowning:



Anyway, saw in your profile that you also own the vagabond.