Looks like a good deal?

[Robin]

MAD RIVER CANOE - $300

condition: fair size / dimensions: 16 foot

MAD RIVER CANOE - EXPLORER 16 ft - USED
includes PADDLES & LIFE JACKETS
$300/OBO

SALE BENEFITS ANIMAL WELFARE NON-PROFIT

Just talked to sellers wife, still available, just down the road and appears to be a good buy. My best poling boat was an Explorer so I'm hoping this one looks ok, If it has bad wood, no big deal, and look at those paddles, (they look like scrap plywood screwed to the end of of a broom stick...haha, just kidding) I could end up owning almost as many plastic canoes as wood canoes. This day is turning out better than it started....

 

[Alan Gage]

Pretty tough to pass up a deal like that, especially when it's close!

Alan

 

[paddlindan]

Both a new Freedom and Explorer within a week?

I just replied to your post about the Freedom a few minutes ago. I bought my Freedom to replace an Explorer (actually a 16' Duck Hunter, same hull, different color) because I wanted something with better river handling. I do think the Freedom is more maneuverable in moving water because it has more rocker and the seats are closer to the center. The Freedom bow is also more full than the Explorer. Of course, those river attributes make the Freedom less fun on flat water. Although with both having blunt royalex noses, neither is great on flat water.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

Looks like my faded yellow Explorer. I have one of those exact Mitchell paddles, which I found in a river about 20 years ago. It's a good lake and river paddle, which I used regularly up to about four years ago.

 

[ppine]

Buy it. You will always get your money back and it would be a great loaner.

 

[snapper]

If you're interested I think I could find a buyer for it but he's here in central NYS. If we got the money to you could we arrange a pick-up? Just curious...

That's all for now. Take care and until next time...Be well.

snapper

 

[Robin]

Going to see the canoe at 3:30 tomorrow, with two 4 year old grandkids in tow, Should be fun to bring home a canoe with them tagging along.

 

[cflcanoe]

Hope you get it. A home run! A good canoe, getting it with the grand kids, supporting a good cause, and a tax write off for a donation to a charity. All at a great price.

 

[Hanz]

I hope it works out for you.

New canoes are tough to top. I'm sure the grandkids will remember the day.

 

[Robin]

I picked up the canoe today, it turned out to be a little beat up and the seller didn't even bother to clean it up to improve it's first impression, but it's a good canoe for what I need so all's good.
The wood gunnels need some restoration with Watco oil, but there is no rot. One gunnel is split, but it's repairable. The hull has been pinned and has some damage, mostly cosmetic wrinkles that are easy to live with for what I need .
Other than the wrinkles from being pinned, the hull shows little use in ww. I was ready to pay the asking price to support their cause ( animal welfare) but the damaged hull and being very dirty, I had to negotiate with them and walked away with a good beater hull to introduce my grandkids to some safe moving water and maybe some poling for myself.

Here's some pics

The other side,

wood trim needs some oil,

 

[Mihun09]

So if you, ummm, need room for the tupperware collection, wanna bring a couple of Chestnut's up this way?

 

[Robin]

Ha ha, this is my rented mule, the Chestnuts are for tripping, this is for bashing and boofing or whatever the terms are for running boney rivers. The two paddles are Mitchells in excellent condition and I also picked up 4 nice PFD's, 2 for childen so the deal turned out ok

 

[Alan Gage]

I think I know of a thread if you want any conflicting advice on fixing that gunwale split.

Alan

 

[Hanz]

I hope that canoe creates a lot of memories for you and your grandchildren in and around it.

I'm sure you will spruce it up nicely.

 

[Robin]

The gunnel should be an easy fix with some two part epoxy, some well placed ss screws from the inside and clamps for overnight drying(the wood is solid, no rot at all). I picked up some Watco "rejuvenating" oil for the wood, but the repair comes first. Then pull the decks off to get the oil on the wood below them, remove the seats, strip the "press in cane" and flip the seats over and install black webbing rather than cane. Raise the seats a little, then see if I can clean those creases up with a heat gun.

 

[Steve in Idaho]

Good plan, Robin.....using a canoe that's already beat up for poling practice. Hides the evidence....

I'll be curious to see how the heat gun works on hose creases.

 

[Robin]

I finished the canoe last night. The heat gun helped remove some of the hull damage from being wrapped, but not having much experience with heat and Royalex, I chose to err on the side of caution. I washed the canoe and scrubbed the grime off, the hull is in good shape save the obvious damage.
I removed the decks and the gunnel wood was dry but good, the decks had some interior rot so they will be exchaged this winter. I oiled all the wood with Watco oil, glued the cracks in the gunnels with Titebond II, removed the cane on the seats and flipped the frames and added webbing, then raised the seats 1 & 1/2" . I removed those big Mad River stickers from the sides, plus some ugly interior stickers. The paddles are very good Mitchells, although one has a Mad River sticker on it. The pole is my homemade.
Had the previous owner bothered to wash the canoe and oil the wood, I might have paid the asking $300 which was to be donated to an animal rescue group, but it looked so bad I had to negotiate and got it for $250. I never understand why people don't make their item look at least clean when trying to sell, I see it all the time.

 

[memaquay]

Looks totally awesome! That wood really came back to life.

 

[Greywolf]

Robin I have the MRC Duck Hunter which is the Explorer, just green inside and out. Great canoe have replaced the gunnels once about a year age, have had the boat about 10 yrs. They were an easy fix. I believe you will enjoy this boat, even if its, not a wood canvas or a stripper.

 

[Mihun09]

I'm glad it cleaned up so well, it originally looked kind of Salmon Pink colour.