Millbrook Outrage

[eckilson]

Congratulations on getting the Millbrook Outrage on some nice water. It looks like a nice fun run; did you get any surfing done?

Surfs great - different than the RX version.

In my RX Outrage, the bow tends to dig into the wave in front of the hole - often filling up the boat and limiting how far into the hole I will go. In the composite Outrage, the the boat is lighter and the bow rode up up the wave rather than digging in. Before I knew it, the bow was on the top of the wave and I was sitting in the hole. Very stable, but once I got in I wasn't sure how to get out. Tried back paddling - that didn't work. Then I tried side slipping to the edge of the hole. That worked. Once I got the bow into the normal current and leaned downstream the boat spun out of the hole.

I think this boat would like side surfing, but I'm not sure that I would.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

different than the RX version

You're a plenty good enough paddler to run a Kevlar boat down class 3 rivers, and enjoy the improved handling characteristics, rather than using a Royalex version.

Then it tried side slipping to the edge of the hole. That worked.

That's the ticket; get near the edge and then grab downstream current with your paddle. You're also good enough to turn sideways, side surf, and then stroke forward out the side of the hole.

Clock surfing in an easy hole is great practice: Front surf, rotate to side surf, rotate to back surf, rotate to side surf on the other side with a cross-brace, and finally return to front surfing. Over and over again. Generations of paddlers have done this at the Hole at T'ville on the Farmington River in Connecticut.

A Tale of Two Hulls:

When I was a low intermediate whitewater paddler, using a Mad River Explorer, I moved to New York and and seduced myself into buying a Millbrook ME from John Berry because all the slalom racers used them. I wasn't experienced enough, however, and broke the canoe twice. John took pity on me and sold me a MR Royalex ME at his cost. I paddled a lot in that hull for three years, both solo and tandem, using my repaired Kevlar ME in easier waters. Finally, I realized that I was good enough to paddle the Kevlar ME in any waters in which I could paddle the Royalex hull, so I eventually sold my Royalex ME while at the Cheat Canyon with both. I did, however, acquire other plastic whitewater boats—not because they were any better than my Millbrook ME, but only because I became an addicted boat slut.

 

[eckilson]

Generations of paddlers have done this at the Hole at T'ville on the Farmington River in Connecticut.

Well, it's been a while since I have dipped my bow into that particular hole. I think this is the only picture that I have, and it was a timely shot because a nanosecond later I was swimming downstream.

https://flic.kr/p/Wm14WM

I have lots of pictures of this...

https://flic.kr/p/VSsD3M

I usually do that run with kayakers, but on occasion an Ace open boater will come along. This was Dave doing a pretty good job.

https://flic.kr/p/Hbjqq1

Not an open boat, but this guy can do it all with a single blade.

These days I'm content taking the easy lines and sitting on the sidelines taking pictures of other people doing the really big stuff.

 

[eckilson]

I did, however, acquire other plastic whitewater boats—not because they were any better than my Millbrook ME, but only because I became an addicted boat slut.

I'll keep a RX boat for low level runs when I don't want to scratch up the Millbrook. That will be the RX Outrage, so I guess I will have to find a new home for my old Encore. Going to be hard to give it up, even though I haven't paddled it in a coupe of years...