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FOG51
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I have a Mad Bunny Adventurer solo. Great stability, hauls a whole pile of gear, handles the wind well (both loaded and empty) and seems pretty fast. Has the sliding seat which makes trimming it a breeze. Beautiful wood trim throughout.
Only drawback is its heavy on the portages. Hopefully for my 65th birthday, my wife will buy me something lighter. Fat chance, but hey, its my dream, and like they say, with the lottery, "it could happen". My bifocals are acting up again, my Mad Bunny is a Travler model, great solo, very stable hauls a ton of gear, paddles about 3.5mph with a yak paddle, fiberglass and gelcoat. Weighs a mere 60 pounds. My new solo is a Savage River Deep Creek Solo, weighs in at 30 pounds,
FRED
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cburton103
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I live in Texas and recently got a used 16' MR Teton. It's a polyethylene boat that is no longer made and weighs in at nearly 80 pounds. I've taken it down a couple rivers and really enjoyed it so far - great stability and a good all purpose boat. I don't know how I would like portaging it up in the BW, though.
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luft
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My paddling friend in Texas owns a Mad River Legend and loves it. He uses it on the rivers in his region and speaks very highly of its performance.
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yellowcanoe
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quote luft: "My paddling friend in Texas owns a Mad River Legend and loves it. He uses it on the rivers in his region and speaks very highly of its performance."
I think that is the same as the Dagger Legend, now that Confluence is in the game. Kind of boxy blunt canoe that is wonderful in moving water and simply a slow slug on flat. We used to have one and actually finished whitewater races sunny side up.
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Darcyn
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I have a old Mad River Explorer. It handles great but its a pig to portage. Its now my river canoe but it did go on a 2 week up crooked lake.
Darcyn
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Beaverjack
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I had a royalex MR Horizon 17 for many years. Sold it a couple years ago after hauling it 80 miles through the BW. It was fine on lakes, portages were a bear. It handles similar to a Wenonah Spirit in the same material. If not for the weight and the fact that I had too many canoes at the time, I'd have been glad to hold onto it.
I've still got a royalex river boat (the Horizon was without much rocker), and that's all my old bones need. The quality was very good, but may not be the same with more recently made products as I understand the label has changed hands a few times. Don't know if they make non-plastic boats anymore.
Here's the same boat, different parts of the country.
   
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MHS67
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Paddled a Mad River Explorer for several years. Very stable and handled wind and waves well. A pleasure to fish from. I have a Fletcher wood canvas know but if I ever sold it I think I'd go back to the Explorer. This time in Kevlar.
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fitgers1
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To testify to cowdoc's comment, yes, I love my Mad River Independence. It is a 20 year old boat. I've always thought that the MR's were more of an east coast boat. Or at least somewhere close to the Appalachian's to the east coast. I saw a lot more of them when I lived in Virginia. I think canoes are kind of regional.
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jwartman59
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Definitely regional, but I couldn't tell you why for sure. Years ago I supposedly sold Mad River canoes in Anchorage, AK. I would tell customers to check out Old Towns at the REI. Something about that V-hull that really bugged me. I really had no reason to dislike these canoes besides that fact that they were so radically different in design than the Wenonah designs.
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kanoes
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i used to have a ranger otter, which was a MR explorer copy. really liked it. glass though, not kev.
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VTZJ
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quote jldavis: "Just a question here, I've noticed there is never any mention of Mad River Canoes in any of the forums on this site. Just wanting to hear some of your thoughts about these. Personaly I've been paddling the same Grumman for twenty years and have not tried another canoe. It may be time."
Eleven days in the Wabikimi Wilderness convinced me that the Kevlar Explorer is one tough, versatile, capable, confidence inspiring boat. I never cared for the Royalex Explorer (too heavy), but I would take the Kevlar Explorer to the ends of the earth.
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trashbag
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I take a mad river explorer every trip. yes its heavier than a Kevlar but majority of my tripping is on the rocky rivers of southern missouri
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schweady
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quote Jackfish: "Nice looking boat, JF. But I have one big problem with the Mad River Lamoille.
I don't know how to pronounce it."
Lamoille :)
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Jackfish
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I'm a very satisfied owner of a 2000 model year Mad River Lamoille.
  
I like the canoe a lot. It's pretty fast, has good glide, can carry a good load and is excellent for fishing. In addition, it has a sliding bow seat and plenty of leg room in the front for my 6'5" son. If the day ever comes where I want to replace it, I will have a hard time. Mad River doesn't make a 50#, 18'4" kevlar canoe anymore.
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cowdoc
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Mad River Malecite - small tandem. Mad River Independence - solo
Mad River is making a composite Malecite again. Sadly, the Indy is no longer made.
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cowdoc
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fitgers.....you still owe me a pic of your Indy!
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JoeWilderness
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Pete, I would never part with your Lamoille. In 1985 I struggled between a Lamoille and a Wenonah Odyssey. I purchased and still own the Odyssey. It is a bit harder to turn than your Lamoille but it is still my all time favorite tandem and I am sure if I had purchased the Lamoille I would most likely feel the same way.
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HammerII
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quote jldavis: "Just a question here, I've noticed there is never any mention of Mad River Canoes in any of the forums on this site. Just wanting to hear some of your thoughts about these. Personaly I've been paddling the same Grumman for twenty years and have not tried another canoe. It may be time."
Join the "Been paddling Grumman forever club" I've paddle a few different canoes and own a few. I have two mad river that get used more by friends then by me. For local runs in the creeks and stream around here I find the Grumman just is the ticket. I found out a friend of a friend cracked his new kevlar trying to pull it over a log saturday.
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JoeWilderness
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quote Jackfish: "JW... not looking to get rid of it. I've only wondered what canoe I would buy should something happen to the one I have."
If we ever run into each other, I would gladly be your bowman. Okay?
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JoeWilderness
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Yes, ozarkpaddler, I have seen a picture of your Monarch before. Great boat that will haul a ton of gear. You can't see it because my canoe cover is on, yet in that photo I have a CCS Guide pack stuffed and laying down right behind my seat. It sure makes for a great back rest. Ha!
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Thwarted
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Jackfish you've got some big boys in that boat!
Anyway I had a MR Malecite and it was OK but not a good tripping boat.
Excellent final stability but not so great initial stability. Quality of construction was superb. I would not be shy about looking at any past or future MR designs.
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maxxbhp
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It seems to me that Mad River and Old Town BOTH market nationally to the pond crowd. They both still make good canoes but there's a lot of money in those center console, multiple drink holder things. You run a business, you do what you have to do. As earlier implied, I guess as you get closer to their HQ you have better access to the real stuff.
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JoeWilderness
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Here is the other canoe I purchased in 1985. It is a MR Monarch and
I still paddle it.
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cinna
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I have the Mad River Horizon 15 - no longer made, I think. It's a 55lb royalex river machine. Love it. I paddle it solo from a kneeling thawrt. Turns soooooo easy and is plenty seaworthy as a solo. Plenty of capacity for long trips. Not so good as a tandem unless you're looking for a quick paddle around the pond.
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H8weakness
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I have a 1996 Mad River Lamoille. I bought it used last year and took it to the BWCA this past September up to Iron. It's a great canoe... a little heavy for a 18.5 ft. though.
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Jackfish
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quote H8weakness: "It's a great canoe... a little heavy for a 18.5 ft. though. "
How heavy is it? Mine is a 2000 model (kevlar) and it's 50#.
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Jackfish
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quote JoeWilderness: "quote Jackfish: "JW... not looking to get rid of it. I've only wondered what canoe I would buy should something happen to the one I have."
If we ever run into each other, I would gladly be your bowman. Okay?"
That's a deal. I just hope I don't run into you next week. We'd have to cut a pretty big hole in the ice. :)
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Jackfish
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quote HowardSprague: "Nice looking boat, JF. But I have one big problem with the Mad River Lamoille.
I don't know how to pronounce it."
M...A...D (rhymes with Dad)
R...I...V...E...R (rhymes with liver)
:)
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Jackfish
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quote Thwarted: "Jackfish you've got some big boys in that boat! "
Nahhhhh, the only "big boy" is the guy in the stern. The other two are 13 year old boys (my son, Kyle, being the duffer in the middle).
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HowardSprague
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quote Jackfish: "I'm a very satisfied owner of a 2000 model year Mad River Lamoille.
I like the canoe a lot. It's pretty fast, has good glide, can carry a good load and is excellent for fishing. In addition, it has a sliding bow seat and plenty of leg room in the front for my 6'5" son. If the day ever comes where I want to replace it, I will have a hard time. Mad River doesn't make a 50#, 18'4" kevlar canoe anymore."
Nice looking boat, JF. But I have one big problem with the Mad River Lamoille.
I don't know how to pronounce it.
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cowdoc
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There are a few fans in here.....mostly of the older models. The newer ones don't seem to me to be the best tripping canoes with a few exceptions.
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yellowcanoe
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I don't have a MR canoe but have paddled a few. Their heyday was while I was whitewater kayaking.
And I got into Swift canoes more. The local dealer was a Swift (daughter of Bill Swift) and they did not carry Mad River in the early 90's. I know a bit about the Explorer and the Guide and the Tahoe and the Express and the Canadienne. Since Kay and Jim sold out and the company moved to SC, I dont see them coming out with new interesting models. And so even here in the NE we don't see that many save an old WW boat or two
Its Old Town country here.
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OldScout48
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Back in the early to mid '90's the Mad River Explorer was the workhorse of the BWCA Outfitters. I own an Kevlar Explorer and Kevlar Malacite and love them both. I think it was around 2000 that Mad River quit building composite canoes and the outfitters had to find some go to canoe manufacturers. We-non-nah, Souris River and Bell stepped up and now Mad River is just coming back into the composite canoe in the last couple of years.
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jldavis
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Just a question here, I've noticed there is never any mention of Mad River Canoes in any of the forums on this site. Just wanting to hear some of your thoughts about these. Personaly I've been paddling the same Grumman for twenty years and have not tried another canoe. It may be time.
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Jackfish
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JW... not looking to get rid of it. I've only wondered what canoe I would buy should something happen to the one I have.
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ozarkpaddler
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Nice boat, I owned a Monarch for a few years myself. I have to kneel most of the time, and it's not a "Kneeling" boat.
Over the last 25 years I've owned and paddled a few Mad Rivers. My first trip, our group of 4 had one Grumman and one Mad River royalex Explorer. The kevlar Explorer, as mentioned, was a good BWCAW tripper and I rented one a few times before I bought my Wenonah Adirondack.
My favorite was my old kevlar Courier solo that I sold to Amhacker (Nick) on this forum. The Malecite and the Independence are nice, and the royalex Explorer 15 and 16 are some nice river boats. I always liked the shallow-v hull, myself. Easy to "Park" it on either "V."
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jldavis
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My first BWCA trip was back in 1987, it was an FFA trip. We set up the trip thru Cliff Wolds and rented Grumman's. I was dead set to own one after that.
In 1992 I was working at Carr's marine and I bought my brand new 17 foot Grumman. This year on a trip up thru Fall lake with my 6 year old son, we helped a couple on a portage and I hauled their Souris River for them. That thing was lighter than our main pack. This put me to thinking about a new canoe. My Grumman, that I will never get rid of... too many memories, trips and it's never let me down.
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CanoeKev
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the Mad River explorer was one of the best all around designed canoes ever. In Royalex it was a fantastic river canoe, and in Kevlar it makes for a great all around lake canoe, if not quite as fast as some of the newer more purpose built models. You couldn't go wrong with one.
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H8weakness
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quote Jackfish: "quote H8weakness: "It's a great canoe... a little heavy for a 18.5 ft. though. "
How heavy is it? Mine is a 2000 model (kevlar) and it's 50#."
Mine is Kevlar with a Gel coat and it's about 65 lbs?
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jldavis
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I love all theses "heavy canoes". My Grumman weighs in at 97lbs.
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Jackfish
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quote jldavis: "My Grumman weighs in at 97lbs."
Ouch!
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Drab
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quote schweady: "quote Jackfish: "Nice looking boat, JF. But I have one big problem with the Mad River Lamoille. I don't know how to pronounce it."
Lamoille :) "
I pronounce it differently, in much the same way Buff Grubb himself does at the 0:52 mark on this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=utDBVv-6RLI#t=42s
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Drab
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quote H8weakness: "quote Jackfish: "quote H8weakness: "It's a great canoe... a little heavy for a 18.5 ft. though. "
How heavy is it? Mine is a 2000 model (kevlar) and it's 50#."
Mine is Kevlar with a Gel coat and it's about 65 lbs? "
Mine is Kevlar with the Gel coat - but Aluminum rails 59lbs
I am extremely satisfied.
It paddles great. It glides nicely even when burdened with huge cargo ship loads. The weight on portages is no problem for me (at least for now at my age and level of fitness) Real or perceived I like the extra durability of the Expedition layup over the lightweight kevlar one that I also looked at.
With the big white lettering I felt like a Mad River billboard so I took all the graphics off.
I have nothing bad to say about it.
 
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cowdoc
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Regional yes.....plus a time line issue. IMO, the older MR models (80's-90's) had some good tripping canoes, many of which are discontinued. The newer models are, like Maxx said, "pond" or weekend river boats.
The current tripping models offered are some big, heavy beasts. People moved on and looked for lighter boats.
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removedmember1
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quote fitgers1: "To testify to cowdoc's comment, yes, I love my Mad River Independence. It is a 20 year old boat....."
I like my Independence also. Though they are not made anymore they show up on the used market regularly.
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PompousPilot1
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I bought a Kevlar Malecite last summer and absolutely love it. I paddled one in glass several years ago and fell in love.
I believe the fact that they are rarely discussed here is that it's a regional thing. You see a lot of praise for the locally made boats like the Wenonah and Souris River, and of course the Bell boats (with good reason)
That would be the only reason I can think of for the lack of popularity here.
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