Last December
@cruiserinsanity and I picked up a trailer-canoe-kayak package off FB Marketplace. The price was too good to pass up, $350 but because the seller could not break a $20 for two $10s I got it for $340. Photos of the deal are in this thread
Mazda REPU Trailer Build - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/mazda-repu-trailer-build.1373721/
I was mainly interested in the canoe, a Mad River that hopefully was Royalex. It was not, it's a Triple Tough boat and heavier than Royalex. I've been trying to sell it on FB Marketplace for a couple of months. My posting here is not a for sale thread, just a posting about the canoe and what I'm dealing with. The boat is a little sun bleached and beat on, but for a cheap boat it's very serviceable. I grew tired of answering questions about it's condition so I wrote this ad:
"The abbreviated ad: For sale a 14-foot Mad River Explorer tandem canoe. $400.
Now here’s what this canoe embodies. First, it’s a Mad River, one of the most respected canoe manufacturers. This boat is constructed of their Triple Tough material, the composition the company began using after the demise of Royalex. Tough it is. The canoe has seen water, and a few rocks. The hull is scratched and sun damaged, but solid, no cracks, no leaks, so soft spots. Triple tough as the name implies, as it has laughed off the challenges of sun, water, and rock.
The bad: the outer layer is sun damaged and scratched.
The good: the outer layer is sun damaged and scratched. What does this mean? That this is canoe that you can use take to the river, hit waves, bounce off the rocks without worry because it’s been through it and has been proven, not just proven but triply proven.
Is this a canoe that you would use for a pleasant afternoon paddle with your favorite girl on the fish pond? Maybe not because she may see the rugged scars (chicks dig scars but maybe not the ones on this canoe) and be repulsed. Or perhaps you do take her for that relaxing romantic paddle on the pond and while she is coyly twirling her parasol and languidly trailing her fingers in the cool water an alligator rises from the depths and … let’s just say from this day onward she was known as “One Hand Hannah,” but only behind her back. Well, that would be a rude interruption to an otherwise pleasant afternoon, so maybe this boat is not for you.
The web seats are durable and a vast improvement over cane seats that are often sold with canoes. Cane seats rot out too quickly, web seats last. The missing thwart, aka crosspiece, has been replaced.
Back to the scratches. Just think about the pristine condition when this canoe was new with a shiny hull and that new owner took his, or her, boat out and, whack!, the first scratch. Oh, the tears that may have been shed. Well, that owner had you in mind and made the sacrifice of scratching the canoe and shedding those tears so that you will not need to. Think of that when you first take this boat to the water and offer up a quiet thank you to that previous, albeit unknown, owner.
This boat is ready for the Coosa to take on the challenge of Moccasin Gap. Are you a capable paddler that can dominate the waves of the Gap or will you swim? Does it matter? No, it does not. This boat is for taking it to the rivers and streams, ponds, and lakes and having fun. Since it has been put through the rigor of the rivers you do not need to be concerned about adding to its patina. This boat is a survivor and it’s ready for the next triple tough adventure. Are you ready to take this boat on its next triple tough adventure? It’s ready for you."
