Questions regarding Zephr durability and Mad River's status

[boatbuster]

I need to get a new boat and am considering:

A. Another MR Outrage or

B. An Esquif Zephr

Who on this board has a Zephyr they have paddled hard and run into rocks enough to really test the strength of the Twintex stuff?

Also, is Mad River still in business? I sent them an email and have gotten no response. Why did they move from Vermont to North Carolina?

[cbcboat]

Mad River is still in business, the business of making really nice polyethelene canoes They moved because they are part of Confluence which is now the biggest conglomerate in the paddlesports business and I don't think they care too much about paddling anymore, hence the high performance rotomold canoes. GET A ZEPHYR!!

[sbroam]

A year, year and a half ago I had an interesting conversation with a current (former?) MR employee who had been involved in production. What he said about the quality of royalex coming from the supplier (no longer Uniroyal?) was very discouraging. Much more discouraging than the pinhole issues recently discovered with Twintex...

From what I understand, MR moved to NC a couple of years ago. MR ain't what they used to be, not many of those that got gobbled up by Watermark and Confluence are...

[ChrisKelly]

I have paddled them both and would get a Zyphyr every time.

The Z have nive lines, turned well and was pretty fast. The material is tough as hades and very light.

As to the pinhioles, well, the way I paddle trhe problem is not pinholes, it is the BIG HONKING HOLE IN THE TOP.

I only wish the Spark were made of Twintex. Chris Kelly

[h2sk1]

I don't own one, but 2 demo Zephyrs were at PalmerFest this last weekend, and I witnessed one of them in a clinic doing scrub moves, and slides, and rock assisted eddy turns. There were no deep gouges at all. In the same clinic, an Ocoee (royalex) had some significant scratches.

It looks like the material is a winner.

[Wendy]

Well, this weekend I took my Zephyr surfing at a play spot with low water (need rain). The play hole is a slide, drop. The bow several times plowed into the slide while bow surfing. There was barely a mark on it. Royalex would have had some dents from the same move. I am paddling it all weekend and will give another update. Front, back and side surfed like a dream.

[squeakyknee]

Who on this board has a Zephyr they have paddled hard and run into rocks enough to really test the strength of the Twintex stuff?

?

Sure have.It does seem to take HARD hits better than Royalex.
and also seems to wear slower than my other boats,especially on the rough Petersburg Granite here in Richmond.

[dixie_boater]

I have yet to see a Zephyr. Shame on me. I've been close enough to the NOC to drop by and check one out. Some day soon though.


Please do not cast stones at me for expressing my opinion. I have my doubts that Twin Tex it is going to prove to be a durable material. I know it can be cracked. It is not indestructible. If it lasts longer than a Royalex hull it will be a big improvement though. My hat's off to Esquif for offering a new open boat product. Not many companies doing that these days. Please keep posting as to how well your Zephyrs are holding up.

Michael

[boatbuster]

I guess there will be no way to patch it if that happens...or is there?

I plan on hopping in one at NOC this weekend again. I need to find something more durable, the way I paddle my C-forum handle is very appropriate!

[Wendy]

http://www.twintex.com/markets_app/tw_markets.html
Time will tell us how long the boats will last- but from factory to last day of use on the river these are more eco and back-o friendly.
"These new thermoplastic composite materials and processes have several major advantages over the hand lay-up of glass fiber reinforced polyester boats, including:

No solvent emissions in the workplace.
Ability to mold large surface areas and thick sectioned structures in a single operation (i.e., no exotherm).
Significantly enhanced impact performance and delamination resistance.
Excellent water and chemical resistance.
Waste materials, scrap and the components are all fully recyclable.
Cost effective due to significantly reduced laminating time and effort."

[ClassFive Boats]

Hello,, IMO, Twintexs' strength is in its stiffness. Which is to say its ability to deflect energy. It is not a homogeneous material as commpared to plastic . It is a combination of fiberglass or carbon cloth in-cased in resin as any other composite boat. Fiberglass and carbon are not materials designed to flex. I havn't seen a cracked one yet, but experience tells me if it breaks. it will be similar to fiberglass and could be unpaddable . For all its faults, Royalex absorbs energy well and can get you home when damaged severally. Royalex can be ordered in custom thicknesses and and the cost per sheet depends on the weight.. I think the manufacturers order thinner sheets to save money, but thicker tougher Royalex boats can be made.

[Wendy]

I know you considered this material for your boats, but decided against it. Do you think it could be repaired? If not, at least it can be recycled. If it holds up 1-2 years in the SE it will be worth it unless boat manufacturers improve the thickness of their Royalex.

[ChrisKelly]

that he thinks the advantage of Twinrex is its stiffness. I agree with that. Isn't it also an advantage that the composite nature will make it easier to build boats with sharper lines than with Royalex?

Chris Kelly