Advice for Mohawk canoes

2opnboat1 · Post by **2opnboat1** » Wed May 13, 2009 1:57 pm

What would openboaters like to see from Mohawk Canoes. What can we do. We are asking for inputLet us know

Louie · Post by **Louie** » Wed May 13, 2009 2:23 pm

A much improved Roylex would be the second choice to makin tupperware boats. I have a Dagger Quake you can't kill, and all my Esquif plastic is still going strong.

2opnboat1 · Post by **2opnboat1** » Wed May 13, 2009 2:29 pm

We are always in search for a new plastic but like you know we all get our plastic form the same place, For the last 2 years i ve been in a Viper 11 and have no issues on plastic.

eddyhops · Post by **eddyhops** » Wed May 13, 2009 2:40 pm

2opnboat1 wrote:We are always in search for a new plastic but like you know we all get our plastic form the same place, For the last 2 years i ve been in a Viper 11 and have no issues on plastic.

http://www.cboats.net/cforum/viewtopic. ... ght=#44084

gumpy · Post by **gumpy** » Wed May 13, 2009 2:43 pm

i think he meant you should offer a PE or equivalent creeker. you guys are in the southeast, all those great creeks down there, but everybody paddles spanish flys and taureaus all the way from canada.

pblanc · Post by **pblanc** » Wed May 13, 2009 2:48 pm

First I would retitle this thread so that it more accurately indicates its content.

Second, I would post a similar thread on paddling.net since some have asked questions there about the build quality of recently made Mohawk boats.

Third, I would try to address specifically concerns that were voiced by some regarding customer service and build quality of Mohawk boats in this thread: http://cboats.net/cforum/viewtopic.php? ... wk&start=0

Most importantly, I would address the issue posed by this video: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... 1647208990

I think the boat shown in this video demonstrates a degree of flexibility that most here would consider absolutely unacceptable for a whitewater canoe. My Royalex boats are all old, but I have certainly seen a number of Royalex boats of recent manufacture none of which demonstrated anything close to this degree of flexibility. None of my boats ever showed anything even approximating this degree of flex. If I believed that all Royalex boats are like this now, I would not buy a Royalex boat.

Mohawk has some great designs (Vipers, Probes, Shaman, Odyssey) and I, and many others, would like to see Mohawk remain vital. I think the move made by Mohawk years ago to a factory direct sales scheme hurt the popularity of Mohawk designs because people were unable to see and demo these boats at dealers. I think if regional demo days were possible it would allow current boaters to become more familiar with these boats.

ckingoc1 · Post by **ckingoc1** » Wed May 13, 2009 3:10 pm

Louie wrote:A much improved Roylex would be the second choice to makin tupperware boats. I have a Dagger Quake you can't kill, and all my Esquif plastic is still going strong.

There's a good idea! See if you can get the mold for the Quake and start making them.

jnorto01 · Post by **jnorto01** » Wed May 13, 2009 3:15 pm

1.IMPROVED ROYALEX
I'm not sure if the manufacture of the royalex is not making it as good as it used to be or that the boat manufactures are specking lighter sheets. I have a Mohawk Shaman in R84 that I bought in 2002. It has held up very nicely despite all the rude things I did to it as I was learning to paddle whitewater canoe. I now use a Esquif Zoom as my main open boat, but I will not part with the Shaman. The Esquif boat has delaminations all over the bottom were the ABS sheet has separated from the ABS foam core. I have seen this on most of the newer Royalex boats. I have friends that have Royalex WW canoes (about 2 years old) that paddle WAY more conservatively than me and their boats look like boats that have 10+ years on them. The newer Royalex is just not holding up like it should. This is a huge problem when trying to make the decsion to buy a new WW canoe. It is really hard to justify spending $1000-1600 depending on manufacture and outfitting for a new boat that will only really last for two season before it is basically shot. By this I mean lots of wear through in the exterior vinyl, delaminations and getting soft and flexy.

2. NEW BOAT DESIGNS
The Shaman and the Viper are great boats, but the Mohawk fleet has been stagnent and outdated for a long time. Esquif is the only game in town if you want a new design in a WW canoe. I will need to buy a replacement for my Zoom sometime soon as it is wearing out quickly. I would be willing to give Mohawk a shot but they don't make a boat that is anywere close to the performance envelope that the Zoom has.

ezwater · Post by **ezwater** » Wed May 13, 2009 3:32 pm

I would measure and weigh all layers of samples on everything that comes from the supplier, and give a boot test to boats waiting to go out the door.

Just paddling and watching long-term results isn't enough. Some, like me, just aren't hard on boats no matter what rivers we paddle.

I can stiffen a Royalex boat if I find it too "soft" when it's new. I use methods like a triple saddle supporting 3 thwarts. But I haven't had a whitewater Royalex boat that I would consider "soft" as it comes off the truck.

xmas0c1c1k1 · Post by **xmas0c1c1k1** » Wed May 13, 2009 3:34 pm

I Agree with the above.

NEW DESIGNS!!!!!!!
Get people excited. Something new and radical. New designs new material new ideas.
RECLAIM the Southeast
Esquif a bunch of canucks are killin down here
Customer Service
Get some Rippers Back in your Boats Its amazing how much media can do these days with the internet
Make a plastic boat
Also make a c1 saddle like the old dagger pedestal

jnorto01 · Post by **jnorto01** » Wed May 13, 2009 3:39 pm

Can't put a triple saddle in a 9 foot open playboat like a Zoom and would not want to. This adds too much weight and will create a water daming problem that will make it stinking hard to roll.

Longboatin · Post by **Longboatin** » Wed May 13, 2009 4:06 pm

Howz 'bout a really nice tandem ww model. Somthing like Old Towns Kennebec from the 80s. I cant afford to have a bunch of boats, so a kickin hull that I can paddle class IV, get out w/ the kids, or float an bloat and do some fishin is what id like. Theres nothin around like that now, and once mines worn beyond return, I dont know what ill do... royalex tho please, no coleman plastic crap. in fact, id take a half dozen.

gumpy · Post by **gumpy** » Wed May 13, 2009 4:36 pm

you could sponsor this site,

and put up a big ad showing your new product line that you'll stand behind 100%. I'm sure most of us wouldn't mind one bit if an American canoe company was leading the way, especially in the SE. And have the new creeker ready for us all to demo at next years ALF.

jim gross · Post by **jim gross** » Wed May 13, 2009 4:45 pm

Maybe some Esquif designs with some Esquif plastic like in the Prelude

Dooleyoc-1 · Post by **Dooleyoc-1** » Wed May 13, 2009 4:54 pm

New designs. We definitely need more new canoe designs.

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Advice for Mohawk canoes

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