I have owned my Mad River…
I have owned my Mad River Explorer 16TT for a little over a year now. We have paddled it on the rivers of MO and even taken it to the Boundary Waters of Northern MN. It has been an excellent boat. The portage yoke broke on our MN trip, but we were able to repair it with some lashings and a stick. Otherwise it would have been a 10
During the 18months I have…
Submitted by:
guest-paddler
on 10/12/2006
During the 18months I have owned my Explorer 14TT we have both shared quite a few adventures on rocky rivers, lakes and dams here in North Queensland. My paddling interest began about 5 years ago; so I haven't had the opportunity to experience a wide range of canoes but I know enough about them to realize that the 14TT is very good for the kind of activities that I use it for.
I am about 104kgs/ 230lbs and mostly paddle solo or with my27kgs/ 60 lb Dalmatian, occasionally my wife will come along for the ride. I have fished out of this canoe on many occasions both solo and with my dog on board and covered quite a few miles running some fairly rocky rivers here in the tropics.
It's probably fair to say that any canoe which helps you to enjoy catching a fish or spending time on the water with friends is a good one, so I guess I am very happy with this canoe. I have the IQ2 gunwale system, webbing seats and portage yoke/thwart in the centre. The webbing seats are comfortable and I have a plastic backrest for added back support which I can quickly fit if I intend having a long day in the saddle.
The boat seems to track very well and turns quite easily using a double blade kayak paddle. My only complaint with this canoe is that the keel line on the shallow V has distorted upwards a bit after taking quite a few bumps on rocks but this doesn't seem to effect the way it paddles. The lowest point of the shallow V has quite a lot of scrapes and scratches mainly towards both ends but none have gone through the outer layer.
It looks like I am stuck with this canoe, if I get rid of it my dog "Sam" will never forgive me. Not real sure how to rate this MR 14TT, some people here on PaddleNet say it is a bit on the heavy side at 31.5kgs / 69lbs but I still reckon it would have to earn at least a 7 or 8. If it was the Explorer 15 RX model which has almost identical dimensions, is somewhat lighter and much more expensive then I would say a definite 9. Sam the Dalmatian would reckon 10 for all the fun he has had in it.
Mad River now calls this an…
Mad River now calls this an Explorer 14tt. Unsure why the name change, since this adds yet another "Explorer" to their line, confusing things greatly! I used this boat both tandem and solo on Ozark streams. Initial stability very good, secondary excellent. Very good boat to fish out of, if you fish on rivers. This boat is not designed for lakes! Tracking is poor, requiring frequent corrective strokes, especially with a bit of wind. The boat works well as a solo canoe with the canoe turned arround and sitting in the bow seat facing the stern. It actually is one of the best "Tandem" boats that can be used solo very easily. A few pounds of ballast in front, and you're good to go. The St. Croix I owned arrived with some hull deformity, probably due to the polyethylene boat having been hauled improperly by the courier. It did not seem to affect the paddling, and the deformation was minor. Fit and finish were very good for such an inexpensive boat. Lots of "Bang for the buck," in my opinion. If you need a boat to paddle rivers, especially Ozark streams, both solo and tandem, this is the best boat I've paddled for that use. I'll reiterate, don't buy it for the lake! I give this canoe a "9" if using it for it's intended purpose, with "Extra credit" given due to the fact that it performs so well both tandem and solo. It is slow, it doesn't track well, and it's a tad heavy for it's size. But for day in, day out, abusive use on rocky, twisty streams it's an excellent choice.
Just got back from week long…
Submitted by:
paddler230400
on 10/29/2003
Just got back from week long trip. This is a great canoe for the money. It took class II whitewater well. Very easy to turn, which makes holding track a little challenging. Stable.
I have had my St Croix for…
Submitted by:
guest-paddler
on 6/18/2002
I have had my St Croix for just over a month....but it is not my first boat. I am a somewhat experienced paddler...having had 4 boats prior. The St Croix is a very stable, straight tracking, and comfortable boat to paddle. (I might mention that I mostly paddle solo, and use a kayak paddle for both canoe and my kayak.).....a very good boat for the money, and easy to portage solo...I give this boat a 9 3/4.....( a 10 is hard to find!, boats or otherwise...)
I have had St Croix for 3…
Submitted by:
paddler229748
on 6/18/2002
I have had St Croix for 3 months now. Paddled it solo, with wife and with two kids and wife in rivers and at sea. Have had a lot of fun with these canoe. It is very easy to portage and handle, it fits easily to carage etc. It's worth for every penny spent ! Can not give 10, because it's my 1st canoe. Have had only kayaks before.
No recent reviews so I…
Submitted by:
guest-paddler
on 5/7/2002
No recent reviews so I thought I would add mine. I love it!!! The price went down $100, they are now $599 instead of $699. For that price you can't buy that kind of quality in any other brand. I gave it an 8 because it's true it doesn't track as well as the bigger boats but thats not Mad Rivers flaw...it's because it's a small boat. It is a bit heavy too. But man, I can float that boat in to some tight spaces. Been using it for bass fishin', and I'm hitting unfished spots because it's that small. I can take a friend or sit solo, bow to my back and control the boat...no problem. In my opinion Mad Rivers seat spacers are designed better and more adjustable than Wenonahs. The plastic decks are also designed better, integrating the handle into the deck rather than a seperate wood handles that are higher matenance as found on more expensive boats. If your looking for a Lake canoe this isn't the one, but if your looking for a good canoe to tool around in slow rivers, sleughs, or small lakes this one has worked well for my needs.
An excellent value. We…
Submitted by:
paddler229401
on 8/10/2001
An excellent value. We paddled several other manufacturer's boats and felt this would be a great entry level canoe. This is our first boat and we are very happy with it.
The other two reviewers are…
Submitted by:
paddler228675
on 6/13/2000
The other two reviewers are very enthusiastic. I am somewhat less so. The St. Croix is lighter than the Old Town Discovery series, and cheaper than Royalex boats. And certainly more of a real canoe than the Colemans or the Wal-mart specials. The good points - very stable, both initial and final. Easy paddling, not fast, but gentle laid-back strokes will keep it moving nicely even into the wind. As said, lighter than the other poly boats; I just got back from a trip and portaged it OK, and I am 55 and by no means a buff guy. So why didn't I rate it higher? Tracking. Tracking just does not seem to be part of the package. I tried every way of trimming, and it just hates going straight. Drop your paddle for a minute to watch a loon or whatever, and you are sideways. River rats might like this boat, but I'm saving up for a wenonah.
A terrific canoe at an…
Submitted by:
paddler228650
on 6/5/2000
A terrific canoe at an affordable price! If you are thinking of purchasing a canoe, you owe it to yourself to take a good, hard look at this baby! Thanks Mad River!
In my opinion, the new Mad…
Submitted by:
paddler228541
on 4/16/2000
In my opinion, the new Mad River Rotomolded series is going to revolutionize the canoe industry! I have owned several Old Town Discovery Series in different lengths, and there are no comparisions in weight, speed, and handling. Time will tell for durability, but I have owned a rotomolded kayak for several years, with no problems. And of course, the price is great for us low budget canoeists!
