Mad River Canoe

Care and Maintainance

Before You Use Your New Canoe

The wood gunwales of your Mad River Canoe were treated at the factory with three coats of Gunwale Guard preservative. Mad River Canoe recommends that upon receiving your canoe, you apply another coat yourself. Aluminum and synthetic gunwales are maintenance-free, although a coat of 303 Protectant will protect the finish.

We also recommend that before using your canoe you apply 303 Protectant to the outside of the hull to prevent fading from exposure to UV light. Finally, homeowners may wish to check with their insurance agent to make sure that their canoe is covered under their homeowner's policy.

Care of Woodwork

Mad River Canoe strongly recommends regular use of Gunwale Guard preservative on Gunwales, Carry Handles, Decks, Seat Spacers, and Sliding Seat Runners.

Mad River Canoe does not recommend the use of varnish on the gunwales of your boat.

Gunwale Guard preservative is available in two shades: natural and walnut stain. Dark-stained gunwales will need Gunwale Guard Stain to maintain the color. Be sure to use Gunwale Guard preservative on the underside of the wood decks on decked boats. A long-handled brush is helpful in reaching deep into the bow or stern.

If your canoe has Royalex deck plates, you need to remove them to apply Gunwale Guard preservative to the gunwales beneath them. Refer to the container of Gunwale Guard for application directions.

Care of Seats and Thwarts

The seats and thwarts of your canoe are protected with a durable marine spar varnish. If the varnish is marred, or becomes worn, lightly sand with fine sandpaper. Remove the dust and apply several thin coats of spar varnish to both the caning and woodwork to renew the finish.

Hardware Maintenance

All of the hardware in your new Mad River Canoe is made of stainless steel and is not susceptible to rust or corrosion under normal circumstances. It is advisable, however, to periodically check all screws and nuts for tightness. Due to repeated use and/or vibration during transportation, the hardware can loosen over time and may require occasional adjustment.

Frequency of Wood Refinishing

You will need to refinish your woodwork as often as your usage and the local environment require it. Plan on treating the gunwales and varnishing the seats, thwarts and yokes at least twice per year-once before storage, and once again in the spring. To test your gunwales, simply pour water on them. If it beads up, the gunwales are okay. If it soaks directly in, it is time for another coat of Gunwale Guard preservative.

Care of Hulls

Thanks to advances in canoe construction, today's hull materials need little maintenance beyond periodic cleaning and polishing. Before any polish or treatment is applied the hull must be clean of dirt or film. Mad River Canoe recommends GB-60, an excellent, biodegradable cleaner that will not harm the gel- coat of a laminate canoe nor the vinyl hull of an ABS Royalex boat. Be sure to thoroughly wash off any cleaning residue and let the hull dry before applying any 303.

Mad River Canoe strongly recommends the use of 303 Protectant to protect the color finish of Royalex or Laminate canoes. 303 Protectant will restore color to fading gel-coat and the vinyl skin of Royalex, but more importantly, will help prevent degradation from exposure to UV light. Application is as simple as spraying it on and wiping it off. Extensive fading of gel-coats that repeated rubbings with 303 will not remove should succumb to buffing with polishing compound.

Mad River Canoe does not recommend waxing your hull. Although it will do it no harm, it does not seem to provide any increase in speed through the water, and it will interfere with the UV protection of 303 Protectant. 303 Protectant generally needs once-a-month application during the canoeing season. Try spraying 303 on a small area of your canoe. If color is restored, it is time to re-apply 303.

Minor Hull Repairs

Gel-coat & Lightweight Constructions

Scratches will show white, regardless of hull color. As scratches are inevitable, think of them as badges of honor.

If you wish to repair any, they may be treated as follows:

1. Wash the hull with GB-60 and water, then wipe it dry.
2. For shallow scratches, wet sand with 400-grit sandpaper and then finish with polishing compound. For slightly deeper scratches, use 200-grit and then 400-grit sandpaper, and finish with polishing compound. You may wish to touch-up with gel-coat spray paint.
3. For chips or scratches that go through to the fabric, you will need a gel-coat or lightweight skin coat repair kit.

Gel-coat spray paint, gel-coat repair kits, and lightweight skin coat repair kits are available from your dealer in all Mad River colors. Complete instructions come with the kits.

Royalex Canoes

Royalex scratches do not show as much as those in gel-coat, but the ABS substrate is susceptible to degradation from long-term exposure to sunlight. Any scratches that show the different color of the ABS substrate must be painted. Royalex paint works well. If you have more damage than a scratch, you will need a Royalex Repair Kit. Royalex paint and Royalex Repair Kits are available in all Mad River Canoe colors from your dealer.

Winterization and Storage

Winterizing the Gunwales

Wood gunwales should be protected for storage by applying a coat of Gunwale Guard preservative. If the gunwales are dry or your climate is hot and humid, several coats may be necessary. In cold climates Gunwale Guard preservative is especially important to keep moisture out of the wood where it will freeze and expand. Be sure to protect under decks and other places where water may be trapped. Remove the deck plates on Royalex canoes to access the gunwales under them. On fiberglass or Kevlar canoes, this is a good time to tighten the screws along the gunwales.

Aluminum or vinyl gunwales, whether mounted on a Royalex, Royalex Lightweight, Fiberglass, or Kevlar hull are virtually maintenance free, and require no special attention prior to storage.

Seats and Thwarts

No special care is needed for these components before winter storage, except to tighten any loose bolts and touch up any chipped varnish.

Storage Position

The best canoe storage is upside-down in a cool, dry place. The canoe must be off the ground. A rack or sawhorses works well, but some protection can be obtained by using blocks. If you want to suspend the canoe from above, make sure the canoe's weight is resting evenly on the gunwales.

Do not store heavy objects on top of the canoe, and do not store a canoe on its side. Both will cause the hull to deform over time. If it will be exposed to wind, make sure your canoe is securely tied. Inside storage is preferred-it protects the hull from temperature extremes and exposure to rain or snow. Do not store our canoe a direct source of heat (e.g. a furnace): high temperatures are as detrimental as extreme cold.

If outside storage is necessary and a cover is desired, some precautions are needed. Make sure the cover will withstand snow loads or heavy rain. A plastic cover will protect the canoe from light precipitation and exposure, but do not allow the plastic to touch the hull. Leave the downwind end open for air circulation; moisture trapped between the cover and the canoe will discolor the hull. Some gray weathering of the gunwales will occur with outside storage.

Royalex Storage Information

If a Royalex canoe with wood gunwales will be stored in near or below freezing temperatures, the Royalex material, which has a high shrink coefficient, must be given ample room to contract. To do this, loosen all the inside gunwale screws several turns. Then remove the four screws on the outside gunwales on each side of the bow and stern. Lift up the deck (the inside gunwales will still be attached), and from the ends of the canoe sandwich a thin piece of wood between the gunwale/deck assembly and the top of the hull at both the bow and stern. Failure to perform this procedure can result in a cracked hull. In the spring, remove the pieces of wood, lower the gunwale/decks in place, replace the screws, and tighten all screws, including the inside gunwales.