Hi Folks,
I am looking at a Mad River Kevlar 49. I have never considered a Mad River before but the Kevlar caught my interest.

It is 17' and green. My question is what does the 49 signify and can anyone speak to the quality of the canoe? Thanks a bunch.

From DuPont....
The most common type, Kevlar 49 fabrics are used in a variety of products; kayaks, canoes, high-speed boats, aircraft parts, and sporting equipment all make use of the Kevlar 49 fabric (just to name a few.) It is important to note that Kevlar 49 needs to be formed into a rigid, composite part in order to realize its full potential. That means that when working with Kevlar 49, you must pair it with a resin in order to complete your project.

Mad River was regarded as a premium brand and leader in the field, including first to build in Kevlar.

They had a lot of 17' models, I don't recall when they stopped using the Kevlar 49 label but it was probably before 1998

Ken

Post a photo if you have one. We might be able to ID that canoe.

Call them or email them the serial number. They should be able to tell you something about it.

My son's Scout troop owns a Mad River Peter Pond, which was an early 80s attempt at a low cost composite hull. They only made it for a couple seasons then reintroduced the hull as the Minstrel. The hull was designed by Pat Moore. Only way I found out any of this info was by contacting them.

I got more pics of it this afternoon. It definitely has significant wear and shows itself as an 80's canoe. The webbing on the seats is gone, among other things. $700 is the firm price.

$700 for a 1980s canoe is expensive, particularly if it needs repairs. I own a 1986 Madriver Explorer and enjoy it a lot. It feels tippy with the V-hull, but has great secondary stability. Great canoe, but you could get a better deal on a Kevlar boat that's not that old for $700 if you're patient.

Kev 29 was used briefly by Bell in experimental layups. 29 is still the standard for bulletproof vests.

I appreciate the insight and perspective I get here. Thank you everyone.

I've never been in a Mad River Kevlar, but I can say that the one Mad River canoe I've been in was the best canoe I've been in not named Wenonah. They make good canoes. Unless it's been severely beat up, I think you're going to have a decent boat.

But I think $700 is a little high for a canoe that old.