I was given a Mad River Kevlar in green. My family and I are really enjoying it. It has been patched on the bottom third and it seems to be doing well. I think they must have known something about what they were doing. It needs new gunwales and a more inline patch job. I only have experience replacing gunwales on an Old Town 147 I used to have. It was pretty strait forward. I have a few questions and I will be as simple as I can.

1. Is the Mad River Green Kevlar able to be restored?
2. What is the approximate amount of Time & Money required for the craft?
3. What company would have the correct supplies for such a job?

The seats are in great shape as well as the yoke. I am assuming all the trim is Ash.

4. Is there an upgrade or such options I should be aware of before undertaking a job like this?

If anyone has experience refurbishing a Mad River Kevlar would you mind if I pick your brain through the project? Thanks ladies and gentlemen.

1. Doesn't sound like it couldn't be fixed. Restoration means different things to different people. What exactly needs to be done to the hull? Gunwales are relatively easy.
2. Gunwales will probably run you $150-200 if you get the knock down kits that either Ed's or NW Canoe sells. If you have the tools you can probably craft a new set of 4 rails for under $75... Pictures would help in determining the extent of your damage & what needs to be done.
3. The only place you'll be able to get the gunwales & patch materials in one stop would be NW Canoe, as far as I know.

I used Sweet Composites out on the East Coast for fabric & epoxy used in rehabbing my NorthStar, got all the wood except seats & trusses from Ed's, and got the seats & trusses plus misc hardware from NW Canoe.

The green is likely gelcoat and color matching it will be difficult. A boat repair shop might be able to do it decently but it's more art than science.

Post some pics & can't wait to see how you progress.

Green color may not always be a gel coat. MR did make some ultralight models that used a colored resin and no gel coat. Weight of your model and same color inside and out should give a clue. I used the knockdown kit from Ed's and it worked well. For the hull, I just did an epoxy skim coat and tinted it with a close matching color. It has lasted 10 years and I'm finally going to redo it this summer. Pictures in my photo album...Malecite restoration.

Photos Added! The gunwales themselves look pretty good if not for the one rotted out end. In regards to the hull I have scene worse on most rentals but on this ultra-light I am concerned. I really don't see myself taking it to the BWCA. I know that sounds odd but I would hate to have an issue with it while I was up there. Maybe someone can speak to this...could be I am fussing for nothing. Thanks

Cowdoc's got a good point about colored resin & not gel. Certainly seems to be the case given how the weave is starting to print thru. In that case following Cowdoc's approach to how he redid his Malecite should give some good insight.

What does it look like on the inside of the hull opposite that patch? You might be able to remove it & patch from the inside then fair the patch area on the outside so it blends with the hull before you recoat.

I agree.....weave is showing through quite a bit and inside looks green. MR only did a few models for a few years in that ultralight layup....Explorer was one.(they are making them again now) Maybe Hans solo can dig that out of his "fabulous canoe archives". A fiberglass patch on the one spot with some green tinted epoxy should wet out and blend in nice. Then I would sand the whole hull down just to rough it up slightly and skim coat it with green tinted epoxy....it doesnt take much tinting. You could scarf a piece of out wale in place of the rotted section. Its a short span but you'll get extra holding power by putting screws all the way through into deck plate.

I am learning that with a SR you can sand them before gel coating. The SR has fiberglass wrapping over the kevlar. I am not seeing were the Mad River Explorer has that. I don't want to ruin my craft.

Logically it seems that I would need to sand the scratches out but the hull is so ultra thin already and this boat has been cared for.

I have a fiberglass & resin kit that I could easily re patch the craft with but it will set up hard which could cause potential issues also in loss of flexibility.

You see I am a novice. Thank you for your patience.

It would be a light sanding to smooth out the scratches and just to "rough" the hull up ever so slightly to give the epoxy something to bond to. I dont think one small fg patch over that ding (and one on inside if needed) is going to change things much.
And yes, you can sand the crap out of SR hulls due to their fg outer coat......we're not talking about being that aggressive with this one. I think I used 100 grit and hand sanded it to avoid any regrets.
Skim coating looks great when you are done, but it will scratch up again quickly, doesn't add much for strength and adds a little weight. It's mostly cosmetic.

As far as the bad patch job goes, I would not rely on sanding that until I used a paint scraper and a razor scraper to get as much off as possible to start. Yes, I said paint scraper.....watch your pressure and angles and it does work safely.

The MAD RIVER...
1. The way I understand it is that I can re-do the patch.
2. Very lightly sand the entire canoe.
3. Re-apply a gel-coat.

The lingering question I have at the moment is this...
4. Is there a way I can scab in a new front to the canoe ash? Please see pics...

I appreciate your help and experience! Thank you so much.

I have searched the closest Mad River Dealer and it is Bass Pro Shops. Something about ordering Gunwales from a big box store does not seem to fit well. The lack of customer service and retailer experience concerns me.

#4 - Yes, you can scarf in a replacement piece..... Suggest you use a 1:8 ratio or so for the scarf joint so you get good surface area for adhesion. Titebond III, epoxy, Elmer's Glue-All Max all good as long as it's waterproof. You'll need to cut the piece still attached to the boat very carefully, put down a couple layers of sacrificial tape to ward against blade nicks.

Doesn't Mad River sell replacement gunwale pieces direct? Thought at one point I saw it on their website. You could also probably contact either Ed's or Northwest Canoe for a stick. Also, you have a kerf on the outwale if I'm reading the photos right. You'll need to reproduce that in your new piece. If you ask nicely you might be able to get that done for you if you're mail ordering from Ed's or NW.