- Should I purchase my canoe in R-84 or Royalex?
- How will I receive my canoe?
- How much will it cost to ship my canoe?
- How long should it take to receive my canoe after it is shipped?
- Can I go to the Mohawk factory in Chattanooga, TN and buy a canoe?
- Can I have a boat that is good for both tandem & solo?
- Which canoe is for me, the Solo 13 or 14?
- Should I go with the Solo 14 or the Odyssey?
- What would be a good stable, lightweight recreational canoe for two?
- Why would I choose a Nova over an Intrepid?
- Why would I choose an Intrepid over a Nova?
- Why a 16 foot canoe?
- Why a 17 foot canoe?
- Can I have a center seat installed for passengers?
- Can I use a double bladed paddle in a canoe?
- Do you sell factory seconds?
- Will a faded finish hurt my fiberglass canoe?
- I have an older Mohawk Canoe; how can I tell its age?
- How can I tell how much freeboard a Mohawk canoe has?
Q - Should I purchase my canoe in R-84 or Royalex?
A: If weight is important or you're planning on using your canoe on flat-water or mild rivers, R-84 should be fine. But if whitewater or heavy abrasion is to be encountered, Royalex is recommended. The Royalex canoes usually have a .010" substrate, making them slightly harder to dent.
Royalex and R-84 is a thermoplastic laminate manufactured by Spartech. It consists of a foam center core, sandwiched between two solid ABS substrate layers, which are covered by vinyl or R-84 skins to protect the ABS substrate. This composite is strong, lightweight and buoyant. It is one of the toughest materials available for canoes.
Mohawk started molding whitewater playboats from R84 Royalite in 1992. Different techniques are needed to successfully mold R84 canoes. Since we have developed proprietary methods for molding R84 we have sold thousands of R84 Royalite canoes to satisfied paddlers.
After years of experience building lightweight Royalex canoes and R84 canoes, we believe R84 Royalite is the better choice in light weight canoes. The only difference between Royalex and R84 Royalite is that the exterior vinyl skin is replaced with R84 skin and the exterior substrate is marginally thinner. Because of the superior stiffness of R84 skin, these changes can be made without compromising the durability and stiffness of the canoe as much as using lightweight Royalex.
As all Royalex canoe builders do, we buy the flat Royalex sheets directly from Spartech. We have selectively added additional layers of foam core for rigidity to minimize bottom flexing. Additional layers of substrate are added to stress and wear areas. These sheets are specially designed by us for each of our canoe models and custom made by Spartech to our specifications. These sheets are then pre-dried, heated and vacuum formed into seamless canoe hulls in our custom designed and built sophisticated molding equipment.
Q - How will I receive my canoe?
A: All canoes are shipped to the closest terminal in your area and picked up their, by the customer. You can call us here at Mohawk for a complete list of terminals in your area. We can also ship directly to a customer's location, but this will incur extra charges of approx. $50.
Q - How much will it cost to ship my canoe?
A: Shipping charges typically range from $100.00 to $150.00, (but it can be more depending on your location). Follow this link for Estimated freight rate.
Q - How long should it take to receive my canoe after it is shipped?
A: Depending on geographical location, anywhere from 2 to 7 business days.
Q - Can I go to the Mohawk factory in Chattanooga, TN and buy a canoe?
A: Yes you can. If you are coming to the factory, please call a few days ahead so you can be sure we are open and that we have the colors and models of canoes you're interested in. Also, in some models we have good buys on factory seconds. Our business office is located in Chattanooga, TN. Keep in mind that although you will save the freight by picking up your canoe at the factory, you will have to pay 9.25% TN sales tax. Come to Chattanooga, TN and paddle the rivers, see abundant wildlife and take home a Mohawk Canoe.
Q - Can I have a boat that is good for both tandem & solo?
A: Solo canoes are usually narrow enough for the paddle to easily reach over both gunwales. Canoes wide enough in the center to provide adequate stability for two paddlers are too wide for easy efficient solo paddling.
A: Sitting just to the rear of the center of a tandem canoe makes solo paddling easier. However, this arrangement is only a compromise. The best solution is to have two solo canoes or a solo and a tandem canoe.
A: Tandem canoes can be solo paddled by sitting in the front facing the rear of the boat. Due to the fact that the bow seat is closer to the center of the canoe, sitting in the bow seat backwards gets the weight closer to the center of the canoe. This still is not enough to totally level out the canoe for safe and stable paddling. You should load your gear or even take extra gear to get the canoe level in the water. This lets you utilize the whole length of the boat and makes the canoe more stable and easier to paddle
Q - Which canoe is for me, the Solo 13 or 14?
A: The Solo 14, because of its greater length, is more stable, has greater carrying capacity and is a little faster than the solo 13. However, it is three to five pounds heavier than the Solo 13. Most paddlers prefer the Solo 14. Exceptions may be those paddlers that find the lighter weight of the Solo 13 is important or the paddler that is lightweight, less than 125 lbs.
Q - Should I go with the Solo 14 or the Odyssey?
A: The Odyssey is two inches longer, deeper and has more volume, especially in each end, than the Solo 14. This makes the Odyssey more stable and dryer in rough water. The Odyssey makes a lot better whitewater boat than the Solo 14 because of the higher volume ends, which cause it to lift over standing waves better. It is available in the heavy, more durable, Royalex construction which we recommend for whitewater use.
Q - What would be a good stable, lightweight recreational canoe for two?
A: At 54 lbs, 14 foot long and almost 38" wide, the Sport R84 probably won't win any races, but it makes a very comfortable and stable fishing or sporting canoe.
Q - Why would I choose a Nova over an Intrepid?
A: If general cruising on flat-water lakes and rivers is what you're most interested in.
A: If a sharp entry and exit at the bow & stern is more important than ends designed for more impact resistance.
A: If weight is going to be a factor.
Q - Why would I choose an Intrepid over a Nova?
A: If a better than average stability factor is wanted.
A: If you want to absolutely maximize your load carrying capacity.
A: If whitewater performance is desired over flat water.
A: The longer length at the waterline makes it a faster, easier paddling boat than anything shorter.
A: Because 16' is still a manageable weight to load and carry, but still have enough room for paddlers, gear and/or passengers. 16' canoes are, by far, our most popular length.
A: The 17' canoes offer more stability and more carrying capacity than shorter boats of similar hull design.
A: The above advantages along with the fact that 17' canoes usually are more efficient hull designs, make these longer boats excellent for extended trips and touring.
Q - Can I have a center seat installed for passengers?
A: We do install center seats, but not for passengers, it is best to seat passengers on the floor of the canoe on a cushion. This will put their weight down low to act as a ballast and actually increase the stability of the canoe.
A: A center seat can be installed as an option for solo paddling, or you may sit in the bow seat backwards and paddle the canoe in reverse.
Q - Can I use a double bladed paddle in a canoe?
A: Yes. It is not conventional, but is an efficient way to make good time in a solo canoe if you want to. Double bladed canoe paddles are longer than kayak paddles because you sit higher off the water in a canoe and canoes are usually wider. However, most solo paddlers prefer single bladed canoe paddles that are lighter weight and less clumsy than double bladed paddles.
Q - Do you sell factory seconds?
A: Yes we do, when available. What we have avilable depends on what production runs have had some blemished results, so the availability of blemished boats varies over time and is most dependent on the model and color.
All blemishes are cosmetic only. Very minor blemishes are sold mail order with typical discounts of $25.00 to $35.00. More heavily blemished boats can run with a discount of up to $200. We offer even larger discounts on canoes picked up at the factory.
Q - Will a faded finish hurt my fiberglass canoe?
A: The fading is strictly cosmetic and should have no ill effects on your canoe. For information on repainting your canoe, follow this link to the section on Care and Repair.
Q - I have an older Mohawk Canoe; how can I tell its age?
A: The last 2 digits of the serial number, located on the right rear of the canoe will be the model year. There is also usually a serial plate installed underneath one of the decks, in case the outter number is missing. You can be sure your canoe is a Mohawk if the serial number starts with the letter sequence ‘MMN’.
Q - How can I tell how much freeboard a Mohawk canoe has?
A: This table will tell you how much freeboard our boats have under certain loads. To be used as reference only! All weights are in pounds.
