POUROVER
PO
OPEN CANOE FACEOFF boat insider
SHOULD YOU BUY THE ZEPHYR OR THE OUTRAGE? Twin-Tex hull—a
The Esquif Zephyr and the Mad River Outrage are two often-recommended boats for paddlers seeking a canoe that inspires immediate con- fidence. Beginners and nervous boaters love them both, as do many old hands who’ve en- joyed decades of different designs. Beyond that, however, they don’t have much in common. The hull material, design, stability and dry-
ness are so different that it’s really no wonder these boats appeal to such a wide array of pad- dlers, all of whom will argue passionately for their favorite. The Zephyr’s lightness is certainly appeal-
ing—13 pounds less to throw over your head and straight-arm onto your roof racks, 13 pounds less to accelerate through an eddy. Outward flaring sides keep it dry even when the circumstances should cause it to fill with water. Its flat bottom makes it a surfing machine with an added bonus—the security of pronounced primary stability.
Its sharp entry point and long waterline allow paddlers to accelerate the comingled
Zephyr with only a couple of strokes and carry speed easily. The
product
based on reinforced glass fibers and thermo- plastic polymers—is where the Zephyr dream starts to fade for boaters looking for a hard- wearing canoe. The stock outfitting is factory- installed using an exotic two-part, space-age glue that requires vacuum bagging machinery to exert the necessary pressure to effectively make the anchors stick. Should your outfitting begin to release, the boat must go back to the factory or to an installer with a vacuum bagger for reworking. Hull damage requires special re- pair expertise that is also not readily available. Mad River Canoe’s Jim Henry and Tom Fos-
ter designed the Outrage as an asymmetrical, shallow-arch hull with extreme rocker—extreme because it starts almost at the center of the boat and rolls up five and a half inches all the way to the ends. The Outrage tapers both later- ally and longitudinally making it more maneu-
ODE TO OARLOCKS river 411
verable and giving it better final stability than a flat-bottomed hull, though it doesn’t plane as well. The boat carves effortlessly and rolls up quickly when full of water. The larger Outrage X is also available, scaled up to carry paddlers over 200 pounds or folks who just like lots of boat around them. The Outrage might buckle your knees as you
heft it but the penalty may be worth paying. Its proven Royalex construction is resistant to im- pact in cruel river playgrounds and has a mem- ory to return to its original molded form. It is repairable by (almost) anyone who can open a can of epoxy and cut Kevlar cloth. Its outfitting is installed with vinyl glue and contact cement available at any hardware store. The Outrage and Zephyr are both fine boats
to recommend to a friend just starting out, or to paddle yourself for stable, lively fun. If endless surf and effortless portages back to the top of the play run are your top priorities, choose the Zephyr—just keep it off the rocks. If you prefer a super durable, go anywhere ride and don’t mind shouldering a few extra pounds, the Outrage is your faithful workhorse. —Brian Shields Read a full review of the Zephyr at www.rapid-
mag.com/0016
They have such a seemingly simple job. So simple that 99 percent of boatmen don’t even give them a second thought. But there is a lot more going on with your humble, overlooked oarlocks than you think. The horseshoe-shaped oarlock holds the oar in place, but it also defines the tool it serves: An oar, by
definition, is attached to the boat. Take away the oarlock and you’re left with a very long paddle. Oarlocks have barely changed since 1894 when Utah trapper Nathanial Galloway adapted them to row-
ing Grand Canyon whitewater. Whitewater locks are always made of bronze, the right combination of strong and malleable. Functionally, they serve as fulcrums—focal points of the massive force transfer between the boatman’s
inputs and the inertia of the heavy raft he steers, and the powerful pull of the river. Oarlocks must hold the oar securely, but they also serve as weak links—designed to blow before your oars break. Having an oar pop prematurely while lining up Lava, Warm Springs or Big Drop III is not an option. Yet if you flip upside down, you need your oars to come free so you can right your raft and continue the journey. Those few who recognize the critical role oarlocks play sometimes customize their horns, polishing them
for a slippery feel or roughing them up to better grip the oars. They may tighten the horns to keep oars from popping out in big water. Alternatively, those who prefer to stand and push rather than sit and pull, or those doing technical runs that require shipping the oars, may loosen them for more freedom of movement. The oarlocks have more to do with the feel of an oar rig than anything else. This basic, timeless design does exactly what it has to do. Simple? Looks can be deceiving. —Jeff Jackson
26 RAPID EARLY SUMMER 2011
PHOTO (LEFT): SCOTT MACGREGOR / PHOTO (RIGHT): COURTESY MAD RIVER CANOE (
WWW.MADRIVERCANOE.COM)
PHOTO: SCOTTO GALBREATH/
WWW.CLAVEY.COM
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