Featured Brand: Sanborn Canoe Company

This grip displays the lovingly branded initials of the staff who built this particular paddle, which is added to all paddles.

Sanborn Canoe Company began as many of the best things do: With a series of “what-ifs” shared between friends over a campfire. Beginning with little more than a how-to book and some borrowed tools, those dreams took shape in the form of a cedar strip canoe and a quiver of new paddles. Inspired by the deep satisfaction of making something of quality with our own two hands, the idea to build more to share with others was born.

Paddles Shaped by Hand

Each Sanborn paddle is made by hand using simple tools, making each paddle completely unique. The craftsman brands their initials just beneath the grip of a finished paddle, signifying that Sanborn spent their time on the paddle so you can spend your time on the water. They put a lot into each paddle to make it a functional work of art to inspire your next adventure and take you there. No matter the embellishment, at its heart, a paddle is still a simple tool. But the Sanborn Canoe Company wants you to see not some faceless corporate blob, but to see Jarred helping you get the information and education you need. To see Ron, stringing up each individual canoe seat, or Bree, spraying away in the paint booth to add that splash of color to your paddle, each making sure that the final product is exactly as it should be.

Canoes Built with Purpose

The method Sanborn Canoe Company uses to create a canoe actually starts in the opposite way most people would assume: They paint it first, then add the structure to the paint and so on. Instead of using marine paint, Sanborn uses a material called gel coat. It's essentially dyed resin, so aside from looking stunning on a finished boat, it also adds a small amount of protection to the outside of the canoe.

After the mold is prepared, staff tape out any design that is going to be used. Solid color canoes skip this step, since no masking is needed. Next the first color of gel coat is sprayed in and, once that's completed, the first masked section is peeled off. In the picture below you can see what looks like a black stripe - this is actually the mold itself. When the next color is sprayed, that stripe will show the new color in the finished canoe, in this case an off-white color.

Remember though that at this stage the canoe is essentially just paint. You could peel it up just like a layer of partially-dried house paint. Before it can be removed from the mold, it first has the composite fabric layers layers placed into the canoe. In this case just fiberglass was used, but in other models Kevlar and Carbon Fiber can be substituted instead. Since gel coat acts like dyed resin, it bonds to the composites extremely well. Here's a shot of the fabrics with the start of the ribs being laid in place. After this step, a fiberglass floor mat is added on top of wooden inlays to help reinforce the bottom of the boat, extending the boat’s life by protecting it from kids, dogs, gear and other users.

At this point you can see the most distinctive aspect of a Merrimack canoe - the company that Sanborn shares their shop with and who offers their construction expertise - has taken shape. Beautiful wooden ribs and floor adding that classic charm to a composite hull. Once the materials are all full set in place and the resin and epoxy cured, it's time to pull the canoe out. The hull itself is very thin at this point, and this is the benefit of adding modern materials. A fully-wooden canoe would require much more material and weight to be structurally sound, but modern composites are extremely strong even with very thin layups.

Next the mold is opened so the canoe can be lifted out, and the staff gets their first look at what the canoe will really look like. There’s always a bit of anxiety, since you won't actually know if there were any imperfections in the gel coat when it was sprayed in during the previous phase until the boat is removed from the mold. In the image below you can see what we've all been waiting for: The crisp lines and fully formed hull pulled from the mold. Everything goes through an initial inspection and then the canoe is prepped to head off to get all of the woodwork.

What We Love

Sanborn Canoe Company is one of the few brands that actively works to combine old construction techniques with modern strategies and materials. We think Sanborn canoes are an excellent option for anyone who appreciates the beauty and durability of a wooden boat, but who also appreciates the lighter weights and maneuverability that modern materials offer. Meanwhile, their paddles are accessible to anyone who appreciates high quality construction in a lightweight and durable design. But our favorite aspect is their location: Winona, Minnesota is only 6 hours away from the shop, and we love local.

As always, the team here at Stone Harbor Wilderness Supply is happy to support you as a paddler. If you have any questions about paddles, boats, routes or anything else related to canoeing, kayaking or stand-up paddleboarding just Contact Us or stop by the store during our normal business hours.