It Appears the American Canoe Museum Is Missing Its Centerpiece

Sanborn Canoe Co. just a dropped a 17-foot river-ready beaut

March 7, 2017 9:00 am

With a number of artisan items honoring outdoor life in America already under their belts, cousins Zak Fellman and Todd Randall are now paying tribute to a more personal subject: their grandfather.

Fellman and Randall own Sanborn Canoe Company, the Minnesota-based outfitter that’s been peddling handmade canoe paddles since 2009. Handsome as their custom paddles are, the two have stated that the original goal of the company was to make canoes, which some might argue is crucial for a business with “canoe” in the name.  

Eight years on, they’ve made good on their promise with the debut of Sanborn’s first line of  river-ready vessels. 

In partnership with Merrimack Canoe Company and named after the man who inspired them to kick this whole journey off, the 17-foot Louis Siguard Canoe features an interior made from a combination of carbon fiber, Kevlar and fiberglass. It’s finished off with cherry ribs, ash and cherry hardwood-trimmed seats as well as a gel-coated hull.

Capable of being used for solo or tandem trips, the 57-pound canoe’s shallow arc bottom makes it easy to control whether the craft is full or empty. For what it’s worth, it’ss strong enough to carry 850 pounds.

“One of our early inspirations was our grandpa telling us stories about making canoes and paddles back in the sixties with local youths,” Fellman and Randall explain. “We were lucky enough to track down one of those old canoes and some of the paddles that he crafted and we display them proudly in our woodshop.”

With a classic four-color paintjob, the Siguard is priced at $3,950 and can be delivered by May.

If you decide to take the plunge, you’re gonna need a padde.

Good thing Sanborn makes plenty of those

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