Aluminum
Aluminum trim requires no maintenance and, if needed, can be stored outdoors. It is reasonably lightweight, inexpensive, and simple. Actually, not so simple; our proprietary two-part aluminum rails are an integral part of the canoe structure and are more difficult to install. Our gunwales create a stiff canoe – because they sandwich the lamination instead of capping it like a metal mushroom. In contrast, one-piece gunwales move independently of the canoe because they can only be pinched together at each rivet. Sighting along the canoe right below a one-piece gunwale reveals a series of minor indentations in the hull caused by the pinch of each rivet. Our gunwales nearly eliminate indentations. And you also won’t see the rivet heads on the exterior, creating a much more refined canoe. We’ve chosen anodized bronze since it minimizes the visibility of scratches.
Wood
There’s nothing like the classic aesthetic of a wood trimmed canoe. We use Watco-oiled white ash and choose inwales and outwales with matched grain to build a timeless canoe. Our sculpted, laminated decks made of walnut and ash allow water to drain off the wood and create a beautiful look. We designed our laminated walnut and ash thwarts and yokes to be stunning, lightweight, and strong. Our seats have a wider seating area and are contoured for comfort. Wood offers a pleasing warmth on cold days. There’s no better trim for silently approaching wildlife, since wood tends to deaden sound. And speaking of wildlife, wood gunwales serve as a stable perch for dragonflies, who alight on wood as they search out flying nuisances.
E6 Carbon
Our new E6 carbon gunwales are like nothing before. We spent a lot of R & D time exploring different ways to build carbon rails and found the best one. We’ve created new and separate gunwale molds for each model we’re offering with E6 rails. This allows us to create the most elegant carbon trim available thanks to the integrated end decks (no glued caps!) and a profile that matches our comfortable wood trim. Our E6 gunwales have full outwales, which makes the canoe both stiffer and drier. The rich walnut on our seats, thwarts, and yoke contrast beautifully with the black carbon gunwales and preserve the natural beauty of wood in our canoes. Changing or moving seats or thwarts is easy, because our E6 is strong enough to run bolts through, just like on wood or aluminum. The lightest trim we offer, E6 saves two pounds per canoe. Like aluminum, it requires no maintenance, and like wood it has a refined aesthetic, albeit in a techy instead of a classic way. Oh yeah, why call it E6? Because our resident mad scientist, Charlie, is a chemistry geek, and carbon is the sixth element on the periodic table.
There’s no perfect gunwale material, but whichever you choose, rest assured we’ve made it the best we can.
We spent a lot of R & D time exploring different ways to build carbon rails and found the best one.
Aluminum
Aluminum trim requires no maintenance and, if needed, can be stored outdoors. It is reasonably lightweight, inexpensive, and simple. Actually, not so simple; our proprietary two-part aluminum rails are an integral part of the canoe structure and are more difficult to install. Our gunwales create a stiff canoe – because they sandwich the lamination instead of capping it like a metal mushroom. In contrast, one-piece gunwales move independently of the canoe because they can only be pinched together at each rivet. Sighting along the canoe right below a one-piece gunwale reveals a series of minor indentations in the hull caused by the pinch of each rivet. Our gunwales nearly eliminate indentations. And you also won’t see the rivet heads on the exterior, creating a much more refined canoe. We’ve chosen anodized bronze since it minimizes the visibility of scratches.
Wood
There’s nothing like the classic aesthetic of a wood trimmed canoe. We use Watco-oiled white ash and choose inwales and outwales with matched grain to build a timeless canoe. Our sculpted, laminated decks made of walnut and ash allow water to drain off the wood and create a beautiful look. We designed our laminated walnut and ash thwarts and yokes to be stunning, lightweight, and strong. Our seats have a wider seating area and are contoured for comfort. Wood offers a pleasing warmth on cold days. There’s no better trim for silently approaching wildlife, since wood tends to deaden sound. And speaking of wildlife, wood gunwales serve as a stable perch for dragonflies, who alight on wood as they search out flying nuisances.
E6 Carbon
Our new E6 carbon gunwales are like nothing before. We spent a lot of R & D time exploring different ways to build carbon rails and found the best one. We’ve created new and separate gunwale molds for each model we’re offering with E6 rails. This allows us to create the most elegant carbon trim available thanks to the integrated end decks (no glued caps!) and a profile that matches our comfortable wood trim. Our E6 gunwales have full outwales, which makes the canoe both stiffer and drier. The rich walnut on our seats, thwarts, and yoke contrast beautifully with the black carbon gunwales and preserve the natural beauty of wood in our canoes. Changing or moving seats or thwarts is easy, because our E6 is strong enough to run bolts through, just like on wood or aluminum. The lightest trim we offer, E6 saves two pounds per canoe. Like aluminum, it requires no maintenance, and like wood it has a refined aesthetic, albeit in a techy instead of a classic way. Oh yeah, why call it E6? Because our resident mad scientist, Charlie, is a chemistry geek, and carbon is the sixth element on the periodic table.
There’s no perfect gunwale material, but whichever you choose, rest assured we’ve made it the best we can.