Canoes
Eb’s has been selling canoes almost since Eb first opened the the doors more than 35 years ago. With our depth of experience, and our broad inventory of models, we can select the boat to match your needs. We can help you make sense of tradeoffs concerning rocker, hull shape, weight, durability, and materials. We can outfit the novice recreational paddler, the fisherman, the whitewater enthusiast, and the hardcore tripper alike. And in the off chance we don’t have a boat in to meet your needs, we can bring it in.
We carry composite boats from Clipper Canoes and Hellman Canoes, composite and Royalex canoes from Wenonah Canoes, and polyethelene and Royalex boats from Old Town Canoes.
Our expertise includes servicing the canoes that we sell. So if you break a thwart, bend a gunwale, crunch the hull, or simply want an additional seat installed, we've seen it and can most likely fix it.
Not sure about the canoe model you want ? Ask us about a boat demo. We also stage a boat demo event May 3 with a bunch of our canoes and kayaks.Our Suppliers
Clipper Canoes
Clipper Canoes have been supplying product and memorable paddling experiences for 32 years. Classic designs from Clipper are the Tripper, the Ranger 17, and the Yukon. Clipper specializes in composite boats, either fibreglass, Kevlar, or Duraflex, in a variety of layups. Clipper Canoes are Canadian made in Abbotsford, BC.
Any concerns about the toughness of Clipper canoes ? Check out these entertaining demonstrations of the hammer test on a fiberglass Yukon. But don't try this at home.
Wenonah
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Wenonah Canoes is based in Winona, Minnesota and is among the largest makers of canoes in general, and is the largest maker of ultra-light and high-performance models. Wenonah makes canoes that are right for your journey, whether it's canoeing rivers, lakes or oceans. You can choose a solo or tandem canoe that meets your needs for Touring, River Touring, Recreation, Performance or Expedition.
Lightweight, durable and technologically superior, a Wenonah Canoe will meet your needs and exceed your expectations. Wenonah offers choices of hull materials, construction methods, and optional equipment to tailor their canoes even more closely to their owners.
Old Town Canoes
Old Town Canoes, based in Old Town, Maine, has been making canoes for more than 100 years. Old Town specializes in Polyethelene and Royalex construction for their boats, resulting in rugged and and inexpensive canoes. Old Town offers canoes in a variety of styles, but we focus on their recreational and whitewater models.
Hellman Canoes
Eb's is now a dealer for Hellman Canoes. Hellman Canoes has been making composite canoes in Nelson BC since 1992. Their boats are available in a variety of composite layups including Duralite, Kelvlar and Duratuff. Hellman employs a flexible rib system in which the ribs are laminated between layers in the hull providing a stiffer, stronger and lighter layup. We will be carrying their popular tripping boats: the Prospector and Quetico, as well the more family friendly Kootenay model. If you are looking for a light boat at the right price, check out the Hellman boats at Ebs.
Our Canoes
Our 2009 canoe inventory can be generally classed under the categories below.
Recreational – these models prioritize boat stability and are suited for novice or cautious paddlers as well as family use. They represent good boats to have at the cabin to let your kids try out (with their PFDs on of course!), but can still be used for more ambititous adventures. Fisherman and photographers will appreciate the stability too ! Recreational boats are available in a range of sizes to match your capacity requirements, and a selection of materials to match your requirements for weight, durability and price: rugged inexpensive polyethelene, tough fibreglass, tough and lightweight kevlar.
General Purpose – these models have moderate rocker which provide a balance of maneuverability and straight ahead performance (tracking). This balance of maneuvrability and tracking makes for a boat that is relatively easy to keep going in a straight line, and also relatively easy to turn for those with beginning paddling skills. The rounder hull shape of the general purpose canoe (relative to the recreational boats) provides better performance in rougher waters. A general purpose canoe is a good choice for beginning to intermediate paddlers looking for a tripping boat, as well as the novice paddler who wants better performance than offered in a recreational hull. General purpose boats are offered in a range of sizes and a selection of materials similar to the recreational boats.
Whitewater – these models have more rocker to allow quick maneuvrability - perfect for avoiding rocks on the Clearwater River. Higher sides on the whitewater boats make for a drier ride in wavy conditions. For the ultimate in dryness - add a spray deck to your whitewater canoe. Whitewater canoes are typically available in sizes 16' up to 17.5', and in a variety of materials, though Royalex (a laminate of vinyl, ABS, and foam) is a popular material if you want your canoe to recover when you really smack that rock on the rapids. If your trip sees you paddling through the rapids rather than portaging around them, then you should consider a whitewater canoe.
Tripping - these models have minimal rocker, are focussed on straight ahead performance, and generally have capacity to haul the heavy loads required for multi-day to multi-week trips. Tripping canoes are typically equipped with foot braces and sliding bow seats to further enhance boat and paddler performance. To address canoe weight for those long portages, popular builds for tripping canoes include fibreglass with foam core, kevlar, and ultralight kevlar. If you have many miles to paddle with a lot of gear you should be thinking of a tripping canoe.
Sportsman - these models have a square stern to allow mounting a small gas or electric motor. Sportsman class canoes typically have a flatter hull shape to improve the primary stability, and have additional width resulting in a higher capacity boat. These boats are moderately rockered so you have the maneuvrability to get in (and out) of tight spots if thats where your trip takes you. So if you want a stable boat to troll from, or a boat you can haul out your moose with, the sportsman class canoe is way to go.
Note: For a canoe which will be paddled most of the time and occasionally motored, an alternative to a square stern canoe is to mount a cast aluminum motor mount to a regular canoe. The regular canoe will perform better under paddle power, and are generally lighter.
Solo - Feel like a canoe thats made for solo adventuring ? These are boats well suited to the task. Solo canoes are available in a range of styles listed above, from moderately rockered general purpose canoes, to whitewater canoes, to tripping canoes. Whatever your prime paddling activity, there is a solo boat to fit your needs. Note: Most canoes equipped with a bench seat in the bow and under 16 can be soloed, either by sitting in the center of the canoe, or by sitting in the bow seat facing the stern. The Clipper Tripper S incorporates a kneeling bench behind the center thwart , so it functions well as both a tandem and solo boat.
Do you have special needs not covered by the boat styles listed above ? We should be able to find something from our suppliers to fit your requirements, and can always order in. Just contact us and start the discussion.