Northbank Canoe Works builds canoes, paddles and dock racks for camp waterfronts. Its work continues after delivery, with off-season repairs for the fleets it sells.
Preparing before opening day
For owner and boatbuilder Ruth Halvorsen, fleet maintenance starts after the summer season, while there is still time to make repairs.
“The hardest week of a camp’s year is the one before opening day. That’s when a waterfront director finds the soft spot in a hull, and it’s too late to ship a boat. Walk the fleet in September, when there’s still time to fix what you find.”
Replacing a fleet over time
The company also encourages camps to think about replacement as an ongoing part of waterfront planning.
“Buying all their boats in one year. Stagger it — two or three a season — and you never have a whole fleet wearing out at once.”
When a different option makes sense
Northbank describes its boats as a fit for waterfront programs that use them every day, rather than occasional outings.
“If your waterfront is a pool, or you run canoes two afternoons a summer, a rental outfitter is the better call. Our boats make sense when they go out every day.”