Canoe Review: The Radisson By BW Marine Products

Known as the Radisson in the U.S. and Sportspal in Canada, this aluminum canoe crafted by BW Marine Products in North Bay, Ontario, has earned its reputation on both sides of the border. A durable and family-friendly recreational canoe popular among anglers and hunters, the Radisson is often recognizable thanks to its distinctive black foam sponsons. Versatile and rugged, this square-stern canoe will allow any modern canoeist to venture into the wilderness the way Pierre-Esprit Radisson did nearly three centuries ago.

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Canoe review: The Radisson by BW Marine Products

History of the Radisson name

The Radisson canoe is named after Pierre-Esprit Radisson, a French settler whose adventurous life included being captured by the Mohawk at 16 and later escaping. Around 1660, Radisson and his brother-in-law, Médard Chouart des Groseilliers, paddled from the St. Lawrence River up the Ottawa River, seeking alternatives to established travel corridors, which they hoped would result in lucrative fur trading arrangements. Traveling up the Ottawa and turning west on the Mattawa River toward Lake Superior, Radisson and Groseilliers paddled by the present-day town of North Bay, Ontario, on the northeast shore of Lake Nipissing.

Today, the Radisson canoe is handmade by BW Marine Products in North Bay. David Keown, production manager at Baywood Enterprises, a part of BW Marine Products, explains the Radisson “is a very popular vessel for trappers, hunters and fishermen, so the name was an easy choice.”

First built in 1947 by Royal Canadian Air Force engineer Cedric Summers, the canoes manufactured in North Bay have gone by several different names, with Radisson emerging in the 1970s.

My lighter upgrade

While I love the durability of my 1970s-era aluminum Grumman canoe and my 12-foot Jon boat, they aren’t lightweight. Tired of having their heft be an obstacle to getting on the water, I decided to upgrade to a lighter boat that could nimbly navigate New England’s lakes, ponds and rivers.

I narrowed my search to canoes I could load solo with square sterns to accommodate a small motor. As a father of two children who enjoy canoe camping, safety, durability and high capacity were critical features. We’ve often packed our canoes to the gunwales with gear, once even bringing a Pack ‘n Play on a three-mile paddle to a remote campsite.

Years ago, while staying at a rental cabin in Nova Scotia, I paddled a distinct-looking canoe with a patterned exterior painted to look like birch bark. Foam pieces were attached along the length of the hull on either side. When I went canoe shopping years later, the image of that canoe returned to me, and I soon realized it was a Radisson.

I compared its specs with other square-stern models, such as Grumman’s Square Stern, Old Town’s Discovery Sport, Esquif’s Cargo and Wenonah’s Backwater. Each with its own benefits and drawbacks, my focus on weight, price and availability ultimately led me to the Radisson.

Design features

The first thing I noticed about my Radisson canoe was its size-to-weight ratio: at just under 14 feet long and 51 pounds, I can easily pick it up, maneuver it onto my truck and carry it into the water. Other aluminum canoes I’ve owned—older double-ender 17- and 18-foot Grummans—weighed around 80 pounds and required two people to load.

The Radisson is constructed out of a lighter gauge 5052 marine aluminum. Other square-stern models of comparable length, like the polyethylene Old Town Discovery Sport, weigh up to 114 pounds. Meanwhile, the composite Wenonah Backwater weighs 52 pounds but is nearly three times the cost.

“Our canoes are lightweight, which makes them easy to load on even a small car, and durable 5052 marine aluminum, which will not embattle, delaminate, peel, waterlog, rot, shrink or swell,” Keown told me.

The 14-foot square-stern Radisson has a weight capacity of 850 pounds.

I was pleasantly surprised by the numerous components that came standard with my Radisson canoe, including:

• Two 60-inch paddles with six-inch-wide blades with oar locks and bungee tie-downs for easy transport
• Foam liner in the interior of the canoe for a quiet padding experience
• Two sponsons—the black foam strips on either side—add to the canoe’s buoyancy and function as bumpers
• Nylon cleats and tie-down ropes
• Wood-reinforced stern plate for mounting a small outboard motor

Numerous add-ons are available, such as an extra seat and yoke for carrying. A sail kit, which converts the canoe into a sailing vessel, looks fun, though I did not test it as part of this review. I purchased the BW Marine repair kit, just in case, which includes an aluminum patch, adhesive, sealant, sheet metal screws and touch-up paint.

On-water performance

With a beamy 38-inch width, rock-solid stability is where the Radisson shines, both on flat and moving water. When it comes to efficiency, I did notice my Radisson has a slight tendency to veer even on calm waters, especially when compared to the straight tracking glide of my 18-foot double-ended Grumman. This isn’t surprising: not only does my Radisson have four fewer feet of waterline, but the square stern design reduces the ability to maintain a straight course when compared to a “pointed” canoe, as BW Marine Products calls them.

Keown confirms, “Having a square stern is essentially a hybrid of the pointed and wide transom [model]. Although it doesn’t directly compare to a pointed model, it does paddle very well. All the while allowing it to have a small motor clamped directly to the transom allowing it to be also used as a [motor]boat without sacrificing paddling ability.”

BW Marine Products makes 12-, 14- and 16-foot double-ender models of the Radisson, as well as a 12-foot version of the square stern design I opted for.

The freeboard of the 14-footer is minimal when loaded to the 850-pound capacity, but this is the case with any heavily loaded canoe.

The Radisson has oar locks, allowing users to use the paddles as oars. After about 30 seconds of trial and error, this craft is fun and functional to paddle in the rowboat configuration. This feature is a welcome change of pace from traditional canoe paddling if you’re paddling solo or want to exercise a different set of muscles on a long paddle. It’s also fun to try out, especially for kids who are comfortable with canoes and want to experiment.

Installing a small electric trolling or outboard gas motor adds another propulsion option to the Radisson’s arsenal.

Hull durability

The hull of the Radisson is tough enough that the typical bumps and scratches of canoe tripping won’t dent it, but the lighter-weight aluminum hull material does not rival the durability of a heavier aluminum canoe like a Grumman. I’ve smashed my Grumman canoe against rocks and dropped it while trying to load it, none of which left a mark. I wouldn’t try that with the Radisson.

Choosing a canoe to adventure with into the wilderness is often about trade-offs; in this case, the Radisson’s reduced weight has sacrificed some durability, but it is a worthwhile trade for me. I’ve taken my Radisson places I never considered taking my heavier Grumman because a lighter canoe means I don’t hesitate to head out on a trip, paddle it solo, portage it or drag it through the woods.

The folks at BW Marine view the Radisson canoes as long-lasting and functional: “We believe our canoes provide an excellent light, quiet, durable, quality canoe built to last generations,” says Keown. “We take pride in our canoes because we know they will be with you a long time, leaving the question: which grandchild are you going to leave it to?”

On Keown’s YouTube channel, Gettenany Outdoors, he shoots a Radisson canoe with a shotgun and then explains how to patch the hole with BW Marine’s repair kit to demonstrate how repairable it is. Another video highlights the plasticity of the hull material as Keown hammers out a mangled aluminum stern crushed under a fallen tree. Seeing the crumpled metal, I first assumed the canoe was unsalvageable. However, the video reveals how the repair is possible with a few common tools.

Radisson canoe: Review verdict

Before owning the Radisson, I’d think, “Should I try to load the canoe on my own?” or “Is someone around to help me load it?” Those little barriers were sometimes enough to prevent the trip from ever happening. With the Radisson, those obstacles are removed, allowing for more adventure and less hassle.

If you’re looking for an affordable, durable, multifunctional workhorse that you can take camping, fishing, or hunting—with the ability to paddle, row, sail, and motor—the Radisson is an ideal family vessel.

At 14 feet long and 51 pounds, the Radisson canoe boasts a good size-to-weight ratio for an aluminum canoe. | Feature photo: Jesse McEntee