Rhéaume Canoes Explorer 16 Specs
Length: 16’
Width: 38”
Depth: 14.5”
Weight: 40–42 lbs
Capacity: 1,000 lbs
MSRP: $4,418 CAD
rheaumecanoes.com
For nearly 40 years, Quebec manufacturer Rhéaume has carved a niche in the canoe industry, but you’d be forgiven for not recognizing the brand’s name. For much of its history, Rhéaume quietly crafted canoes for some of the industry’s most well-known brands instead of promoting its own name. More on that in a moment.
In the ’80s, it was a chance encounter that saw Rhéaume’s founder, furniture maker Alain Rhéaume, venture into the uncharted waters of canoe manufacturing.
“He met a couple of people who saw what he was doing with furniture and asked if he could build them a canoe,” says Rhéaume’s marketing manager, Benjamin Gonzalez Rosell. Without prior experience in canoe craftsmanship, Alain plunged into research, poring over every canoecraft book he could find. That first canoe was a revelation, marking Alain’s pivot from furniture to founding a canoe factory.
Initially, Rhéaume’s production was solely focused on cedar canoes. However, by 2010, the company recognized the shifting market demand toward lighter canoes and transitioned away from its cedar roots.
“People were looking for something more comfortable than a 75- to 80-pound canoe on their backs,” says Rosell. This led Rhéaume to venture into the composite business, which now makes up 90 percent of its manufacturing.
Rhéaume may already make your favorite canoe
Prior to the pandemic, Rosell estimates 95 percent of Rhéaume’s canoes were manufactured for other brands, sent across North America and Europe, and at various times sold under notable names such as Eddie Bauer, Old Town Canoe, L.L.Bean and American Trader.
“With the pandemic, people started contacting us directly to buy, and that’s how business has grown in the last couple of years,” Rosell says. He estimates 40 percent of the canoes are now sold directly to consumers under the Rhéaume brand name, while the remainder are still manufactured for other companies.
Why do so many legacy canoe brands knock at Rhéaume’s manufacturing facility door? “We are very meticulous with our process,” suggests Rosell, highlighting time-honored techniques and investment in quality automation. He adds founder Alain is still very much involved in the manufacturing cycle. “He supervises everything; he works with our crew so that they learn from him. He does all the quality assurance himself.”
Rhéaume’s operation moved to a new facility in St-Tite, Quebec, after a devastating fire in 2017 burned down the original factory. Today, the facility bustles with 15 to 20 full-time employees, producing 30 canoes a week.
At the heart of Rhéaume’s lineup of nine composite canoes is the bestselling Explorer 16. Its classic lines are drawn from its cedar predecessor, the Huron, which Alain designed in 1987. Though the Huron remains one of Rhéaume’s most popular cedar canoes, its transition to composite materials and reincarnation as the Explorer 16 has broadened its appeal—and shaved 30 pounds off its frame and $2,000 off its price tag, too.
Though it looks like a pretty cottage canoe, don’t let the Explorer’s beauty fool you—it’s a versatile canoe, ready to handle any lakewater challenges you throw its way and suitable for all sorts of adventures, from serene fishing to backcountry family trips. Before COVID, Rosell tells me the Explorer was most popular with the sportsman crowd but has since achieved new popularity with families.
Paddling the Explorer 16
On one of my day trips with the Explorer 16, my mom joins in the bow and immediately notes how stable it feels, its beamy 38-inch width quickly putting her at ease. Rosell says the Explorer is the most stable canoe in Rhéaume’s fleet. In addition to its width, the flat-bottom hull curves into generously rounded chines and provides excellent primary and secondary stability.
The beautifully curved bow and stern are roomy and provide lots of space for legs, kids, dogs, gear and anything else you can dream up. Combined with a stated 1,000-pound capacity, the Explorer is an ideal paddling companion to fill to the gunwales and venture off for a long weekend or more. Just watch out for rocks, please, I tell my mom, as I keep a cautious eye on preserving its immaculate cherry red finish.
An optimum all-rounder in its design, the Explorer tracks well thanks to a minimal rocker while maintaining good maneuverability. It offers an easy-paddling feeling canoeists of all experience levels will love, especially as it feels quick and light as it glides across the water.
Our tester featured a Kevlar layup with a layer of basalt and innegra weave for increased durability, however, the Explorer 16 is also available in fiberglass and carbon. Given Rhéaume’s history in cedar canoe manufacturing, it’s no surprise the wood craftsmanship on the Explorer is exquisite. Its cherry trim adds elegance and warmth, and annual oiling would be a small effort to preserve its beauty.
The Explorer 16 in Kevlar weighs between 40 and 42 pounds with cherry trim or 39 to 41 pounds with composite gunwales. Webbed seats, a deep dish carrying yoke and a kneeling thwart rounded out the outfitting on our loaner model. The Explorer is also available in a 14-foot version for day-trippers and soloists.
This article was first published in Issue 72 of Paddling Magazine. Rhéaume’s family-friendly Explorer 16 is a charming and versatile lakewater companion. | Feature photo: Geoff Whitlock
