Millbrook Ontario
The Voyageur Canoe Company Limited
In 1969, the Voyageur Canoe company of Millbrook, Ontario, Canada, was formed from a passionate love of canoeing and a need for a lighter canoe.
We felt that the century-old technique used in wooden canoes of cross-rib hull reinforcing, could be applied to modern materials. We pioneered this idea and found that it was possible to construct stronger and lighter hulls using the new synthetic materials. Although, many of our hull shapes have been taken from traditional wooden canoes, we are recognized as leaders for our laminate designs which result in one of the most durable and impact-resistant canoe hull constructions available.
If you are going to be in the area, please arrange a time to visit our factory where you can see how Voyageur canoes are made and perhaps take a test paddle on the Millbrook Mill Pond located behind us..
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Materials and Construction of Voyageur Canoes
Woven and continuous synthetic materials are laminated to produce the lightest weight, highest tensile, impact and flexural strengths attainable.
These canoes exhibit the paradoxical qualities of flexibility (to absorb shock) and rigidity ( to displace a trough of water and prevent unnecessary hull movement). Too much movement (from wave action and impact) can fatigue some synthetic hulls.
All areas of greatest impact and wear are reinforced with extra material and for added protection, keels contain continuous rovings which extend well up the bow and stern.
These hulls contain sufficient positive floatation to give buoyancy when capsized.
Our STANDARD and DELUXE fibreglass lines differ in the trim details
FAKX - Kevlar-glass composite / wood trim,
KEVLAR - Kevlar-epoxy / wood trim
CEDAR-PLANK CANVAS COVERED - traditional wood-canvas.
In our canoes less than 20 feet long
Both our STANDARD and DELUXE canoes are constructed by laminating many layers of woven fibreglass cloth and rovings with polyester resin to produce one of the most durable and impact-resistant hulls available.
Compared with other heavier, less expensive and chopped-glass canoes, our construction is lighter, stronger and more flexible.
Woven fibreglass has good strength along the weave lines and by non-alignment of the weave we achieve maximum laminate strength
Our standard hulls are trimmed with aluminum gunwales and the bottoms are reinforced with a foam, triaxial glass cross-rib structure
Deluxe hulls are trimmed with wooden gunwales (aluminum is optional), and the Standard hulls are trimmed with aluminum gunwales.
Hulls are reinforced with an epoxy fibreglass-Kevlar rib structure installed using pneumatic pressure, which imparts firmness to the canoe bottom and prevents unnecessary flexing.
In our canoes greater than 20 feet long:
Bottom movement is restrained by a high-density foam core sandwiched within the laminate, which provides great structural integrity at minimum weight.
Our deluxe line of larger canoes are trimmed with our finest steam-bent Canadian Oak, while the standard line employs our proprietary fibreglass gunwales to provide maintenance free gunwales at a reduced cost. Click here to see examples of the differences between deluxe and standard models.
Depending on your budget, we are willing to discuss modifications to our designs to help meet your needs.
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Fibreglass and Kevlar EpoxyComposite
This composite hull is produced using a fibregalss-Kevlar laminate, bonded together with strong flexible epoxy resin.
This offers the economy of the compressive strength of glass combined with the tensile strength of Kevlar to achieve an intermediate-weight hull with comparable strength.
This is a compromise between the fibreglass canoe and the lightweight kevlar-epoxy canoe
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KEVLAR - EPOXY
Voyageur kevlar-epoxy canoes are made of kevlar aramid fabric and epoxy resin.
Our extensive testing of kevlar laminates has revealed that the only resin that can match the strength of kevlar is epoxy. All other resins fail to equal the positive bonding properties of epoxy and this is the reason not only are our kevlar canoes manufactured with epoxy resin, but also our kevlar-fiberglass canoes.
We also incorporate an exclusive metal mesh layer within the laminate which provides puncture resistance and kevlar foam epoxy ribs impart rigidity to the bottom.
Because of the hygroscopic nature of both kevlar material and epoxy resins, great care is taken to ensure entrapped moisture is driven off prior to laminating.
All kevlar laminates are then heat-cured at elevated temperatures to complete the polymerization process ensuring one of the strongest and toughest canoe hull available in the industry.
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Cedar-Plank Canvas-Covered
These canoes are hand crafted using premium eastern white cedar both for the planks and the ribs.
White ash is used for the inwales and stems, while the hull is trimmed with oak gunwales.
Brass canoe tacks are used to fasten the planking and ribs together and the outer hull is then treated with linseed oil to protect the wood.
Canvas is then stretched over the structure, attached with brass tacks and the filler is applied by hand rubbing.
We are one of the few remaining manufacturers that paint the canvas before the gunwales and keel are attached.
Both gunwales and keel are completely protected on all surfaces with their respective coatings to prevent premature aging and rot.
The bow and stern are then finished off with polished brass protective strips.
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OTHER SERVICES
Our quality craftsmanship and attention to details have brought us to the attention of a number of architectural designers, engineering firms and other industries that require custom composite products made of reinforced plastic.
The following is a list of the other services that we provide:
ARCHITECTURAL FORMS AND FACADE
CUSTOM MOLD MAKING AND DESIGN
ENGINEERING
LAMINATING
ON-LOCATION INSTALLATION AND REPAIR
CANOE RENTALS (from 16' to 36')
Please contact us with your specific requirements.
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RESTORATION AND REPAIR
With the increasing number of older boats and canoes in use today, repair and maintenance has become a significant part of our operation.
Individual craft owners as well as the insurance industry relies on our expertise for the repair of fiberglass products.
Owners of older wooden craft appreciate our attention to detail and our knowledge of traditional construction methods to restore their possessions to their original form.
Contact us to arrange a convenient time to bring your craft to our factory where we will be pleased to do an inspection and provide you with a cost estimate for any required work to be done.
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Canoe related links
Canadian Canoe Museum
McLachlan's Canoeing & Visual Art site
Canadian Recreational Canoe Association
Wanapitei
Wooden Canoe Builders' Guild
Other links we like
Camp Tamakwa
Camp Quin-Mo-Lac
Camp Arowhon
Naturally Superior Adventures
Boatowners.com
Community Centre 55
Metro Athletic Dragons
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Voyageur Canoe Co. Ltd
3 King St
Millbrook Ontario
L0A 1G0
(705) 932 2131
