Crating and Shipping

If you are not on our delivery route, or you require rush shipping, we can ship your new Souris River Canoe by common carrier to most destinations in Canada. Rates to Canadian destinations vary wildly, so call for a quote. These shipping rates only apply to new canoes retailed directly from the Souris River Canoes factory in Atikokan. This does not apply to used canoes or factory seconds.

Crated canoes cannot be delivered to a home address,
but will be delivered to a trucking terminal as close as possible to your home address.

Canoes are carefully crated, and shipped through a trusted carrier.

Some praise for our crating method:

It was pouring rain & gusting winds as Jim worked
on freeing the canoe from the crate at the Manitoulin
Depot on the mainland.

With Souris River’s excellent directions the canoe was freed from its protective cradle and secured to the roof rack.

Thank you, Wayne, for starting us on our canoe adventures.

Marianne and Jim McGrath

If we ship your canoe from our factory, there are a few things you will want to know:

The canoe will not be delivered directly to your home, but will be delivered to a shipping depot. Contact us at the time of ordering to find out exactly where your canoe will be delivered.

Check your canoe for damage

Check the canoe and crate carefully for damage at the depot. If there is any suspected damage to the crate or to the canoe, make sure to note it on the delivery receipt before you sign it, and notify Souris River Canoes right away.
If possible, photograph any damage you see.
If the canoe is badly damaged, refuse to accept it and phone our cell phone number 807-598-0743.

Once you’ve accepted your canoe

Your canoe will be wrapped in plastic and crated. You will generally be responsible for taking care of the crate. The crate weighs 100 to 120 pounds, making the total shipping weight about 150 to 170 pounds, depending on your canoe.
We recommend you remove the plastic from the canoe if you will be driving faster than 50 KM/H (30 MPH) or for long distances, as the plastic will flap against the canoe and scratch the hull, causing your finish to become dull.
We do not recommend that you transport your crated canoe on a car’s roof racks. Many racks will not take this much weight or drag. Truck roof racks are generally strong enough, but check with your rack manufacturer.

The crate is built with a top and a bottom that are held together with vertical strips of wood. Bring a cordless drill with a #2 Phillips bit when picking-up your canoe. Remove all the screws fastening the top of the crate to the sides, and remove the top. Now, remove the side pieces from the bottom.
If you wish, you may load the canoe onto your car or truck with the bottom of the crate in place. In this case, leave the canoe strapped to the bottom of the crate. You will need a rope or a second set of straps to tie the canoe to the rack. If you use a rope, we recommend you stop and check the tightness after driving a few miles. (Tip: tie down your canoe with a trucker's hitch. This knot allows you to cinch the rope very tight, and is still easy to untie. Not sure how to tie one?
Check out this youtube video.)
The top of the crate may fit on the rack beside the canoe. If not, you will need to cut it in half to fit in your car or truck. A hand saw will make short order of it, if you cut the middle of the side pieces.
Many shipping depots will accept the crate, so you may be able to leave it behind. Check with the depot, however.

Things to bring with you to the shipping depot:

A cordless drill with a #2 Phillips bit.
An extra drill battery and bit.
A hand saw.
Rope or tie-down straps. (The latter are preferable.)
A hammer. (When all else fails, a hammer will take care of most de-crating problems!)
Some proof that it's really your canoe.

Following this advice should enable you to get your canoe home safely and quickly. Feel free to call us if you have questions.