Rock Island's Handcrafted Canoes

After successful careers in hospital management and teaching, Bruce and Sue Paterson were looking for a new adventure they could take together. They found it with the Navarro Canoe Company, now based in Rock Island, Illinois.

One day while browsing businesses for sale on Craigslist, the couple noticed a listing for Navarro Canoe Company. Started in the late 1970s in California, Navarro was revered by paddling enthusiasts around the world for its canoes made from fiberglass cloth, resin and inlaid wood. 

But the company, relocated to Minneapolis, had become defunct, its molds and machinery in storage. All that remained were its history and the good graces of previous Navarro owners.

The couple had no connection to canoes or Navarro, but they were intrigued by the opportunity. "We saw pictures and have always liked being on the water," Bruce says. So the Petersons bought the company—including the name, molds, and methods—and relocated it to Rock Island, Illinois in 2011.

SInce then, it's fair to say Bruce has mastered the process: He spends his days in a 4,000-square-foot brick workshop and storefront, while Sue tends to the social media and Internet side of the business. Together, they continue the tradition of handcrafting some of the most beautiful canoes on the water, preserving Navarro's legacy while writing their own chapter in its history.

Behind a garage door that separates the storefront, Bruce surrounds himself with molds, drills and brushes in a workshop that's all mechanical whirs and sawdusted floor.

He likes to say it's the hardwood that separates a Navarro canoe from its counterparts. Hulls are graced with wooden ribs, giving each canoe added strength and rigidity but without extra weight. Navarro taps into the handmade craftsmanship of yesteryear—something you'll notice as you run your fingers across the varnished interior or pluck at the tightly woven mesh seats.

No two canoes are precisely alike. Every Navarro is a floating original work of art, an heirloom that families pass down from one generation of paddlers to the next.

So before discussing canoe types with a customer, Bruce talks about potential uses. For example, will the buyer spend weekends fly-fishing or paddling a network of small rivers? Will grandkids be in the boat, or will the expeditions be more adventure-driven? "Every canoe performs differently and has different advantages," he says.

His customers come from all over—every age, every pursuit, every state. He also spends a fair amount of time with current Navarro owners, whether that's helping with replacement parts or giving advice about a restoration.

"A woman in Lake Tahoe just christened hers after I talked her through the restoration. For her, it was an accomplishment to be able to say that she rebuilt this canoe."

You get a little bit of story with every canoe.

Working six blocks from the Mississippi River gives the Petersons an easy escape from the office. "If it's a nice day, we can take our canoe over and paddle," Bruce says.

Here are a few of his other top outdoor stops.

For travellers navigating the Mississippi River on their own adventure, the Navarro Canoe Co. is a welcoming stop, home to beautiful, handcrafted canoes and genuine Illinois hospitality all its own. Swoon over the finished canoes at the shop, located at 2219 Third Ave, Rock Island. Also on Third, find other craftspeople, including a sculptor and a potter.

Discover more Illinois artisans at Illinois Made.