Wednesday 28 March 2012

Forest Ethics: Putting the Environment First


Causes and Organizations Important to Feathercraft

Last Monday, a rally was held outside the Vancouver Art Gallery to protest the presence of oil tankers in the Vancouver harbour and Enbridge's proposed Northern Gateway Pipeline. Hundreds voiced their concern for the safety of Canada's wild interior and the Pacific Coastline.

One of the leading non-profit organizations spearheading the rally was Forest Ethics.
Forest Ethics is an environmental organization dedicated to the protection of Canada's forests, waterways and the wild animals that inhabit them. They work to ensure the communities affected by corporate resource depletion are treated justly and are given the proper platform to voice their local concerns.

One of Forest Ethics' main initiatives is corporation accountability. They target businesses that profit from resources taken from Canada's natural spaces.

When corporate bodies look to improve their environmental practises, Forest Ethics offers 'Market Solutions' to implement effective policies for change.

Their Green Grade Report Cards document corporations that are succeeding in preserving wild spaces and corporations that are profiting from the unnecessary depletion of the environment.

In 2010, two of their highest grades were given to Walgreens and Whole Foods, two companies that both chose to avoid using fuel from refineries connected to Canada's tar sand industry.



Feathercraft views Forest Ethics as a powerful champion in the fight to save Canada's wilderness. For more information about this organization and their current initiatives, visit their website at: http://forestethics.org/


Feathercraft. Made in Canada. Paddled Worldwide.

The CycoPod Bike Bag


What cycling accessory can you buy for your friend's birthday that will have them singing your praises as they ride across town?

The answer is the CycoPod. The CycoPod is a detachable storage compartment created by the intrepid inventors at Canada's foremost kayak company - Feathercraft Kayaks.

It will hold your books, lunch, a six-pack, a change of clothes or even your laptop computer.
The storage unit fits just below the average touring seat and extends over the back tire of the bicycle. It comes in two handy sizes, large and small, with the large version having a 13 litre volume capacity.

The seams on the CycoPod, like our kayaks, are welded for maximum water resistance. The exterior case is a double urethane coated fabric, again, the same material and construction used to make our kayaks.

It will keep your textbooks safe and dry, it won't pull you to one side like a one-sided pannier and it will make an excellent gift to the roadie who seems to have it all.



Feathercraft. Made in Canada. Paddled Worldwide.

Knoydart Sea Kayaks


After a long and healthy partnership with Knoydart Sea Kayaking, Feathercraft is parting ways. Knoydart will no longer sell our products. The company is currently developing a line of kayaks and will be focusing on the manufacturing of their own boats.

We are sad to lose Knoydart as our UK dealer, but we are excited to see their new products.
For our UK customers, boats can be purchased online at our website or at our dealers in Germany, Sweden, Austria, Denmark or Switzerland. For a full list of our European dealers, please contact our website. 

Parting is always bittersweet, but It paves the way for new beginnings and offers a moment for nostalgic reflection.

Thank you Knoydart, for all your business and support over the years.



*For customer enquires and warranty issues, please contact the Feathercraft factory directly.
**All oversea purchases are subject to taxes and import duties. Please factor these into your pricing when ordering directly from Feathercraft.

Contact Info:
4-1244 Cartwright St.
Vancouver B.C.
V6H 3R8

Toll Free: 1-888-681-8437
Local: 1-604-681-8437

Email: info@feathercraft.com

Feathercraft. Made in Canada. Paddled Worldwide.

Friday 16 March 2012

Space Saver


The world population grows, housing prices rise and our private spaces shrink. The room we have to store our outdoor toys is constantly being reduced. We crave the exhilaration that comes from our outdoor activities, but the biggest burden becomes storage.

Skis, harnesses, wakeboards, bikes... they all take up room. Add a canoe or kayak into the mix and your living room space could quickly be a thing of the past.

Enter Feathercraft. A Feathercraft kayak is designed for those people with a passion for outdoor play. Feathercraft knows that outdoor gear quickly adds up (you should see our bike locker), so we designed a kayak that can be folded neatly into a backpack. This bag can then be stored in a closet, in an apartment storage locker, or underneath the stairs.

You don't need to fill your carport with a cumbersome boat or rent a drydock slip at the marina. You can own a boat and store it next to your shoes.

Crazy, we know – but it’s true.

"See that space between the pillow and the shoes...? 
You could fit a kayak there!"

Interested in seeing one of our boats assembled? Check out this sped-up video of a young couple assembling one of our kayaks in less than 30 minutes. 



Feathercraft. Made in Canada. Paddled Worldwide. 

Rudder Envy


Whether at an outdoor exhibition, or on tour in Japan, or on a beach in the Bahamas, our boats attract attention. A kayak that folds into a backpack is a beautiful thing.

Often the item of interest is the rudder, at the stern of our kayaks.

Every Feathercraft we sell comes with a unique rudder system to keep our boats heading in the right direction. Hardshell kayak owners have admired these rudders for years.

Fortunately, for those set in their hardshell ways, we offer adaptable rudder systems for a variety of kayak types. For doubles, we have a large fin design that comes in three mounting options. We make a cotter pin design for a stern mounting bracket, an end pour pin that fits into the stern deck and a threaded bolt mount. For singles, we offer the same options with a smaller, sleeker fin.

The fins and bolting packages can be purchased separately or as a package. These can be bought online at our website or at our factory store on Granville Island, in Vancouver, British Columbia. 

Double Rudder with Threaded Bolt Mounting Pin


Feathercraft. Made in Canada. Paddled Worldwide.

Granville Island


Granville Island is the home of the Feathercraft factory. It is also the site of the world famous Public Market, two theatre venues, a plethora of artisan shops, the Emily Carr School of Design, the Granville Island Brewery, a kids water park, a cement factory and the Granville Island Hotel. Any visit to the city of Vancouver should include a trip to this unique district.

Feathercaft is one of the oldest operating companies on Granville Island. When the area was developed for commercial use in the late 1970s, Feathercraft was operating out of a small yellow shack, to narrow for a double boat to spin. In 1985, operations moved to the current location, on the eastern corner, near the Granville Island Hotel.

The factory now has the capacity to produce a full line of handmade kayaks that are shipped and sold all around the world.

Interested in visiting? Stop by between business hours and we will be more than happy to give you a tour.

If you have trouble finding our location, call us for directions. You can arrive by Aquabus, ride the seawall, take a public bus or park your vehicle within a one-minute walk.

If you're in Vancouver, it's worth your time to visit the home of one of Canada's most unique exports


Feathercraft. Made in Canada. Paddled Worldwide.

Wednesday 14 March 2012

Kayak Destinations on Canada's West Coast - The Southern Gulf Islands


Southern Gulf Islands
Skill Level: Moderate to Novice
Accessible By: BC Ferries
Concerns: Tidal Currents

Our passion is creating handmade kayaks, but when we're not building boats, we're paddling them. British Columbia's southern coastline has some of the most spectacular kayaking destinations in the world. From the Sunshine Coast, to the western shores of Vancouver Island, to the Gulf Islands in between, B.C. is blessed with a coastline full of private bays, sandstone beaches and protected marine and parkland.

One of our favourite areas for a quick weekend paddle expedition is the Southern Gulf Islands. These islands are sheltered between Vancouver Island and the southern coast of British Colombia. They include Gabriola, Galiano, Saltspring, Saturna, Mayne, Kuper, Thetis, Valdes and Portland; along with a host of smaller islands.

The larger islands in this group, can all be reached by BC Ferries.

One of our favourite shorter paddle trips is from Swartz Bay to Portland Island. Portland is a protected marine park, perfect for one or two night paddling expeditions.

If you visit these islands between the months of May and September, there is a strong possibility you will see orca whales. Large pods of resident orca pass daily between the Gulf Islands. These whales survive primarily on fish, unlike their transient cousins.

If you aren't lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a rising dorsal fin, you will definitely be treated with casual greetings from soaring bald eagles, inquisitive harbour seals and docile deer.




Email us your pictures and or stories from your own paddling adventures in the Southern Gulf Islands and we’ll post them on our blog.


Feathercraft. Made in Canada. Paddled Worldwide.

The Stable Life


Sponsons, on a Feathercraft kayak, are the urethane compartments filled with air that give our boats stability. They also stretch the deck and hull fabric of our kayaks, providing a necessary tension between the aluminum frame and the exterior skin.

Like the top layer, the urethane components needed to create the sealed sponson chambers are welded together seamlessly.  

The sponsons of a Feathercraft can be blown-up with a few hard breaths; no additional hand or foot pump is needed.

For patching a sponson, use an Aquaseal adhesive with a Cotol accelerant.

If you plan on storing your Feathercraft kayak in its built format, always remember to release a portion of the air held in the sponsons. This is especially important if you are leaving your boat in the sun.

You can see the rounded sponson compartments on either side of the kayak, just above the foot pedals.


Feathercraft. Made in Canada. Paddled Worldwide.

Tuesday 13 March 2012

Kayak Spotlight: "Klondike"


The Klondike is one of our most adaptable boats that we make. It can be used as a single kayak, a double or a double with a smaller third party option, for a child or pet.
Its unique open deck design allows you the flexibility (there's that word again) to alter your boat’s structure with a simple seat adjustment, crossrib move and a change of spray skirts. 
The open deck design gives you easy access to edible items, fishing gear or camera equipment.
The Klondike is considered a medium volume kayak, with a recommended max trip length of two weeks.

Klondike's Specs:
Skill Level: Intermediate
Assembly: 45 min
Length: 5.43 m x 77.5 cm (17' 10" x 31")
Weight: 34.25 kg (75.5 lbs)
Cockpit Size: 209 cm x 53 cm (83" x 20.75")
Rudder: Included


Borrowing a certain slogan from a delicious ice cream bar company - we ask the question:
"What would you do 'with' a Klondike?"
We would paddle the world. And we have. 


Feathercraft. Made in Canada. Paddled Worldwide.