Anyone in the market for a new boat – whether it be for work or play – should definitely have this company on their radar. Sudbury-based BadRiverBoats is changing the game with their top-of-the-line handcrafted aluminum boats.
In an era where more and more people are getting out on the water, whether it’s for recreation or work, they’re looking for a quality-made piece of transportation. That’s exactly what they’re getting when they invest in a custom-made BadRiverBoat.
Guy Galipeau is the general manager and says their boats are unlike anything on the market right now. “Nobody else does the customizing as we do,” Galipeau said.
“For any other manufacturer to build something similar to us, they have long lead times and they don’t customize unless it’s a longer lead time. They’re building two, three or four models and that’s all they focus on building. They don’t focus on customizing the boat for the individual, but that’s what we like to do.”
Not only are these boats manufactured in-house, but they’re custom-built to the customer’s needs. Buying elsewhere means choosing a cookie-cutter model to suit your needs, but BadRiver is the complete opposite.
Sizes vary from 16 to 19-foot open skiffs, and 20 to 24-foot for landing craft boats. Once the size of the boat is determined, the sky’s the limit for customization. The turnaround time from start to finish is anywhere from two to eight weeks, whereas a traditional boat is anywhere from six months to a year.
BadRiver launched their company in 2020, but they’ve already gained a sterling reputation throughout the boating company. As the only Northern Ontario hand-welded boat builder, they have customers from as far away as Ottawa.
In terms of their landing craft models, BadRiver’s model boasts a 78-inch-wide opening gate to accommodate larger equipment like four-wheelers and Argos with track systems. You could fit all the materials you need to build a 12-by-12-foot shed into one of these boats.
Typical landing craft boats only have a 60-inch-wide opening, which makes it tough to fit heavy equipment. Galipeau even put one of the 19.6 Cottager models through its paces during a trip to Lake Panache.
“I put it through the tests, calm water and rough water, loaded and unloaded, and then my wife and I went out and enjoyed the sunset on the lake,” Galipeau said. “I took the boat out and showcased it to four or five camps while we were out.”
Seeing one of these premium aluminum boats is believing, and the best part is you can customize your rig for whatever you need it for: construction, commercial applications or fishing and recreation. Going custom will ensure this boat is the last one you’ll ever need.
To see one of the BadRiverBoats in person, visit them at 3171 Kingsway Sudbury, or check out their website.