The canoe is a small boat that can be sailed or moved by humans manually, using paddles. They are generally pointed at the ends and open, but can be covered if needed. The paddles used maybe single-bladed or double-bladed; the paddlers have to sit in the direction of travel. Sailing canoes move by using sailing rigs.

In 1944, William Hoffman, Vice President of Grumman Aircraft Engineering, went on a fishing trip, where he used a heavy-wood and canvas canoe. After the trip, he decided to create a canoe using lightweight material such as stretched-formed aluminum that he used for making his carrier-based fighter planes. The aluminum canoe, which was 13-feet-long, made its debut in 1945. Due to the success of the canoe, Grumman continued to produce it in the range of 13', 15', 17', 18', 19', and 20' canoes. The plant was relocated to Marathon, New York, in 1952. In 1988, Grumman manufactured the largest aluminum boat, at 22'3'.

All Grumman models feature a .060' aluminum deck and .080' steamcaps with special T-6 alumilite finish rivets for top strength. Also, the sealant makes the canoe water tight and long lasting. The sturdiness of the Grumman canoes comes from marine grade stainless-steel boats. In addition, the close riveting ties the gunnels, skin, and thwarts, resulting in extra strength. The flat water keel helps in making the paddling easy. The maneuvering of the canoe is made simpler by the shallow draft keel that has an inner keelson of rugged-strength extruded aluminum. The Grumman canoes are available in different models. The Grumman canoe unit was sold to O.M.C of Illinois in 1990. In 1996, a group of Grumman managers and investors repurchased the unit from O.M.C.