We need to fix at least one of the cane seats on our new to us 1989 Mad River Explorer, as its starting to tear. I suspect both will need to be replaced before next season.
I guess the options are to repair the existing seats by either re-caning them or converting them to webbing, or install new seats altogether.
Advantages/disadvantages as I see them:
Recaning or webbing by hand will take more time than buying a replacement seat but should be less expensive. It will rely on the existing seat frame being solid and some handy skills.
Cane seats dry faster and look a bit more traditional. Web seats last longer. Comfort is relative with both (I personally find the cane a bit scratchy, but maybe because its old and starting to tear).
Are there other major things to consider that I’m missing?
Factors that may be important - husband is a big guy (240 lbs), canoe will be stored outdoors year round, and we live in NH. I’d also like to replace the thwart with a proper yoke and eventually redo the gunwales (they are half original wood that is not in great shape, half trex deck), but both of those are less pressing.
Yea, I think we’d buy whatever materials we’d need from Ed’s Canoe. I just don’t know if cane or webbed is the way to go, or if there is any reason not to try to DIY/repair ourselves.
With hubby being a bigger guy and knowing we don’t have the option to baby our canoe with a cozy indoor environment, I’d particular love any insight on durability/longevity differences between options, if there are any.
I replaced my cane seats with webbed ones from Old Town 8 years ago and I am happy with that decision. If you decide to do the same thing here is an idea for what to do with the old seats.
I trimmed off the cane and turned them into picture frames. I then added a couple of my canoe adventure pictures. They make for interesting conversation pieces.
