Good advice. Slight problem for me.
Seems like the same problem that Jerlfletcher has.
I have a canoe.
I don’t have a jon boat.
I did two miles with oars too short and a station that busted after the first few strokes. With longer oars and a sturdier station, it’ll be OK. I’m not looking for the best solution, just one that works.
Other sources
I recently put a center seat in my 16’ Penobscot. The difference it makes in handling the canoe solo in the wind is outstanding. No more lugging extra weight to try and trim the canoe out. It now tracks much straighter and no more fighting headwinds or tailwinds as I did when paddling from the bow seat “backwards.” I enjoy it enough that I may have change my screenname to Canoeangler.
Other options for converting your canoe to a rower.
http://essexindustries.org/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=3&products_id=5
Other Ideas
Great link. I really like that clamp on outrigger for a quick canoe to rowboat conversion!
I’ve been using a rowing canoe for a while now. For fishing I’d definately skip the sliding seat, you’ll only notice a difference in speed with a very skinnny long boat.
You can row facing backwards from the bow seat if you add a bucket of water or a couple gallon jugs of water to the other end of the canoe. For narrower canoes I’d add outriggers to spread the oarlocks between 38 and 44 inches apart for 7 foot oars.
I get the best results setting up the boat so the oarlocks are 10 inches from the edge of the seat. I like the oar handles just above my navel when the oars are help level.
If you use oarlocks that clamp the oars in one position then they are always ready in the right position. Others may want other oarlocks for more versatility in wind or rough water.
I’m collecting and sharing new rowboat set up Ideas on:
http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/Roughstuffrowing/
So feel free to join my group or look for ideas there as well.
I’ve had a jon boat. Even though mine
was a deep and wide, it scared me to death everytime the wind kicked up and the waves white capped on the lakes I fished, even though I stayed within a couple of hundred feet of shore. And, a jon boat, with or without oar locks, is a pain in the rear to paddle. Something about all that squareness creating a lot of drag on the water. If I wanted to buy a rowing boat, I’d get a V bottom designed to row. But, I can’t afford that, so its the canoe that gets looked at.
Front Rowing mechanism
I thought I remembered this thread...found some REALLY interesting and SIMPLE ideas for you guys interested in front rowing:
http://www.reelfoot.com/bow_facing_oars_2.htm
Calhoun Boat Works Tiptonville Tennessee
The most unique feature of the boat is the bow facing oars. These ratcheted oars allow you to see where you're going while rowing, which was a necessity in the early years of Reelfoot. The design of the oars is another vague historical fact. It's not exactly clear when they were first used. But, the patent for these oars was created in 1884 by Fred Allen of Monmouth, Il.
Dale Calhoun now owns the patent to the bow-facing oars and still builds lake boats to this day. Boats and bow-facing oars are shipped all over the world from his little shop in Tiptonville. The shop has moved a couple of times over the years and currently resides on the Lake Highway across from the State Park Museum. You'll see Dale sitting on the front porch every now and then, when he's not working. But more likely than not, he's back in the shop creating another masterpiece for future generations to admire. As he says, "Some of us have to work for a living". Keep up the good work Mr. Calhoun!
another site with plans for sale to built your own :
http://www.hotkey.net.au/~robruce/easyrow.htm
barkleysoundoar.com
their site has good info about what size oars to use plus they have good prices. i used plywood parallelogram-shaped outriggers with a thwart underneath to brace them when i rowed my mohawk, it was a very sweet rowboat with pinned 7' oars. that essex system looks very cool, it looks like you could adjust the distance between the oarlocks for different oar lengths.
Very cool
I may try to build a variant of this idea that will raise the oars up a little and put them out to the side a bit more.
On the other hand, for $64, this solution is tough to beat. It blows my $50 or less concept, but I’m beginning to think that’s not a reasonable goal. One more try and then it’s the $64 route.
While that is a neat invention, it
doesn’t look too good for fishing, to much to get in the way.
Canoe Rowing Conversion
You may want to check out the following site:
http://www.paddlinginfo.com/customize.htm
as it appears Bob Gillette has figured out how to do it himself. Not as pretty as the factory engineered rigs but you will be able to credit yourself.
rowing canoes
Hi! I would like to convert our 17-ft Chestnut canoe (wood/canvas) or 16 ft Old Town to a rowboat. Any ideas? Thanks!
conversion of canoes
Hi!
I have the same question you have. Did you get some responses? Thanks, CCP, Houghton,MI
rowing 17’ canoes
Get yourself a rigid back stadium chair. Mount a two by four to the front underside. Attach an axil to it and the back and four six inch diameter lawn mower wheels. Now you have a rolling chair tilted slightly back.
Take out the center thwart and re-mount it about a foot towards the bow, if possible or just stern of the bow seat.
Put the seat in the canoe facing towards the stern. Sit in it with your feet/toes touching the stern seat. Bend your legs. Position 7’ oars on the gunnels for rowing. Mark the spots and mount oar locks onto the outside of the gunnels. You are set. good luck.
rowing 17’ canoes
get a rigid back stadium chair. Mount a two by four to the front under side. Then mount two axils and four six inch diameter lawn mower whells to the axils. The rolling seat faces the stern with center thwart removed and re-mouted behind bow seat. Place feet against stern seat and bend legs. Place 7’ oars on gunnels. Mount oar locks on outside of gunnels in best place for pulling. Seat rolls, low center of gravity and turns around for sailing, using oars as tillers. This works good.
rowing a canoe
I have had a Coleman Ram-X 15 ft. equipped with their factory center seat and oar locks since appx. 1975. It is easy to row either forwards or backwards. I can thus stand in the center and fish and even adjust direction etc. while in an upright position. I highly recommend the addition.
Fit a rowing rig into the canoe or kayak. https://www.rowingrigs.com/
With the oarlocks further apart you can use long oars for better leverage.
The sliding seat lets you use your legs for power.
I’m in the process of choosing oarlocks and oars for my Northern Paddler canoe. Its 15’6" and has a 52" beam. Yes, a 52" beam. I would appreciate any advice from people who have done this conversion.
Thank you
Mac 55
Rowing a canoe in the conventional way means you can’t see where you are going.
Rowing a canoe facing forward means you have to portagee and use the relatively weak muscles in your triceps.
Neither one are desirable.
Look up Ellen Magellan, ellanmagellanexpeditions.com. She converted a 17’ Grumman for rowing, and has rowed it thousands of miles. Her Instagram has pictures of her set up. I would check out what she does.