I’d like to be able to kneel while paddling on occasion, but haven’t owned a canoe whose seats my 10.5 feet would slide under safely. I haven’t really looked & measured the boat (laid up temporarily), but mightn’t it be possible to craft a setup where the seat rear would be hinged and the front edge just resting on a support, so that one could flip it up and be able to kneel? It would entail widening the side supports, since the front & rear edges would have to be shortened to clear the top rails.
Sorry if this is hard to explain, but if you think you know what I’m talking about & have experience or an opinion, I’d appreciate it.
hmmmm
– Last Updated: Feb-10-04 12:13 AM EST –
Interesting thought.
Are you talking about a tandem canoe paddled solo (backwards) or are you talkng about a tandem canoe paddled in its regular direction?
I think my first concern would be the hinge. Perhaps it pinches the bum when the seat is used in its 'normal' position.
I wonder about the possiblity of moving the seat back and down, instead of up. Forget about a hinge, have the seat held by way of some sort of clip. It would have to be strong, though especially if you're running ww. Maybe you could also use the seat that is lowered as some sort of foot brace in combination with knee straps.
I can visualize a small crossbrace under the seat to hold the seat 'pan', when it's in it's down position. It would need to be epoxied to the inside of the canoe somehow..... Perhaps someone else can think of a secure method of securing this thing.
Also you would have to cut or create a whole new seat setup, and this might be a lot of additional work....
bf
I must admit…
I can’t really picture the hinge thing, but I’ll counter with this; 10.5 feet should be no problem to get under a seat if the seat is properly adjusted for height. Heck, my size 13 gunboats fit under all my (solo) canoe seats. I kneel most of the time while paddling and have dumped my canoes without entrapment problems – after I made some simple adjustments.
I adjust my seats by simply altering the seat hangers to a compromise height/angle that feels comfortable for me for sitting or kneeling (but for me a comfortable kneeling position is more important so I favor that angle). It takes just a few minutes to make a new set of wood seat hangers and install them, then I give ‘em a try. If that angle/height doesn’t feel right I cut the hangers some more or make another set. This is really a very simple thing to do and when it comes to canoes I like to keep things simple.
Works for me… Randall
I’m with Randall
I raise all my stock seats. I have size 10s and while I’ve never had problems with entrapment, I prefer a higher seat placement due to my long legs. Most recreational canoes can have the seats rasied all the way to the rails and still not have primary stability compromised such that a good canoeist can’t paddle the boat.
I personally find that I like my seats somewhere around 9-10 inches off the bottom of the canoe. So I pull out the hangers and cut them to the height I want and bolt them back in.
PK
Voyageur Power Rocker
http://www.voyageur-gear.com/2002_product.php?category=Care%20%26%20Repair&page=4&filter=C
Cut and paste this link and scroll down to the Power Rocker and check it out. I like this set up because it is just new hanging harware, you use your existing seat. I have always wanted a set of these for my tandem boat, but have never had a chance to pick them up.
-MEAT
Clarifications…
…solo canoe, for no more than Class I.5