lowering canoe seats

Advice
#1

i have an old town guide 147 and recently bought a sitbacker canoe seat for back support. the seat comes with a thick padding that elevated me on the original canoe seat. how can i lower my original seat to compensate for the thickness in padding so that i am sitting lower to the canoe bottom. any tips on hardware and where i can get such hardware. thanks

#2

RE : lowerings seat
HI …u’ll prolly have to make something yourself but it may help to call old town and ask them for suggestions. also look on old town’s web site under “canoe accessories” for a couple of seats that you may be able to “cob” into sumthing. did a google search and came up with following web site from eBay :



http://cgi.ebay.com/3-Voyageur-Seat-Hardware-Lowering-Kits-4-w-2-spacers_W0QQitemZ300058566829QQihZ020QQcategoryZ87089QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQtrksidZp1638.m118.l1247QQcmdZViewItem

#3

re: lower seat
Hi again …was just thinking …can u remove any bolts /rivets from seat anchor pts. and rehang the seat from “straps” and lower it that way ??? good luck

#4

lowering canoe seats
yes i can remove the bolts and hardware easily. just wanted to add similar hardware to maintain a sleek surface along the gunwhale. or maybe i will go with the strap idea you suggested. thanks for your input and i did email old town to see what all they had to say about it.

#5

Hold out for a few more opinions.

#6

my old seats
I had an old model canoe that had cane seat thats someone lowered and also angled so the front of seat was slightly lower than the rear which allowed for kneeling in the boat and for more comfort under the legs etc.

One they took out the original screws/hardware etc, basically extended the side bracket using a small piece of wood on each side and drilling holes through that piece and THEN adding longer screws/hardware. Not sure i described this well, but just imagine an “extension” on the side with longer screws etc. Wood would look ok with the plastic and would not be very much anyway…maybe an inch or so etc. You could also shave the wood to round out the contours.

Let me ask a ?, On each side of the seat, how many screws or hardware is holding up the seat?

n

#7

Hardware Store
Stop at your good ol’ neighborhood hardware store (ACE, Hardware Hank, etc). Bring in your bolts and nuts and tell them what you want to do. They’ll set you up with longer bolts and a spacer for your drop. The spacer may be something like a nylon cylindar that has a hole through it. The bolts will probably be stainless steel. You might get sticker shock from the bolts. Stainless steel bolts more than 6" long get pretty expensive.



My local hardware guys are pretty good. They all are problem solvers and have heard it all. They don’t blink or smile or anything when I explain my various projects. They may grap a piece from “plumbing”, a gizmo from “electric”, something from “automotive” and a widget from “hardware”. Then explain how to put it all together.


#8

Try this site for hardware
http://essexindustries.org/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=3&zenid=b8fdc19a03a45b59060b58bde0cca577

I lowered the seats in my OT Penobscot and was able to get bolts and spacers here.

#9

McMaster Carr
I spent an entire day driving around town trying to find some for a boat. I tried all the hardware stores, fastenall, Grainger but nobody had them anywhere close to long enough. I got home, asked my father and he said McMaster Carr within 5 minutes I had my choice of length, diameter, and head shape. They arrived 2 days later.



http://www.mcmaster.com/ and do a search for ‘machine screw’

#10

The nuts should be locking nuts
with plastic inserts. One can use lock washers, but the damn things cost as much as nuts these days. I used aluminum sleeves from the electrical section to lower my solo seat.

#11

SS Hardware
Depending on how far you want to drop your seat, it can be difficult to find stainless steel bolts the size you will need. Seat bolts are fairly narrow diameter (is it #10?), and if you start looking for more than a three-inch bolt, not many places carry long, thin bolts. If you have a marine fastener supply store in your area, they might. Otherwise, use the net. I like boltdepot.com. They have reasonalbe prices and are really fast.



Another factor complicating the supply question is that you want oval-headed bolts and most common are flat or pan headed. Don’t forget to add finishing washers, though you can probably reuse what originally came with your boat.

#12

My Ace hardware carries them.
Has a pretty good stock of stainless bolts, scews, and other fastners. Maybe its living close to the coast.