Making a quick-release for portage yoke

Advice
#11

Thanks

#12

Should be able to order “replacement”

– Last Updated: Dec-18-05 2:05 AM EST –

clamping hardware from the makers or dealers that stock the removable yokes as well.

Here are a few I ran into while researching something else:

http://www.oldtowncanoe.com/catalog.php?fr_sw=0&igroup_id=237&section_id=4

http://www.greenval.com/FAQsolo-yoke.html

http://www.voyageur-gear.com/2002_product.php?category=Outfitting&page=5&filter=B

http://www.hemlockcanoe.com/price_list.html

http://www.canoe-country.com/index17.html

http://www.wilds.mb.ca/redriver/rrcpcano.html#special%20tag

http://www.swiftcanoe.com/canoes/pricing_CAN.htm

http://www.easyriderkayaks.com/accessories-c.htm

>:^)

Mick

#13

Mick this one looks like the pad
on the Sea Wind



http://www.voyageur-gear.com/2002_product.php?category=Outfitting&page=5&filter=B



Is it the same one?

#14

Here’s mine

– Last Updated: Dec-18-05 8:26 AM EST –

I have made a couple but this one is on my Bell Magic and I designed it so that "NO" alteration to the boat was needed. No holes in the boat.

I had these photos in a Webshots album but have since removed them. I put them up on Photobucket for you.

http://photobucket.com/albums/b315/Indy425/?sc=1

This thing can be clamped on in less than a minute, No tools needed.

The minicel pad is easy to add. You could use sticky backed velcro to hold one on the yoke if you didn't want it on there all the time, mincel is not very durable when it's cut that thin.

#15

Thanks N.T. for the whole group of fotos


Found some others that answered questions too.


:^)



Mick

#16

No, I’m sure it is not.


Look closely and you will notice that the Voyageur pad is probably a carved block of foam and not a sheet.



Look at the installation instructions and I think you will see this pad is made to mount on a flat yoke, not a contoured one.



The sheet you are looking for is a sheet 3/4" thick. Also if a 1-1/4" thick foam were used in the contoured yoke the inner radius of foam would become too small unless one was petite.



Still looking? Have you asked here on the boards?



NC trip has been delayed, maybe canceled. Who knows? Certainly not I said the toad …


:^)



Mick

#17

Hidden River Yoke Shop
At Canoecopia in Madison last year I bought a couple of the Hidden River Yoke Shop’s (http://hiddenriveryokeshop.com/shop/index.php?main_page=index) three-point attachment clamps and used those with a stock portage yoke cut to size for my solo canoe. The clamps grip the gunwales very well and I would recommend them. C2G’s setup looks pretty slick, but my concern with a fixed yoke position is that it reduces the flexibility to adjust the location of the yoke if you find that something you would like to keep attached to the canoe throws off the balance while you are carrying.

#18

very flexible
I have something similar to the Hidden River yoke. It is a nice yoke, and it’s great to have something that you can use in different boats. The downside to the one I have (I don’t know the brand) is that it tended to slip on boats with vinyl gunwales. The Hidden River design might be better than the one that I have. The slippage is why I set mine up the way I did. The downside to mine is what you mentioned - all of the gear has to come out of the boat when you portage or the balance point is off.

#19

Mine does that too

– Last Updated: Dec-18-05 3:30 PM EST –

I'm all done using gunwale clamps!! I have a generic-brand yoke with clamps that appear to be identical to those on the Hidden River yoke, and they just won't stay put on vinyl gunwales. It's also quite inconvient to get them properly located and centered side-to-side while tightening the clamps. Perhaps this is my problem, but I have zero tolerance for fiddling around with time-consuming, inconvenient processes, especially if the thing can't be relied upon once it's attached (slipping on vinyl gunwales) if all it takes is a little bit tinkering time to make the process quick, simple, and reliable. That's why I'm leaning toward something like the design illustrated by c2g.

As far as re-balancing a boat on while portaging, I hear that a line connecting the bow and stern, held just below waist level with one hand, works really well with minimal effort. I haven't had to try that yet, but it seems like a good idea. Also, if it ever turned out to be necessary, it would be pretty simple to lengthen c2g's set-up to accomodate a couple of extra mounting positions.

I just looked at the photos of NT's set-up, and THAT's a clamp that would be a lot easier to work with than any of the one-size-fits-all clamps I've seen. There's no sliding width adjustment, so you can lock it down without needing three hands to keep the clamp from slipping sideways in the process. Of course, once again, it's made for a specific boat, not any old boat (for those who might think that's a problem).

#20

here’s mine

– Last Updated: Dec-18-05 5:15 PM EST –

I use 1/4" aluminum channel for the clamps with pieces of neoprene (an old mouse pad) for padding. The yoke has "ears" screwed and glued to the ends to keep the yoke from slipping off when the hull flexes.

Carriage bolts are 1/4x20 and the plastic knobs are availble at any good woodworking or hardware store.

This yoke is BOMBPROOF. It does not slip and has never let me down, even on the mile and a half Hells Gate Portage. Besides the ears the big knobs allow me to really apply some torque to the clamps.

http://tinyurl.com/dj5cc

#21

More pics?
JJoven, any chance of some pics of the clamps from other angles?

Thanks.

#22

will work on it.
right now i need new batteries for my camera!



Maybe tomorrow.

#23

I built a seat hanger with cut outs
in front of the seat to hold the yoke. I hold it in place with a couple of loops of bungy cord. It is very simple and secure. I’ll post a foto if I can figure out how to do it.

#24

Sea wind pad

– Last Updated: Dec-20-05 12:15 PM EST –

I carried one of Micks Sea Winds once. From the looks of it and knowing Verlens habit of using easy to obtain standard material I think the portage padding is made from regular neoprene duct/pipe insulation, Armaflex orsomething similar. Being a plummer by trade it is a product which Verlen would be very familiar.

http://www.armacell.com/www/armacell/armacell.nsf/ansHTMLSeitenLookUp/USA-TI_Frame?OpenDocument

#25

here’s new link
a few more pics. Any questions feel free to ask



http://tinyurl.com/7mff2

#26

Thanks jjoven
That helps considerably. A question though. On one pic it says the ear rides on top of the gunnel, which I assume means the face of the gunnel that faces the sky as the boat is in the water, but in my mind I picture it fitting on the outside of the gunnel on either side, sort of “capturing” the sides of the boat & controlling side to side movement. Is my assumption correct & I’m misunderstanding your terminology(I’m a rookie at this stuff)? In that case it would be boat, or at least model specific I assume, which would be fine in my case.

Thanks for your time.

#27

Great thread! Thanks. End of message

#28

Carriyoke - 62-30090
This is a neat one if you’re talking about a solo canoe or a canoe with a middle seat.



It is the first item listed on this page http://www.madrivercanoe.com/Accessories/outfitting.php



I saw it last year at Canoecopia. I was thinking about buying it. I didn’t but wished I did. I think it is a neat system.


#29

yes
the ear captures the gunnel, sorry. The yoke is specific to the width of the canoe at the balance point, in this instance 28"(solo canoe). The slots give a minor variance in width however.



I once retrofitted a commercial “Voyageur” clamp on yoke. These are long yokes supposedly made to fit any size of canoe. But we found the clamps didn’t have enough holding power and the yoke would slide around on portage and eventually pop off the canoe, sometime in a precarious situation.



I solved the problem by taking two flat pieces of aluminum 1/8x3/4x3 and making a “gunnel clip”.



Bend a small lip on one end to capture the gunnel. Then drill a 1/4" hole in the other end to fit the width of the gunnel and install this under the tightening knob. The sequence on the bolt is: knob, gunnel clip, clamp.



It was a little fiddly to get the yoke on but once tightened down hull couldn’t flex and the yoke stayed put.

#30

simple to make
That Mad River combo bracket looks pretty simple to make. Just get the balance point right.