[Newbie] I bought an used canoe and now I don't know if I made the right choice [PICs inside]

If you want to buy the seat hanger, here’s a link. Also gives you an idea what it looks like if you just want to make it yourself.

https://www.rutabagashop.com/wenonah-canoe-seat-hanging-bracket-black

Peter

Let’s say you attach 2 seats, 2 thwarts, and a center yoke. At 2 bolts each there will be 10 holes in each side. If you don’t take special measures then there’s ten leaks in each side. These items can be anywhere from 1" to 2"" down from the gunwale. These potential leaks reduces freeboard by that amount. May not be a big deal to some but I’d rather avoid it if possible. There are times when I heel my solo canoe to the rail.
How are the thwarts on that boat mounted?

Pag

In my boat? There is an L bracket that seems being pushed under the inwale and “screwed” in with rivets. You said that yourself unless you meant to respond to pgeorg. I only have 1 center yoke, my canoe being only 14’’

If I were to bolt thru the gunwale I would not lose any freeboard, will I ?

A gunwale is a rail that runs along the top of each side. The part of the gunwale that projects out on the outside is the outwale and the part that projects over the interior side is the inwale. In most modern non-metal canoes the seats, thwarts, and any yoke are hung from the inwale from bolts going downward through the inwale, then some sort of spacers (block, tubes, etc.), then through the seat thwart, yoke. and the side of the canoe is not penetrated. Do you not have thwarts?

The picture that accompanies the original post shows an inwale that lays flat and seat hangers that are slid under the gunwale and riveted in place. No way to hang stuff on bolts with this configuration.

Peter

I understand that, the original point is that if the seats are lowered, holes will be punched in the side of the hull and the precautions that attend that method. I was merely explaining how most modern canoes avoid that. My comment was not intended to be a solution for him, just general information. I think the OP was not familiar with this system. Those “L” brackets are one reason I would have advised not to buy this boat. Those single brackets, over time will eventually have some movement and the metal rivets will enlarge the fiberglass holes. Additionally most of those metal brackets will sag over time.


image

Those are all the hanging kits I have found online, unfortunately all of them are from shops located in the US. What differences there are between those and an aluminum angle found at home depot?image

I would rather not spend 60 dollars on this.
Likewise can I buy the individual hardware pieces for the hanging kit?

Thanks.

Ok now we are getting to the bottom of this. The bottom picture shown is hardware that would be used to hang a seat from the gunwale when that gunwale has an overhang on the inside that you could drill for the bolts. Your canoe does not appear to have that overhang.

The angle stock from Home depot is a bit thick. It would be hard to slide under the gunwale, and if you did the seat would be right at gunwale level. You don’t want it that high as the boat would be a bit unstable.

The black hanger that you have pictured is the best bet because you can put enough rivets in it to avoid the problem that Pagayeur mentioned above. If you find some flat flat stock aluminum that is a bit thinner than 1/8 you could make your own by bending a 90 degree flange on it. If not, check out the link and buy them there.

https://www.rutabagashop.com/wenonah-canoe-seat-hanging-bracket-silver

Peter

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Thanks for all your feedback, I wanted to show you the end result.
Things I learned along the way:

  • Using resin to patch fiberglass. We found 3 weak spots in the center keel, removed all the old fiber and patching it
  • Learned what rivets were, learned how to use a rivet gun
  • Ordered and manufacture wenonah style brackets. 11’’ x 5’’ x 1/16’’
  • Ordered new seats, a new yoke, mounted everything with 10# 2’ 1/2 long machine screws

All in all I am happy with the repairs. They may not have been worth, I am not confident in the canoe’s overall quality. The hull flexes extremely when moving my weight up and down in water and if I step on it (out of water) I hear lots of little cracking noises.

Anyway I wanted you all to have a final update, I am taking this thing down RII rapids on the weekend for a 60km 1 night canoe camping trip.

To conclude pic of me squatting the canoe :slight_smile:

I would add another layer of glass on the keel that is much wider, say 3-4 inches. Your seat drops are funky but will probably work. I would remove the little end blocks under the seats.

Now you are a canoe fixer and salvage canoeist. Welcome to the club. I have been doing it for over 40 years. We can fix anything.