Hello paddlers. I've been lurking through the message boards on this site for a few weeks now as I prepare to buy my first canoe. Thanks to everyone who's posted the threads that have give me a pretty strong idea of what I'm actually looking for.
Anyway, I've got a line on a good deal on a Swift Dumoine, outfitted for whitewater. At 16' 4" it will be just around the right size, but there are some questions that come along with it.
I've seen from the pictures that it does not have its centre yoke. I was wondering if anyone had heard of this being done as part of the whitewater outfitting process, or if this is something that I would have to replace before taking it out.
If so, how hard is it to replace one of those things?
Thanks for your time, any and all replies are greatly appreciated.
Steve
Options…
Are you intending to carry it single handed? If so, a yoke of some sort is a must.
If you think you might paddle solo on a regular basis.... consider a removable yoke: just gets in the way as it's exactly where you'd want to position yourself.
If you're going to paddle tandem all the time... a fixed yoke is perhaps easier.
Whether you NEED the yoke in order to stiffen the hull might depend on loading. My usual tandem partner (my daughter) and I weigh less than 200lbs (combined)... and pack light... so we'd be OK... but it's easy enough to test the need!
mine came with this
curved yoke.
http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2136266890094366337OtNhEb
I'm missing my kneeling thwart in this shot, as I generally use my Dumoine for poling. That curved yoke is very comfortable. It's not in the way of anything, whereas the kneeling thwart is right in my poling sweet spot. You can see the holes in the gunwales where the kneeling thwart goes, about 3' behind the portage yoke.
Watcha gonna do wit’ da hammer, Matt?
Swift Dumoine
I’ll bet there are holes bored through the rails where a center thwart would go. You need to decide whether you want a sexy, contoured, Teal yoke or a flat yoke with CVCA pads. Find center, cut and dip the ends, balance the boat and drill four holes before inserting SS machine screws. I’ll bet Swift sells both yokes.
Any tandem hull needs a center yoke to maintain shape and facilitate portaging.
Solo work is best done from a kneeling thwart replacing the third thwart, far enough aft of center that the hull is narrower and more amenable to stacking one’s hands over the rail.
Polers may need to remove the third thwart, but it is kinda counter productive to remove the center thwart and allow the rails to collapse/straighten the shape, reducing rocker and lessening the force required to wrap the hull.
Thanks
Thanks for the replies. I think I might have to pass up on this one given that I just won’t have the time to fix it up before I’m due out on the water.
What a shame though. Beautiful canoe.
warranty work on a
customers Murcielago.