need info on placing a perception saddle in a old mohawk canoe. The way the bracing is made is I can place the saddle in one way and the center of the seat is center of the canoe. If I swap it around the saddle is forward of center.(only about 3in).I know in my flat water solo I got it sitting forward to help tracking.it will get used on some flats ,but I want to try some class III with it.just didnt want to set it up and change my mind.So if you got experience in this please let me know.
Thanks
Jeremy
Back a little
I’ve been told that I want my belly button over the center of the boat. Well that’s not what I was told but this is a PG site so that’ll have to do. Anyway that would put the center of the saddle back 3 or 4 inches. I also think in a whitewater boat you are better off a bit stern heavy than bow heavy.
Tommy
According to Perception’s
– Last Updated: Feb-20-07 5:40 PM EST –
installation instructions.
"Center Saddle over a point 6 to 8 inches to the rear of the canoe"
"place boat in water and check trim with passenger in place"
"Once trim, mark the position of the saddle"
I installed one Saturday and those steps worked well, but I did have to relocate the front thwart a few inches.
Trim
It’s a rare boat where we want the seat shifted forward for tracking. Most of us err, especially when tired, by bringing forward strokes past our knee and even past our body, into what becomes a low efficiency sweep.
To help hulls track, we want to skeg the stern so it reacts less to the sweeping conclusion of forward strokes. [ J usually corrects for misdirection just caused.]
Kneeling thwarts and cane seats are usually placed so front edge is 4-5" aft of center on symmetrical hulls. Sitting paddlers are seated 5-6" aft of center due to the weight of extended thighs.
God knows what that ammounts to with the old Perception saddle, which was pretty low, but, imagining where a seat edge would hit you, try it in the hull with that point ~4-5 inches past center.
We trim our hulls by placing a strip of tape down the center of the hull. We mark the seat placement on the tape with a magic marker when the hull feels right.
I wouldn’t worry about moving thwarts. Easy job, but drill and plug wood rails.
Center seat position
Your weight and it’s effect on the hull will determine the best position for your non adjustable? seat.
Try it on the water for best position. I like a neutral trim and set my day pack and camera behind me. The boat will easily dart left and right if the bow is too light and it will plow left or right if bow is too heavy.
With my weight I have the leading edge of the cane seat set just aft of and within an 1" of the balance point on my Indy.