I had a chance to measure the rocker on the Wenonah Wilderness and it is indeed 1.5 inches at each end, if you measure back 12 inches from the tip of the deck plate. The rocker starts about 3 feet from the center and is a gradual transition.
I also measured the seat position of the Wilderness and the front edge of the seat is at exact center. Same thing on the Argosy.
I’ve read comments by Windwalker and others that the Argosy tends to veer off course unexpectedly when being pushed hard. It is because the paddler is sitting exactly at center. This pushes the bow down and causes a bow wave. Kneeling with your butt against the front of the seat gives you more stabiliy but it also puts most of your weight forward of center. That really pushes the bow down and creates more resistance. When you paddle hard against that resistance the bow deflects and starts veering into a turn and it takes some muscle to get it back on line. You can correct this bad habit by either moving the seat back 4 to 7 inches, or by adding 25-50 pounds weight to the stern.
Dave Kruger designed both of these canoes. When I’m at Canoecopia next month I’m going to ask him why Wenonah puts their seats at dead center. I’ll let you know what he says.
Most definitely…
I would most definitely like to hear the feedback you receive from Mr. Kruger.
The Argosy I recently ordered has arrived at the dealer & is waiting for me to make the 75 mile drive to pick it up.......probably tomorrow.
May use it on a 2 day test paddle/river run this weekend.
Any Argosy owners out there who have made the seat move? Results?
I recently had a conversation with an Argosy owner who has changed his adustable seat to a fixed seat.
BOB
Dave told me
he didn’t have anything to do with designing the Wilderness. It was a Wenonah “team design” collaboration, which meant a mishmash of things that worked for Wenonah into a new hull.
Gotta say…
that I like the seat position with front at dead center, but I seldom kneel, and I seldom try to go fast. I moved the seat position forward on my Vagabond, which made it track somewhat better. Sounds like the seat position is good for the “casual” paddler, but not for the kneeling performance paddler. And since I mostly use a canoe to get me down the river while I’m fishing, I’d class myself as NOT a performance paddler.
Dead Center?
While I have not paddled either boat, if these are asymmetrical hulls similar to other Wenonahs, then measuring to dead center doesn’t provide the best measure of the boats’ true center. Wouldn’t it be better to sit the boat in the water with your body weight and gear weight and establish the trim line that works best for you in the water conditions you primarily paddle? With these asymmetrical hulls and slight to moderate rockers, I probably go for a lighter bow for moving water.
Somebody needs to design a better moveable seat option for the solos.
Both symetrical
Quote "Somebody needs to design a better moveable seat option for the solos. Unquote
Okay, how about starting right now…what would you suggest for a better moveable seat option?
Well
I was just thinking about this. Why couldn’t you mount the hardware of the Yakima foot braces used on WW canoe pedestals directly under the gunnels and attach the seat drops off of this, maybe right on the foot pegs? I haven’t looked at it but it might make sense to have the moveable part of the hardware right up under the gunnel instead of mounted down near the seat. Just a thought…??
Looking at pics of the hulls on the Wenonah website, the hulls do look symmetrical. Excuse my assumption. On the Argosy page the picture shows the seat mounted about 4 inches or so back of center.
And just wondering, but why the asymmetrical rocker on the Argosy? With a symmetrical hull I’d think it would handle better with 2.5 inch rocker on both bow and stern.
Good idea, and you’re right
Gremmie, you’re right on both counts. My new Argosy arrived today and the seat is 6 inches after of center, just as it shows in the web site pictures. Good.
Still no explanation of why the Argosy we measured two weeks ago, and the Vagabond and the Wilderness all had seats at dead center. Oh well, some mystery makes life more interesting.
Your idea to use a Yakima footbrace style seat slide makes a lot of sense. I’m sitting here now looking at a set of foot braces that I am going to install in my Argosy, and with a little imagination I can see exactly what you’re talking about. Interesting configurations come to mind. Any more ideas like that?
PS: They weigh 13 ounces
which is half the weight of the wood sliders in my Shearwater.
http://tinyurl.com/2ersjd