I just bought a used Sundowner 18 in tuf-weave, with a sliding front seat. Is the pin supposed to go in front of the seat, or behind the seat to secure it?
Also, at both the bow and stern ends there are small black rubber plugs on top. They look like some kind of drain plug, but the guy I bought it from had no idea what they are for.
Pin in back
You tend to push back on the seat when paddling so you want to put the pin at the back of the sliding seat to secure it.
A lot of Wenonah owners have substituted barbell spring collars of this type for the funky pins that originally came with the sliding seats:
http://www.sportsmith.net/ItemForm.aspx?Item=P16RSLC&&gclid=COuQ2YS3rMwCFQ8vaQodIIIEvQ
These allow for a greater variety of adjustments and quick trim adjustments on the fly.
Are the plugs that you speak of on the tops of the flotation chambers at the front and back of the canoe? Sealed float tanks require some type of provision for air pressure equalization, either a screw or a vinyl plug with a tiny hole in the center.
thanks
Thanks. The original pin is missing, and when I bought it the guy had a piece of wire in one of the holes in front of the seat, which didn’t make sense to me.
Yes, the plugs are on top of the flotation chambers.
You got a good canoe
and a good deal
I got a pretty good deal on it, too (in my estimation). $500 and it’s in pristine condition.
Good deal
Now get out and use it.
paddling
Finally had a change to take this one out for some paddling earlier this week. So much faster and smoother than my other canoe (a flat-bottomed 15 ft royalex). Even got to experience a little “adventure” when the wind and waves picked up significantly on the way back, but it rode the waves pretty well and kept us (mostly) dry.