Brucejmf

New Member

Registered: 16 Mar 2021

Posts: 1

Seat position in canadian canoe for the un-athletic !

Hi all,
My project over the last few months in lockdown has been to build the canadian canoe kit - great fun - and I added the  seats which hang into the boat positioned as per instructions the only problem is we found the canoe very unstable and it felt like the centre of gravity with us in is  far too high - we are both in our sixties I am 6 feet and 15 stone and my wife 5 feet 4inches and 11stone and would prefer to sit however low rather than kneel - and thoughts around how I could fit lower seats or create temporary ones to sort the positions out prior to permanent changes to the structure! It might sound silly but could you I use something like a sandbag/bean bag as a temporary seat and not damage the hull, I'm very new to this game so any suggestions welcome  ?
Thanks
Kind regards
Bruce

Curlew

Member

From: nr Skipton, N Yorks

Registered: 8 May 2020

Posts: 51

Re: Seat position in canadian canoe for the un-athletic !

Another Bruce!

I don't have that boat, or indeed much experience of Canadian style canoes, but I suspect that it may seem a bit twitchy but would actually be very, very stable once you get used to the feel of it. As for sticking a sandbag or bean bag inside-sure! The epoxy coat is unbelievably tough and resilient. You might scuff up the top varnish layer a bit but these boats are made to be used and a fresh coat each season is no hardship.

Post a pic, it would be nice to see how it looks

Cheers

Bruce

robin

Member

Registered: 4 May 2025

Posts: 2

Re: Seat position in canadian canoe for the un-athletic !

Oh my! Yes these are crazy tippy. Most canoes have a slightly rounded to almost flat bottom (at least part of it), these don't! Let me tell you I've been swimming a few times while trying to get in solo from a dock because of this. I currently use the upside down crawl in method. Same with getting out. Not pretty what so ever. I'm adding a 30l dry sack filled with water as ballast. Someone said to toss in a 30 lb bag of gravel. That just doesn't seem like a great idea. Water is the same weight and buoyancy as... water, so the worst that will happen if I capsize is that the sack will fall out and then just stay near or on the surface. Gravel... I'm guessing potentially it's so long canoe... and maybe me too! I'm nearing 70, so I feel your pain. ;O) Still it's real head turner... as am I as swim next to it... which so far is usually the case.