A question of depth....(.I'm out of mine!)

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Riverrat
Posts: 49
Joined: Mon Jun 28, 2004 3:10 pm
Location: South Alabama

A question of depth....(.I'm out of mine!)

Post by Riverrat »

I'm ready to hang the seats in the Nomad. I want to go as low as possible for stability, but not too low for comfort. Everything I've read here on the forum and in Canoecraft, says the average is 9 1/2 to 10 1/2 inches from the bottom of the canoe, up to the bottom of the seat frame....or...anywhere from 2 1/2 to three inches below the gunnel. I made the jig as per canoecraft at 9 1/2 inches high and placed it on the bottom. Looks like I need 7 inch spacers and bolts!..My canoe is 16 inches deep from the center bottom of the canoe to the bottom of the inwale. (stern seat). If I used the whole 4 inch spacers I got from New Found, I'd still have 12 inches of space under the seats. Does this seem like the seats would be too high? That's an awful lot of air to be sitting above I would think. Any advice?
Professionals built the Titanic; amatuers built the Ark!
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Woodchuck
Posts: 140
Joined: Mon Aug 01, 2005 7:56 am
Location: Garden City, MI

Seat Height...

Post by Woodchuck »

Oh Boy, another personal choice question... The answer is what you want or what is comfortable to you. I am also building a Nomad but I'm not to that stage yet so I have not encountered that problem. For others to help, we need to know how tall you are, what is your shoe size or length in inches and is your height all in your legs, all in your torso or are you "normal"? I am inclined to go with the higher seat for comfort because after your paddle awhile, you will get used to it and it won't be as tippy as a high seat tends to be when you first use it. Just my thoughts... You can always raise the seat a lot easier than you can lower it without having to use new spacers...
:thinking
Joe "Woodchuck" Gledhill
Garden City, MI
Riverrat
Posts: 49
Joined: Mon Jun 28, 2004 3:10 pm
Location: South Alabama

Post by Riverrat »

Thanks Joe..I guess I'm "normal" as you say. 6'2". 225, shoe size 12. I'll use this canoe primarily on calm waters and slow moving rivers. Mostly hunting and fishing. I don't feel as though I'll do a lot of paddling from a kneeling position and certainly none in whitewater or rough water. I just don't want to have to sit so high as to be so unstable that csting a fly or setting a hook on a fish will cause me to turn over ha ha.
Professionals built the Titanic; amatuers built the Ark!
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hoz
Posts: 201
Joined: Wed Jun 09, 2004 11:57 pm
Location: Indiana

Post by hoz »

The 9.5-10" measurement is what I use for kneeling. It takes that much space to get my feet under the seat. For sit and switch I'd say the seat can be 2-3" lower. That's your personal preference.

Finding 3/16x6" (or #10) bolts is a tough proposition. Almost impossible. I did have one supplier in Maine but I have lost their link. You might consider epoxying cleats to the side of the canoe and attach your seats to those. Or you could make longer bolts from SS 3/16 all thread.

(edit)
Hey I found them, Bear Creek Canoe and Kayak 4-6" SS bolts, nutsand finishing washers fro 10 bucks on ebay.
http://tinyurl.com/9axle
someday I'll fly, someday I'll soar
Riverrat
Posts: 49
Joined: Mon Jun 28, 2004 3:10 pm
Location: South Alabama

Post by Riverrat »

Thanks Hoz, I have 8, 3/16th SS carriage bolts in 6 inch lengths. However, to get the 10 inch clearance that I think I'll need, I have to use 4 inch spacers in the front end of the stern seat and at least 6 inch at the rear. I'll have to figure out a way to get the nut to fit on the end of the bolt as it is only six inches like the spacer. Countersunk on top of the inwale and on the bottom of the seat frame might do the trick. The threaded rod is also a player. As Joe said, "it's easier to raise the seats later than to lower them."
Professionals built the Titanic; amatuers built the Ark!
Rick
Posts: 727
Joined: Thu May 27, 2004 9:23 am
Location: Bancroft, Ontario

Post by Rick »

The Nomad has some tumblehome designed in so if you decide to increase the space underneath the seat with a shorter bolt, it won't be a problem.The cross members might have to be trimmed a little smaller or maybe not at all.

My shoe size is also size twelve and I go with an 11" space underneath - I kneel when paddling most of the time. That much room is enough to allow insulated boots to fit easily underneath in cold weather... enough space to not get the feet stuck under there when a quick exit's necessary.
fisherguytoo
Posts: 66
Joined: Tue Jul 27, 2004 9:25 pm
Location: Central Calif. foothills

Post by fisherguytoo »

:confused :sad
About getting the correct length bolts to hang your seats.
Go to your local hardware and ask for for 3/16" thread couplings.
This device is the same as a pipe coupling. It is appro.one inch in length
and the same dia. as a regular nut and threaded thru on each end.

Drill a hole in the seat hanger spacer that will allow the coupling to drop
into the spacer and you can start one bolt from the top Thru the gunnel)
and start the other from the bottom side of the seat. cut the bolts so they
both get enough thread into the coupling and WHOLA, job done.

One caution, be sure that the holes in the spacer line up and both bolts enter
the coupling correctly (straight). Make sure that each spacer is lined up
correctly on the workbench prior to installation.
:smile :laughing
Riverrat
Posts: 49
Joined: Mon Jun 28, 2004 3:10 pm
Location: South Alabama

Post by Riverrat »

Thanks FG, great idea. I'll file it away for future use. I ended up getting a length of all thread and made my own bolts and spacers. Got the seats in at the height I wanted. Thanks to all of you for the help.
Jim
Professionals built the Titanic; amatuers built the Ark!
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