Seat size?

Charles G. Clark, Jr. · Fri Jan 12, 2007 10:30 pm

I am getting ready to make seats for my Freedom 17. I seek counsel about the size of the seats. I plan to make contoured seats. I hav e 8/4 ash into which I will saw the contour profile. I plan about a 1" drop in the contour. The seat frame members will be 1 1/2 inch wide. I will use mortise and tenon joinery to make the seat frame. I will cane the seats using the classic caning technique and plastic cane.

OK, size. I thought I would make the seat portion about 4 inches narrower than the width of the canoe at the seat locations. That would allow a fairly small flat horizontal section at the hull sides. As for the front to back depth, I searched the web to get some ideas. I found that the largest seats had the frame 15 inches from front to back (big butt boaters). I saw some that were all the say down to 9-3/4 inches (baby butt boaters).

Well, what do you think?

Glen Smith · Post by **Glen Smith** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 10:43 pm

I am personally a baby butt boater and I like the comfort of my 12" seats. Yes, even baby butt boaters deserve some comfort. If I were to make contoured (tractor seat shape) seats, I would probably go with 15".

When you say contoured, do you mean tractor seat shape or rectangular seats with a dip in the frames?

Charles G. Clark, Jr. · Fri Jan 12, 2007 10:57 pm

I mean the rectangular shaped seats with a dip in the middle. The kind of seats that you can see on the Newfound web site.

http://www.newfound.com/canoeacc.htm

Glen Smith · Post by **Glen Smith** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 11:03 pm

For a rectangular seat my butt's vote goes to the 12" overall width but that's just one butt's opinion.

Rick · Post by **Rick** » Sat Jan 13, 2007 11:11 am

Although I am not baby-butt sized, a nine-inch width is comfortable for me... I paddle mostly kneeling Canadian-style, so maybe that's the reason. After kneeling for an hour or more, sitting on anything feels comfortable...

:smile

Bow - 9 X 15.5

Stern - 9 X 11.5

Fred G · Post by **Fred G** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 5:09 pm

Mine are 18 inches wide and 15 inches deep(out to out on the wood frame). Whatever depth you choose, make sure it fits your scuppers. My scuppers are 4 inch with 3 " solid sections. With 2 inch frame parts, that left solid areas for each end of the seat to attach to.