Well, let's give this a try.....
I've been reading the postings on the forum from a distance for a while now and I thought I'd finally register. Wow, what a great source of information this forum is. Thanks for everything so far!
A little background: I live in Winnipeg, MB. I'm building my first canoe - a 15'-9" Huron Cruiser. I started in late January, working on it when I get a chance. I'm anxious to get it in the water this summer, but trying not to rush! (Difficult sometimes). I'm at the stage of installing the inwales.
My question(s): The Bear Mountain plans call for a thwart at centre and one at 30" towards the stern. Do I need this second one? What purpose does it serve? There are plenty of larger canoes out there with only a centre thwart.
Greg
two thwarts?
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Glen Smith
- Posts: 3719
- Joined: Sat May 08, 2004 9:08 am
- Location: Baie-St-Paul, Quebec, Canada
Thwarts
Hi Greg, welcome aboard.
In Canoecraft on page 172 under the heading "Thwarts" Ted states "Structurally, a canoe up to 18 feet needs only one thwart, positioned in the center. An extra thwart installed aft of the center is common in canoes over 16 feet, but its position is for convenience rather than for balance."
The way I read that it means you only need one thwart since your canoe is shorter than 18 feet.
Enjoy your project.
In Canoecraft on page 172 under the heading "Thwarts" Ted states "Structurally, a canoe up to 18 feet needs only one thwart, positioned in the center. An extra thwart installed aft of the center is common in canoes over 16 feet, but its position is for convenience rather than for balance."
The way I read that it means you only need one thwart since your canoe is shorter than 18 feet.
Enjoy your project.
kneeling thwart
As this is a fine boat to paddle solo I would suggest a kneeling thwart placed maybe 14 inches behind the center. This thwart could be four inches wide and set at a comfortable angle to rest your butt on by using wedge shaped spacers under the gunwales.
two thwarts or one?
You can probably get by just fine with 1 thwart on a canoe as small as the Huron Cruiser ... but might not want to.
Some factors favoring that choice:
* a second thwart does stiffen the hull and reduce flex. But that might not be important unless you've used thin stips and/or a lighter than "normal" fiberglass layup and/or very light gunwales. Very light trim, light layup and several (very) light thwarts and/or bulkheads make an effective strategy when total weight is very important to to the canoe's purpose.
* the second thwart can be very useful:
- provides a convenient second lashing place for fishing rods or rod tubes
- two short straps attach halves of two fastex snap buckles to my rear thwart ... mating halves of the buckles are sewn to a large lumbar pack. It takes just a couple seconds to snap that pack in for a secure ride ... similar for detaching it. The pack carries essentials that I want quick&convenient access to (compass, first aid, rain gear, camera, water bottles, deet, sunscreen .....)
- a $4 wrist compass (hook&loop strap) is wrapped around my rear thwart
- shock cord loops on the center and rear thwarts make it quick&easy to stow paddles in the canoe while portaging ... loose items are the portager's bane.
- I also attach my map to the rear thwart
In short ... I wouldn't be without it .... it's made with Sitka Spruce so it adds very little weight
Some negatives:
- you might think that 1 thwart looks better than two
- less leg room for the stern paddler, especially in a short hull like the Huron
Some factors favoring that choice:
* a second thwart does stiffen the hull and reduce flex. But that might not be important unless you've used thin stips and/or a lighter than "normal" fiberglass layup and/or very light gunwales. Very light trim, light layup and several (very) light thwarts and/or bulkheads make an effective strategy when total weight is very important to to the canoe's purpose.
* the second thwart can be very useful:
- provides a convenient second lashing place for fishing rods or rod tubes
- two short straps attach halves of two fastex snap buckles to my rear thwart ... mating halves of the buckles are sewn to a large lumbar pack. It takes just a couple seconds to snap that pack in for a secure ride ... similar for detaching it. The pack carries essentials that I want quick&convenient access to (compass, first aid, rain gear, camera, water bottles, deet, sunscreen .....)
- a $4 wrist compass (hook&loop strap) is wrapped around my rear thwart
- shock cord loops on the center and rear thwarts make it quick&easy to stow paddles in the canoe while portaging ... loose items are the portager's bane.
- I also attach my map to the rear thwart
In short ... I wouldn't be without it .... it's made with Sitka Spruce so it adds very little weight
Some negatives:
- you might think that 1 thwart looks better than two
- less leg room for the stern paddler, especially in a short hull like the Huron