Re: [Paddlewise] center seat positioning

From: Richard Kemmer <rkemmer_at_home.com>
Date: Thu, 5 Oct 2000 17:15:29 -0500
Mike wrote:
> I'm
> >wondering if he got the center seat installed on the wrong side of the
old
> >yoke position.  He put it on the bow side of the old yoke position.  Is
this
> >correct, or is it just a matter of personal preference?  Also, it is
placed
> >just under the gunnel, while my other seats have long spacers.  Should he
> have
> >used spacers to lower the seats the same depth as the bow and stern
seats?
>
Mike,
Assuming the yoke was at the canoe's center of balance and the canoe is
symmetrical, it makes no difference whether the new seat is ahead of or
behind the yoke position.  For soloing, you need to position yourself just
behind the center of the canoe.  With your current setup, you should paddle
with the canoe reversed -- the stern becomes the bow.
(Paddling "backwards" has always been the canoeist's refuge when there is a
headwind, because the bow seat is somewhat closer to the center than the
seat in the stern; the person who installed your seat probably had that in
mind when installing the seat.

As for the length of the extenders, there are two factors to consider.
First, will you sit or kneel?  If you plan to sit, the seat should be as low
as you are comfortable with.  If you plan to kneel, it needs to be high
enough to accommodate your feet underneath and positioned at a height that
is comfortable for your butt to lean against.  It's a question of comfort
and function, not of where the other seats are positioned.  In fact, this
suggestion applies to all three seats.

Unless your canoe is dramatically asymmetrical, don't be wedded to which end
is the bow and which the stern:  They're usually interchangeable.

Rick



***************************************************************************
PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not
to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission
Submissions:     PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net
Subscriptions:   PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net
Website:         http://www.paddlewise.net/
***************************************************************************
Received on Thu Oct 05 2000 - 15:25:27 PDT

This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Thu Aug 21 2025 - 16:30:32 PDT