First Build: Seat Options

Hello everyone,

I am building my first canoe. Its a Wee Lassie 2. Looking for opinions, options and thoughts on a seat for her.

The Wee Lassie 2 has the seat very low in the hull mounted a bit off the bottom.

I really like saddle/tractor style seats in canoes, and would like to build something similar.

Thoughts? Pictures?

Here are some pictures so far. One more coat of epoxy before I flip it and start on the inside.

 

Tractor seats can be comfortable for the bottom, but better to have a back rest for double-bladed paddling. This example in flame birch by Ralph Kohn (RIP).

 

Yes, a back rest is good. Make it pivot, and you can use it as a kneeling thwart !
The Wee Lassie II design, ( Mac McCarthy) is a shortened Arkansas Traveler, a H. Rushton design, with the exception of the stem shape.
Anyway I use a back rest and a cushion. If you choose a seat, make the front edge, higher than the back. You test, but one I did for a customer, the front edge was about 1 1/2 - 2" higher than the back. It was a woven seat.

Here is a few pics of the latest one I built for a raffle.










Jim

 

Perfect. I love that back rest. I will be doing that. If you have any images of a seat that would great.

 

I apologize for my mistake ! In my earlier post it read "Wee Lassie" It was meant to read " Wee Lassie II. A Mac McCarthy design.

Years ago I lofted the Arkansas Traveler, from the Adirondack Museum. The Traveler's stations were to be set at 1'4"

I also purchased Mac's Wee Lassie II plans from him.
I then over laid the plans and the stations matched.
Mac changed the stem forms, by rounding them more, and shortened the form spacing to 1'.


I just corrected my post ! Thanks Dan !

Jim

 

I searched my Photobucket, and no. I didn't have a digital camera, when I built the first one, but I still make the seats to the same design.
I can show images of those.



Here is a fairly close up of my frame. I use nylon Snow Shoe cord. for a simple lacing.




Here is a pic of the seats I make, in my latest build.


Here is a pic of my seat frames. The middle of the seat is a 1" drop. I mortise the frame before cutting. This saves a lot of work later, and adds a lot of strength !


Here is another pic of my son's Traveler, "Iowa Traveler", a shortened Arkansas Traveler.

 

As I was looking at the photo's I thought "that shop is absurdly clean"...I may need to point that out..and then I read this.

I can't even keep the top of my workbench that clean! Good eye Dan.
Jim, you have some explaining to do

 

Ha ! That's the Nokomis Wood workers shop, part of it ! Here is the Main shop, the "Red Neck Shop" is behind that clear curtain doorway. on the right. That is where a canoe was built, it was raffled off.


A local guy with a lot of funds, started a wood working club ! He bought the building, the club has almost half, equaling 5,000 sqf. He also put to date, nearly $30,000 in tools and renovations ! Pretty AWESOME ! A retired shop teacher, and a retired lineman, set the shop up with high quality tools.
For $300 a year membership, we have full access 24/7. We even have a high tech security system. It's of course heated, at 60* or higher.

I'm retired and put in a lot of time there.

Yes ! The Shop teacher has instilled Cleanliness in us all ! I am more than greatfull !!!

The canoe hanging is my son's until his house is ready ( mid Febuary) to move in.
The canoe on the stands, was there for our open house.
We currently have 30 members. 40 is our goal !

Sorry for getting off topic !

My shop at home is terrible ! I try and crop out the mess when I take pics, but that's hard.