I just came across this. The fellow has some neat mods--novel spray decking, rigging, and a cut down Wenonah Voyager!
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Happy Birthday, U.S. Marine Corps (1775)! 🇺🇸 🪖
Solo open water mods
- Thread starter Mason
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Dang, there’s a man after my own heart.
Partial spray decks? Check
Skid plates/stem reinforcements? Check
“Lunch table”/utility thwart? Check
Insulated drink holder? Check
Grab handles? Check
Extra floatation? Check.
Paddle clips/holders? Check
Rudder? Check.
His outfitting work is far more elegant than mine. Eh, I’d have put the insulated drink holder on the front “lunch table”. And when possible I’d prefer nothing, like the paddle clips, sticking up above the sheerline.
Love that best-of-both-worlds spray skirt attachment.
I may have another Voyager in the shop this winter for tripper outfitting, and got some ideas there.
Partial spray decks? Check
Skid plates/stem reinforcements? Check
“Lunch table”/utility thwart? Check
Insulated drink holder? Check
Grab handles? Check
Extra floatation? Check.
Paddle clips/holders? Check
Rudder? Check.
His outfitting work is far more elegant than mine. Eh, I’d have put the insulated drink holder on the front “lunch table”. And when possible I’d prefer nothing, like the paddle clips, sticking up above the sheerline.
Love that best-of-both-worlds spray skirt attachment.
I may have another Voyager in the shop this winter for tripper outfitting, and got some ideas there.
Great video. I believe that fellow has had some impressive MR 340 finishes. I really need to work on the lunch table setup in my Cruiser. In a long race, comfort is speed, and in a non race, well, why not be comfortable in your own boat?
Really impressive! (but ditto on not liking paddle clips extending above.)
Mason, Thanks for finding and sharing that video. Such a wealth of creative outfitting. My Voyager will never be the same after watching that. Makes me wish that I had ordered mine without the bow and stern ballast tanks since I'd love to cut my hull down several inches, but the tanks severely limit how much my trimming can easily be done.
Someone might find this useful. I just finished rigging a cord platform to rest paddle blades on. The perimeter line on the canoe was already installed. A length of cord was added to the perimeter line to craft a resting platform. A Prussik loop attached to the perimeter line was used to set the beginning point of the weave. A bowline to secure the cord to the Prussik loop and then half hitches in opposing tension were used to work my way to the bow.
I would never paddle moving water in that rig, for fear of entrapment.
Does using cordage for canoe flotation bag installs present the same fear of entrapment?
A good question. Flotation bags fill the void and make it much harder to get tangled in the paracord.
Will, that rigging would allow you to slide your paddle over and under the first two cross cords to secure it. I'm curious as the the purpose for which you initially installed the perimeter lines. Sea kayaks commonly have perimeter lines to assist grabbing the kayak in a capsize or rescue situation, and a web of other lines and bungees to assist holding paddles, gear, hatches, and paddle float rescues.
This outfitting is on a new canoe that will be used on moving water but little, if any, WW. The perimeter line is run only around the bow and stern sections of the canoe. The cockpit area does not have any lines. Until I get to know where to place more permanent D ring gear tie offs, the perimeter line is where gear bags are attached. Preferring not to drill any new holes in the canoe, I use machine screws the canoe maker has supplied on their hardware to mount loops for threading the perimeter line.
Small flotation bags for the bow and stern can be used and the wide end of the air bag can be clipped to the perimeter line and slid under the corded paddle rest and clipped to the end of the perimeter line near the carry handle.
Entanglement is always a concern when lines are used in a boat so it is important to consider the risks involved in the setup. None of my WW canoes have a perimeter line, as the chances of spills are much higher and line entanglement is a serious hazard.
Here is a photo of the bow section of the perimeter line
Hi Will, I'm curious about the cam cleat mounted on your thwart. What do you use it for?
I use it to secure the bow painter so it is within reach as I leave the canoe. I’ve since relocated the cam cleat below the thwart so it is below the gunnel.
