I built an Ashes 13' solo pack canoe. I placed my seat close to the bottom of the hull much like a kayak seat. Originally, I figured that I would use a double blade to paddle but after a few trials I have gone back to a single blade. But, paddling with either a double or single blade, one fact is clear to me, I need to install foot braces. I am on the fence as to what brace system (foot pedals or foot bars) will function the best and, importantly, look good in a wooden canoe. I have looked at CLC's foot brace stud kit along with a Keepers foot brace. That combination would be a fast fix. But installing a plastic foot brace sort of goes against the aesthetics of a wood canoe. I would like to see examples of foot braces in wooden canoes and suggestions on what to do. Thanks
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Foot brace for 13' wood strip pack canoe: Suggestions please
- Thread starter Joe Pikul
- Start date
The Old Town Canoe catalogs from 1904 to 1965 included a rowing seat with a foot brace as shown below. The thread a the link below has more details. These have shown up on eBay occasionally but I haven't seen one in a few years. Good luck,
Benson
forums.wcha.org
Benson
Old Town Rowing Seat w/ Foot Brace
Got bored with the snow & cold so I refinished this rowing seat & foot brace. It came with a 1906 OT HW project I picked up a few months ago. The seat straddles the rails which measure 12 7/8" wide & 48" long. The seat itself measures 15 1/2" wide & 14 5/8" deep and can be placed anywhere...
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I've only installed metal foot braces in composite and Royalex canoes and minicel foam toe blocks in whitewater canoes. Some folks just glue in foam foot block/pedals in touring canoes with contact cement, which is really simple, but you might not like that aesthetic either.
If you want wood, I don't see any reason why you couldn't fabricate a wooden foot bar or wooden pedal/blocks for a wood pack canoe, if you have some woodworking skill, and install them with G/flex.
The foot bar has the advantage of being able to keep your feet together or spread them apart anywhere along the bar, which I prefer. It has the disadvantage of getting in the way of packs or dogs or discovered pirate treasure. The pedal type foot blocks open up the middle to give you storage room between your feet, but require you to always keep your feet the same spread apart.
I'm no woodworker, but I'd guess it would be easier to make a wooden fore-aft adjustable bar than adjustable blocks. However, if you are the only one using the canoe, maybe you don't need to make the bar or pedals adjustable at all.
Glenn
Thanks for your comments. I am confident that I could fabricate a wooden foot bar or even an adjustable wooden pedal system. My paddling days are limited, and I do see my canoe(s) eventually going to my granddaughter. Thus, I have my eye on an adjustable system. Right now, I have no desire to be in the shop. Summer is slipping by, and I would rather be paddling. I was hoping that somewhere out there I could buy a ready-made wooden brace system that I could simply epoxy in and be on my way.
Thanks Glenn. Nice article. Thank you. Maybe I should just build a set like that this winter and paddle a canoe where foot braces are not essential.
Glenn, thanks again for leading me to the article showing a DIY wooden pedal foot brace system. I am going to install a plastic Keepers pedal brace using CLC's stud system (no holes through the hull). The Keepers pedal system will not be epoxied to the hull; thus, I can remove it. This winter I will have time to build a wooden brace system much like that shown in the article you showed me. Then it will be a simple matter of removing the plastic and installing the wooden brace. I might change my mind if the wooden brace is too heavy. Right now, the canoe in the picture weighs in at 30 lbs. Cheers, Joe
