I solo a Discovery 158 which i installed webbed seats. I experimented to find the most stability. If I sit on the front seat and paddle the canoe backwards (but forward), stability is very bad. If i lean to one side, i will tip over very easy. If i kneel on the floor next to the front seat ( and paddle the canoe backward, but forward of course) stability is very good, and i have a lot of control. If i sit in the rear seat with 60 pounds under the front seat, stability is excellent. If i kneel next to the rear seat, with 60 pounds under the front seat, i have the best stability. With this, i do lose some maneuverability.
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Stability notes
- Thread starter meopilite
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Have you tried kneeling from the bow seat(looking backward) with some weight close to the stern seat? That way you would be closer to the center of the canoe and might get better manoeuvrability.
Paddle as close to the middle as you can, favouring the rear. So that is from the front seat facing the other way. Unless you have a kneeling thwart, then paddle it solo from there. I'm not sure of the shape of the hull on that canoe but my prospector can heel right over to the gunnels and I have no fear of tipping while kneeling of course.
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A lot of canoes can be heel like red Langford is saying, and that is a great way to get to know your boat. Secondary stability is something you need to get use to and know!!
the disco 159 is listed as a 'shallow-arch', but with its straight sides, it feels much more flat bottomed than, say, a prospector. i've only paddled one once, it was a rental, it was free, it was a door-prize from a canoe symposium, it was a day on the river, shuttle included, but i digress...the disco 159 is long on primary stability...period...feels like it was intended to be paddled flat, centered in the tractor-seats, i doubt it's a hull that likes to heel...
I've got a disco 16 9. I'm not sure why you would be experiencing any stability problems, the thing is a tank. I have paddled it frequently from the bow seat, heeled over. When you installed your webbed seats, did you drop them down, or attach them directly to the gunwales? If you put three or four inch spacers in to drop your seats down, you will notice the difference immediately.
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I've been paddling my 158 for over 15 years and have never had problems with stability. I solo it so do sit in the front seat facing the back. I can't remember the last time I sat in the back seat facing the front! As Mem mentioned with the seats up high you might run into stability issues. I have my seats on hangers about 3-4" down.
https://vimeo.com/72198232
http://www.carryingplacecanoeworks.on.ca/html/omer.html
I learned from Sue Plankis who worked with Omer in Algonquin.
I think that instead of toting rocks you might get ahold of one of Becky Masons videos Classic Solo Canoeing.
Becky always uses a tandem. She and Caleb Davis teach at Maine Canoe Symposium at Winona Camps. The camp has a fleet of Disco 158s that we use for all classes.
Beginning students can heel the Discos over quite far and paddle a straight line effectively. They feel stable. But for the most part they are kneeling. Becky uses bean bags to support the derriere. I use a T shaped portable bench. My hubby likes a little saddle out of minicell. The bow seat is always waiting when you want to stretch your legs but the at the center of the boat, boat heeled, gives the most control.
If we all had to lug 60 extra pounds to the water... ugh wouldn't paddle as much!
http://www.carryingplacecanoeworks.on.ca/html/omer.html
I learned from Sue Plankis who worked with Omer in Algonquin.
I think that instead of toting rocks you might get ahold of one of Becky Masons videos Classic Solo Canoeing.
Becky always uses a tandem. She and Caleb Davis teach at Maine Canoe Symposium at Winona Camps. The camp has a fleet of Disco 158s that we use for all classes.
Beginning students can heel the Discos over quite far and paddle a straight line effectively. They feel stable. But for the most part they are kneeling. Becky uses bean bags to support the derriere. I use a T shaped portable bench. My hubby likes a little saddle out of minicell. The bow seat is always waiting when you want to stretch your legs but the at the center of the boat, boat heeled, gives the most control.
If we all had to lug 60 extra pounds to the water... ugh wouldn't paddle as much!
