Welcome to TheOhioOutdoors
Wanting to join the rest of our members? Login or sign up today!
Sign up

Seat Upgrade and Mods

Bowhunter57

Bowhunter57

Senior Member
5,435
195
Roaming the country side....Retired.
I found this bass boat seat at Walmart ($35) and devised a way to attach it to my kayak. I took a piece of fiber board, cut it to match the seat bottom demensions and used the seat's bolts to attach it. I cleaned the kayak hull, glued (silicone) a piece of rubber foam in the center to meet the gap in the keel. I glued the outside touching edges of the fiber board and the rubber foam and pressed it into place.

The kayak was brought into the house, allowed to warm up before the gluing started. I stacked a couple of 40 lb. weights on top of the seat and let it set up overnight.

Very comfortable! Can't wait to get it on the water! :smiley_bril:

KayakSeat.jpg

SeatFolded.jpg


Bowhunter57
 
Tha looks great!! I have a great canoe I got for a hell of a price but I really wish I had two Kayaks instead. Way more fun and easier for one person to work with. Want a troller for the canoe though , lol!!
 
saddlepants said:
Tha looks great!! I have a great canoe I got for a hell of a price but I really wish I had two Kayaks instead. Way more fun and easier for one person to work with. Want a troller for the canoe though , lol!!
Click to expand...
saddlepants,
I had a canoe, for 2 months...a brand new Old Town Saranac 146XT. Bought it in the 2nd week of March last year and sold it the 2nd week of May. Reasons: Too hard to load by myself and NO WHERE NEAR as stable as a kayak.

Sold it, got my money back and went to Dunham Sports and purchased 2 Old Town Vapor kayaks (1 for me and 1 for my brother). The kayaks are super stable, only weigh 44 lbs. (easy to load) and were $299. Actually, I got the second one with a 20% off coupon, that Dunham's e-mailed me, for $279.

When you say "troller" are you refering to a cart for the canoe/kayak or something to pull behind it...in the water or a trailer to pull the canoe?
PVC carts are easy to build. I got the idea from several videos on YouTube.

CanoeCartA.jpg

CanoeCart1.jpg



Bowhunter57
 
Last edited:
Yep, trolling motor. I have a portage cart I built with steel square tubing and two buggy wheels I got from a horse cart. The wheels are brand new. Got a horse cart and wanted taller wheels. The portage cart is great. I can load it myself but its a pain. I wouldnt get enough for it to buy two Kayaks. I really dont know how much its worth. Its older but in ex condition. Its a Mohawk 17' fiberglass. Its big and stable and great for fishing. Had a few chips in the bow which I fixed with some gel coat and it could use a touch more but I Have no idea what it would sell for - you tell me. Hubbys got it hanging in the barn now in a way that as soon as we make a framework for the back of my PU I should be able to back in under it and just lower it down on the pully system and set it right down.Its hangs upside down to prevent critters from "living" in it. On location I usually bring (when I had a minivan) a collapsable sawhorse set. I set it up on those behind the vehicle and then get under the front and lift it up and slid it forward onto the rack. Then I go around to the stern and just lift and push and slide it the rest of the way up on the rack. Pain but I can do it myself if I have to. But I have to carry around those two sawhorses and even getting it upside down on them is a slow process, lol. Id just rather have Kayaks that can do double duty fish and fun. Sorry to Hyjack Bowhunter, lol.
 
Last edited:
saddlepants said:
I Have no idea what it would sell for - you tell me.
Click to expand...
saddlepants,
Most canoes in good condition can bring anywhere from $300 to $500. I'd have to see it to know for sure. Perhaps you could post some pics.


saddlepants said:
But I have to carry around those two sawhorses and even getting it upside down on them is a slow process, lol. Id just rather have Kayaks that can do double duty fish and fun.
Click to expand...
That's what I was going through, loading and unloading the canoe that I used to own. It only weighed 80 lbs., BUT loading on top of my vehicle without scraping it up or busting the sunroof, was an event in its' self. If I had someone to help, it could be loaded in 5 min. and we'd be on our way. However, I fish by myself...a lot and having assistance isn't an option. The lighter weight kayak is the way to go and I have NO regrets with the purchase.


saddlepants said:
Sorry to Hyjack Bowhunter, lol.
Click to expand...
No appology necessary! It's all good and I'm always glad to help anyone that wants help with something that I can lend a hand with or have some ideas or food for thought. :smiley_blink:

Bowhunter57
 
I like the mod! I am in the process of saving for a Kayak for this spring, so I will have to keep that in mind. Thanks for sharing!
 
Fluteman said:
I am in the process of saving for a Kayak for this spring, so I will have to keep that in mind. Thanks for sharing!
Click to expand...
Fluteman,
Dunham Sports seems to have the most consistant good prices, although their selection may not be the best, it's good enough.

Other places to check...when they have a SALE PRICES ONLY, are Gander Mtn. and Dick's Sporting Goods.

Stay away from Pelican brand kayaks, as their plastics are a harder compound and tend to crack when dropped or if you hit rocks, etc.:smiley_arrogant:

Bowhunter57
 
Bowhunter57 said:
Fluteman,
Dunham Sports seems to have the most consistant good prices, although their selection may not be the best, it's good enough.

Other places to check...when they have a SALE PRICES ONLY, are Gander Mtn. and Dick's Sporting Goods.

Stay away from Pelican brand kayaks, as their plastics are a harder compound and tend to crack when dropped or if you hit rocks, etc.:smiley_arrogant:

Bowhunter57
Click to expand...

I appreciate the advice 57. I'm going to go check out a Wilderness System Tarpon 100 next week. It's pricey, but from what I've read, it's top of the line. There is a local guy that sells them, and his prices are better than anywhere else I have found, plus he offers 30% off all accessories purchased with a Kayak. I'd like a sit on top so I don't have to worry so much about sinking my boat, but other than that, I'm open to whatever!
 
Fluteman,
SOT kayaks tend to get you a little wetter, as it's just the nature of that style of kayak. I don't care for them, because I fish earlier and later, so it's cold and I don't want to get wet.

You can't go wrong with Wilderness System kayaks...for that matter, Native Watercraft are top of the line too, but with a price tag to match. :smiley_blink:

Bowhunter57
 
What about tracking. I was wanting two doubles because the longer the Kayak the better they track in the water but two singles would work as long as they track nice. I want sit inside. I want two only because two is more fun for a couple on the rapids than together in one i think plus my dog always goes along and room for a cooler o beer lol, Oh wait, did I say that...I mean Pop yeah cooler o pop!!!
 
saddlepants said:
What about tracking. I was wanting two doubles because the longer the Kayak the better they track in the water but two singles would work as long as they track nice. I want sit inside. I want two only because two is more fun for a couple on the rapids than together in one i think plus my dog always goes along and room for a cooler o beer lol, Oh wait, did I say that...I mean Pop yeah cooler o pop!!!
Click to expand...
saddlepants,
The Old Town Vapor that I have tracks very nice. The only time you're going to run into tracking problems is with a kayak with more rocker and bevel...in other words a whitewater kayak. The Vapor is a lake or flat water kayak. It can be taken down rivers, but it's going to be more sluggish or be a little harder to turn...compared to a whitewater kayak.

You are correct, in that a longer kayak tracks straighter. Even so, I wouldn't get one longer than 12', only because the weight increase over that length will put you back into the weight of a canoe. Honestly, I've paddled 10', 14.5', 17' and 19' kayaks and canoes and the tracking differences are very suttle. I've experienced more tracking differences with the hull design differences between whitewater and flat water.

As for your "concerns" of packing more stuff, there's the option of a small raft. Even a 4 man raft can be purchased for $20 and a short rope can be tied to it, to use it as a "trailer" with your cargo of choice. It's a common use for extra gear, during extended trips.

Bowhunter57
 
Just an update on my new seat modifications.... The damn thing fell out as soon as I tipped it over to put it on top of my CR-V. :smiley_depressive: It's just as well, I suppose. I wasn't entirely in favor of the fiber board that was on the bottom of the seat bracket.

I've reinstalled the factory seat and will use a boat cushion, until I come up with a way to fabricate a better way to attach this seat. I've given some thought to a plastic sling of sorts, which is simular to the factory seat. I'm going to have to take a look at some more materials that are better suited to this application.

Back to the drawing board! :smiley_blink:
Bowhunter57
 
Bowhunter57 said:
Just an update on my new seat modifications.... The damn thing fell out as soon as I tipped it over to put it on top of my CR-V. :smiley_depressive: It's just as well, I suppose. I wasn't entirely in favor of the fiber board that was on the bottom of the seat bracket.

I've reinstalled the factory seat and will use a boat cushion, until I come up with a way to fabricate a better way to attach this seat. I've given some thought to a plastic sling of sorts, which is simular to the factory seat. I'm going to have to take a look at some more materials that are better suited to this application.

Back to the drawing board! :smiley_blink:
Bowhunter57
Click to expand...


Is there a wall inside the back of the kayak that separates the cockpit from the storage area where the back hatch is? If so, you could take a 1x6 and run it from the back wall to where you want your seat to be. You could then take a 2x6 and screw it onto one end (making an "L" shape), and then screw the 2x6 into the back wall, and mount the seat onto the 1x6. You could even cut you a triangle corner support to put between the 1x6 and 2x6 to make that joint stronger. Just a thought...
 
Fluteman,
An excellent idea, but there's no separation or wall...it's open all the way back. The well that's in the rear could not be used for attaching anything as it's a single wall design. Good idea, just the same. Thank you, for your input.

I may just go with some sort of turkey hunting seat cushion. I spotted one the other day, for $25, that had a back rest with it too. Turkey season is coming, so there might be some better options in seating as the season goes.

Bowhunter57
 
You must log in or register to reply here.