Detachable Yoke for Swift Carbon Gunnels

[billconner]

Use an eye-bolt and washer. 1/4 -20 eyebolts should be found almost any hardware or big box, in stainless even. And unlike some plastic handles, it will never break.

 

[yknpdlr]

When I bought my carbon innegra crusier from Bill last year, I told him would like to use an existing wood yoke width already sized that I also use on other solo canoes that accept its original clamped nuts. That would not work in the cruiser. Bill included his bolt assembly and knobs with prepared threaded assembly in the gunwales with the boat delivery. He had a wood or carbon yoke for several hundred dollars that he could have sold to me instead. But my old shaped wood yoke fits perfectly, used wth a tip/tilt hand line from bow to stern.

 

[billconner]

I het he'd like to sell you that carbon yoke US $700! (Today) Their cherry wood version is "only" US $200. I bought a used Swift that came with that yoke and afterwards the seller admitted they erred on the price. It was an early one, with clamps, before threaded inserts in the gunwales. Carbon doesn't clamp to carbon well.

 

[Peregrin8or]

I recently found a nice lightweight solo, used. I ordered a detachable, clamp-on yoke from Piragis Northwoods, made by Hidden Valley Yoke (I think) to portage the thing. The yoke was quite a bit longer and bulkier than needed, so I cut a replacement piece out of some scrap 1/2" MDO plywood I had around, as a test. Here's a photo. The bolts, knobs, pads and "risers" all came with the commercial yoke.

It's worked well so far, but I'm planning on testing some replacement shoulder pads carved out of yoga blocks, and some 1/4" stainless bolts instead of these 3/8" bolts and knobs. I'd like to make a it a bit lighter and a bit more comfortable.