Installing a foot brace in my canoe

[Winterlover]

I recently acquired a Bell Magic in the black gold layup with Ash gunnels. It’s in excellent condition, made in 1998 according to the serial number, and I am pretty stoked about it! I would like to add a foot brace inside for more efficient paddling with a kayak paddle (sacrilege I know, but sometimes it’s really the right call in a strong wind).
The Northstar website sells a foot brace kit, does anyone have experience with installing this in an older Bell canoe? I plan to call Northstar next week but I wonder if anyone on here has personal experience with this. Thanks in advance!

 

[tketcham]

Which foot brace? They have a kayak foot brace that bolts on and canoe foot braces that either rivet or glue on.

If you're looking at the rivet footbraces for canoes, I've installed them into two Kevlar canoes and will be intalling them into another Kevlar canoe when it arrives. But as clemency highlights, measure carefully before you drill into the hull. And realize that it's more or less permanent. Use a fairly new, sharp drill bit to minimize fraying the cloth. The rivet type footbrace is commonly installed into Kevlar canoes at the factory so it's still an accepted method.

 

[clemency]

No experience with that layup, but I've installed footbraces on two canoes, one Rx and one T-Formex. Both times I used the riveted footbraces. Pretty straightforward. Pulling measurements off a Wenonah with factory footbraces the footbrace is 5.5" off the floor of the canoe at the centerline and the bracket starts 2' from the front edge of the seat and extends further forward from there.

Measure about eleventy times, drill once (actually, drill 4 times, but you get the idea).

 

[ABT]

I’ve added a Northstar foot brace to a Bell with the white gold layup. I installed the kind that uses the superbond adhesive. It comes with instructions, was pretty easy, and has held up very well.

 

[Winterlover]

I’m planning to use the adhesive North Star foot brace. I’m glad to know you had good results with the glue. Did you use the carbon fiber or the aluminum model?
Thanks!