Novacraft bootlace seats

[dogbrain]

I found, as my friend Norm says, the deal of the century this week. Maybe more like the steal of the year, but it's a 16' Novacraft prospector in royalex, practically new with 2 BB paddles for $375, stored inside with just a few superficial scrapes. This boat was on my short list for running our Montana rivers, but it was just a fantasy because I was sure I'd have to buy a new one. My question is about those bootlace seats. They seem a little dry and I'm wondering if they should be treated with anything?

Mark

 

[yellowcanoe]

Babiche doesn't need care other than drying. It's used in snowshoes

 

[Canotrouge]

I don't think this seats are babiche, and babiche do need care, especially in wet condition, it need to be kept well varnished. As for the lacing of the prospector's seats, they are nylon or polyester rope, and they do look a lot like boot laces!! I don'T think you need to put anything on them, but a little 303 might not hurt! https://www.amazon.ca/s/?ie=UTF8&ke...argid=kwd-296945747978&ref=pd_sl_3rf4rzxd4n_b

 

[dogbrain]

Yeah, they're the 2 tone polyester bootlace, a little thicker than paracord. I've got some 303 for dry suit gaskets, so I'll look look into that, thanks.

 

[memaquay]

We've got the bootlace seats in all our Nova Craft canoes. Some of them coming on 10 years of fairly hard use, and still going strong. That was an awesome deal!

 

[Steve in Idaho]

Yeah, I haven't done anything to my NC bootlace seats, other than varnishing the wood, and they seem to be holding up just fine, going on nine years now, with a lot of hard use.

 

[dogbrain]

Do nothing. That's what I like to hear. Thanks everybody.

 

[MagicPaddler]

303 makes cane seats SLICK! I do not know if it will make a lace type of seat dangerously slick.

 

[Odyssey]

Aren't those laces uncomfortable? I've sat on webbing and babiche, never noticed bootlace seats before.
A steal of a deal dogbrain! Nice canoe!

 

[memaquay]

Bootlace seats are very comfortable when done well. Nova Craft does them well. Don't put anything on the bootlace unless you want to wear the pattern on your butt.

 

[BWCA66]

Merrimack has used flat paracord for years to lace seats and I have seen 30 year old ones still going strong. They are coated and can be re-coated with teak oil, that stiffens them up and makes them look and feel like boot lace. Also if you let it dry I've not seen a pattern on anyone's butt.

 

[Steve in Idaho]

Yeah, BTW, Mark - you stole that boat! Congrats! Got a pole or two yet?

 

[dogbrain]

Yeah, BTW, Mark - you stole that boat! Congrats! Got a pole or two yet?

No pole yet, but I keep eyeing some nice straight doghair lodgpole pine on a local hike, and one will come home with me if I can remember to bring a saw.

The funny thing is that I picked up this Mad River canoe for $50 on my way home from a 6 week canoe trip back east just 4 days earlier. I thought that was a really good deal too. A few frost cracks that I've already fixed, and the wood is all in good shape, just needs to be oiled really badly. My cedar strip Kite is underneath. The guy was surprised that I intended to fix the cracks and use the canoe. It'll be a good boat for a couple trips I want to do next summer that are notorious for being a bit boney. After that I'll sell it. I am 2 canoes above my quota at the moment.

I've seen a couple of these Mad Rivers recently with cracks and both of them were similar. 25 year old boats that had hardly seen any use. They both had wood gunwales and obviously cost the owner a bit of money when new, but they were left outside for a few years to die a quick death in the Montana sun and cold. This one looks like it had been strapped to something because the royalex is in perfect shape at the strap marks. The other side of the boat is nice shiny royalex. Those clunky skid plates are pristine.

 

[Robin]

Some good deals there, Lucky you to find them.

 

[goonstroke]

I'm bumping an old thread here but the subject is right.

Does anyone know of a USA online source for Novacraft bootlace seats? I could order from London's Paddle Shop but I only need one and the shipping cost across our unfortified border is nontrivial.

 

[Jim Dodd]

Nylon Lacing is available at Country Ways
https://snowshoe.com/

You could make your own seats, as I do.
I've always said the Nylon Snow shoe cord should out last the canoe ! I believe it will ! Pearl on the left is nearly 25 yrs old

BWCA66 is right ! just add Teak oil, or revarnish !

 

[goonstroke]

In the winter I'd consider making one, although I'm a hack so it wouldn't look like the heirloom thrones in those strippers. But it's paddling season, so I'm lazy and impatient. Also, my favorite kevlar solo is up on blocks, so I'm already behind.

 

[Black_Fly]

Nice pickup.