Swift Seats in a Non-Swift Boat

[Tryin']

I just ordered a Swift new-contour seat to put in my Old Town Discovery 164. It will be replacing a standard ash caned unit. I poked around Canoecopia this year and decided that Swift definitely had the best design. It's wide like me, has ample webbing, and has the angled front for kneeling.

That said, there is obviously going to be a hurdle in attaching the Swift seat to the standard drops, due to the angled front bar. I am thinking an angle-cut piece over and under the seat bar will allow for even distribution of loads.

Canoe Seat Bow Ash Contour New - Swift Canoe & Kayak Outdoor Centres

Contoured fixed bow seat for Swift Canoe in Ash

swiftoutside.com

Thoughts? Other ideas? Experiences?

 

[Mike McCrea]

That is either a Conk seat, or a facsimile thereof.

http://www.hemlockcanoe.com/conk-seats.html

I know Hemlock and Savage River and maybe other manufacturers use Conk seats.

I am not sure what is there in the way of seat drops/hangers in your Disco, but if it is the Disco-standard molded plastic one piece seat/drops, I’d be tempted to once-and-done replace the seat depth “hangers” with truss drops and properly sized machine screws and flange washers.

https://www.edscanoe.com/seathanger.html

Truss drop hangers provide a lot of lateral stiffness, almost like a wide thwart, much more than peg or dowel drops.

PB260012 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

Even individual \_/ wedge drops provide better lateral support than flimsy pegs or dowels.

P5260005 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

If installing a proper bench seat to replace can’t paddle bow backwards molded Disco seat I’d want decently rigid seat drops, to replicate the OEM molded plastic seat’s lateral stiffness.

 

[Tryin']

It currently has dowel drops off the gunwhales. I didn't even know about Conk seats, guess I will for next time. Looks like the Conk wouldn't require the "spacer" idea that I am mulling over.

 

[gumpus]

I like Swift seats. Here's a pic of the seat and slanted seat drops in my Keewaydin 15 solo. I haven't had the seat off yet and don't know how they get a vertical phillips head at the gunwale with a threaded end sticking straight out the back of the slanted drop. Could be worth getting Swift drops and hardware.

 

[Tryin']

A related question: do you fit the seat width firm against the hull, or leave space for lateral movement? One of my seats is firm, one has about 1/4" on each side.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

That is either a Conk seat, or a facsimile thereof.

Conk doesn't make Swift's seats. His are less expensive and easier to install with normal drops.

A related question: do you fit the seat width firm against the hull, or leave space for lateral movement? One of my seats is firm, one has about 1/4" on each side.

I'd leave a space so it will be easier to fit the seat in without scraping the hull, and so there won't be abrasion of the hull if the seat moves laterally during paddling. It also kind of depends on the shape of hull sides: straight, flared, tumblehomed, or shouldered.

 

[scoutergriz]

A related question: do you fit the seat width firm against the hull, or leave space for lateral movement? One of my seats is firm, one has about 1/4" on each side.

I've always left a little space because wood and composites expand and contract at different rates, I had one canoe that had funny spider cracks in the gelcoat at both seats and figured out that in high humidity the wood would expand enough to crack the hull. After removing and sanding down the seat rail ends the spider cracks stopped enlarging.

 

[gumpus]

I had my Kee15 out today and took a better pic of the seat. The curvature in the side member of the seat frame creates a slight "hump" towards the front edge of the seat which takes a lot of weight off the point where the front edge of the seat presses against your legs (for a kneeler like me) and that plus the highly angled front edge just about eliminates any chance for pain from front edge of seat. It also seems to hold you in place well while enabling a slight forward cant in the seat. I see that Swift is using the same seat shape on their latest carbon seats (my boat is a 2011). I can see why the OP chose this design. Just fyi the number for Swift parts is 1-888-386-1881.

I'm a Conk fan too. I'd like to get a Hemlock Peregrine with one of his seats (plus his workmanship on the rest of the trim).