Paddle takes me on a rowing trip up the Omanaia River.

"Paddle to The Sea" with his rowing frame and modified thwart lashed into place ready to row.

Over the last few weeks I've been refining an accessory to my Coleman Canoe that I called "Paddle to the sea"

I recently purchased a length of 50mm, (2 inch to you Americans) stainless steel exhaust tubing. I had it bent by a local automotive exhaust specialist on their tube bender. I provided a profile which I roughed out in scrap plywood with a jig saw to fit in the hull, slightly aft of the centre support beam tube.

As with Lookfar, I modified the crossbeam tube by removing it, cutting two aluminium gussets to fit in the same bolting pattern as the tube to gunwhale connection. I rotate the tube so the folded tube crimps point upward and bolt them to my fabricated, 3mm aluminium plate gussets. This allows me to drop the cross tube 75 mm (3 inches) below the gunwhale. 

I then fabricated a plywood thwart seat the same as with Lookfar, which when inverted, looks somewhat like the tail plane assembly of a light aircraft. I lashed this seat on to the centre cross beam (see the photographs).

 

plastic rowlocks like these are low cost but are noisy and very flexible, I chose them because they were inexpensive however I plan to replace them with metal ones before I try again.

Here you see a detail of my lashing and a glimpse of my gusset which supports the canoe's central cross tube.

A view beneath the assembly showing the method I used to locate the vertical spine of the thwart seat assembly onto the keel tube.

The rowing frame which resembles an oversize handlebar for a motorbike, was lashed in to place when I modified the cross beam. The outrigger tube lashed behind  the cross beam and the lower part of the outrigger tube in front of the vertical support post tube. This cants the outrigger tube aft giving me the ideal offset for ergonomic rowing and perfect lashing opportunities to best support the whole assembly against the significant lever forces induced by vigorous rowing.

I've used a pair of 2.4 meter, 8 foot oars.

I found the ideal ergonomic row lock positions in and old boat handling manual from my late father's library. 1500 mm (four foot four inches) between row locks, (for eight foot oars), 300 mm, (one foot) outboard of the gunwhales, row lock position, 160mm, (seven inches) above rowing thwart seat, and 300 mm (one foot) aft of the thwart seat.

Seems to work OK, rows like a real one.

The apex of the triangle on the thwart seat points forward.

The handle bar similarity is emphasized in this image.

This really is one of the most versatile and enjoyable canoes I've ever owned, the possibilities are very exciting.

I find I can cover about half a boat length per oar stroke making this a very comfortable rowboat with plenty of power. I can accommodate two passengers as well as room for gear.