Solo seat mounting for Blue Hole Sunburst ll

[txar]

Bought a canoe this January.I could use some guidance on seat placement for my boat. I have a contoured Ed`s Canoe Seat.If my photos attachments loaded with posting,you can see the canoe has the saddle with adjustable foot braces. The last thing my knees need is 7 hours of that. However,i know that there are some moments that it would be great benefit.
Is there anyone that has successfully used a seat and a saddle? I do not want to mount the seat too far back so as to clear the saddle and also think i do not want to trim the back rest of the saddle. As of now it looks like the saddle will be trimmed unless somebody has a wiser option.

[Roger]

When exactly are you going to paddle 7 hours straight while kneeling?

Best bet is to find an old Perception seat/saddle (rotomolded) and swap out your foam one for lt.

[txar]

Thanks for the advice.I also have an Old Town Saranac that i and others spend all day in the canoe fishing Greers Ferry.The 7 hour in a canoe example was some years back on the second day with a lot of low water paddling into the wind from Fish Trap Hollow to Buffalo City.I never want to paddle non stop like that again.

[Roger]

Your Sunburst is more a whitewater boat than a flatwater canoe. Not saying that it can be paddled on flatwater. Looks like the Perception saddle with its seat/thighbrace design is what you would want to go with. Came in handy when I used my Whitesell Pyrahana on a western river trip where we had some long pools and no places to stop and stretch.

[Deuce]

Once upon a time I bought a Sunburst (not Sunburst II) with no outfitting. I installed knee pads and thigh straps and a web set with the front lower than the back by a few inches. I forget how many but it was enough to make paddling on my knees while leaning against the front of the seat fairly comfortable; same concept as a leaning thwart. My motivation was the same as yours; eliminating the need to be on my knees all day. I ended up spending most of my time kneeling anyway because the boat's design (especially lack of depth) made it pretty awkward to paddle from the seat, and I found that kneeling didn't bother me all that much unless I was paddling a lot of flat water, which the Sunburst wasn't designed for anyway. Your Sunburst II is a little deeper than my Sunburst was, but I still think you'd be disappointed with the results if you added a seat. If you decide you can stand kneeling after all a Perception saddle as Roger suggested would be a good option provided you can find one (I might know a guy). Keep in mind that would add quite a few pounds to your boat.

All that said, you're entitled to an answer to the question you asked, so........if you're determined to proceed with the seat I think your best bet is to remove the saddle altogether and plan for your butt to go right where it would had you left the saddle in. You'll want to install the seat as low as possible but high enough to get your feet out from under when you flip (less foot space will be required than you think).

You never said where you intend to paddle your new boat; hopefully not Greers Ferry since you already have a flat water canoe and WW canoe+flat water+wind= If you haven't already I encourage you to spend a little time in the boat in its intended environment before you commit to a seat. Have fun with the project!

[okieboater]

I started out boating in Grummans, when the OCA's came out WOW the fun factor was there in the OCA, solo or tandem. Then the Sunbursts came out and I thought wow what a hot design.

Seat style and placement are very personal and you have received good advice already. Nothing I can add to.

For me, I did some flat water floats IE Buffalo etc and the Sunburst works. But the Sunburst shines on WW water. You are gonna work on the flats.

Many decades ago, four of us Tulsa area novice kayakers decided to boat the ARK and the last day there decided to do the Royal Gorge. (Thankfully it was summer time not big water flows). We had zero knowledge of the ARK or Royal Gorge. We all piled into one truck and parked it at the Royal Gorge put in. We left directions to the put in with my wife back at the motel we were staying at. She was to meet us that afternoon. We were setting at the put in (no others there at the time) building up our confidence. A gent with a Sunburst on top of his SUV drove up. Asked us if we knew the Royal Gorge run. We said we had zero knowledge. The gent said Royal Gorge was his home river run. If we wanted he would show us the lines. We agreed with much relief. This guy was awesome. He showed us the scout for Sunshine. Made the perfect line including that final drop. We watched him and his Sunburst in awe. Followed his lines and info all the way down and it was awesome. We had as good a day boating there as we had ever had. The gent in his Sunburst was the perfect host and while I am sure he got some splash in his canoe, it did not show in his performance.

I had switched over to kayaks and felt that was the white water boat for me. But, in my head I said to self "you need a Sunburst in your quiver!"

I ended up with a Sunburst. Got so busted up physically that I just could not easily handle the weight of that boat on dry land and sold it.

Bottom line, you have a classic WW Canoe. Designed for WW more than flat. What ever you do, I hope you keep that Sunburst and enjoy it on local runs suited for the design. Be safe and have fun.

dave

[Walter Felton]

I have a couple of old Perception saddles if you want to go that direction. Contact me at wfelton@ipa.net

Walter Felton

[Jim Krueger]

I have really enjoyed this conversation, like many other older paddlers also, I started out in canoes, then either went to the dark side with kayaks or just enjoyed them both . I have ten kayaks and one great Blue Hole Starburst canoe. In the canoe, I have always liked being able to alternate from sitting on the seat, or when needed in the rapids, just slipping forward on to the thick, oversized kneepads my friend, Mike Coogan had glued-in previously when he owned the boat. I think the original Blue Hole seats, whether the OCA or Starburst models were not very comfortable though. I have remodeled the ones in my boat, but still have never found more comfortable seats than the roto-molded seats in the earlier Old Town Canoes that I used on occasion from my outfitter friend's stable.

Jim