I have searched this to death and have not found what I'm looking for. I bought a Wenonah footbrace for my Vagabond and am looking for installation instructions. I'm not mechanically inclined and I don't want to screw this up.

Does anyone have any specific recommendations or can you point me to a resource on the internet where I can find some installation tips and tricks for the footbrace? I have contacted Wenonah and I'm waiting to hear back from them. I've heard that they do have an instruction sheet but they don't include it with the foot brace for some reason. Thanks in advance!

Proper placement is your primary concern. You're going to drill holes in the hull, so you have to get it right the first time. Make sure the placement will be suitable for you and any other paddlers who may use your canoe. Bear in mind that the depth of the canoe is not constant from fore to aft...if you set the mounting rails level from front to back, the distance from the bottom of the hull to the horizontal plane of the footbrace may change as you slide the brace further away from the seat.

Set the sliding footbrace in the middle of the adjustment range. Sit in the canoe in your paddling position and observe where the crossbar should be. Temporarily secure the footbrace assembly to the hull with duct tape, setting the height of the bar so that it meets the balls of your feet. Make sure the footbrace is right-side up, with the adjustment knobs on the far side of the bar, relative to the paddler.

Observe where the holes in the mounting bracket rest against the canoe's hull. Move the brackets forward or back, as needed, to select the optimal mounting points, so that the brackets fit snugly against the hull and the mounting holes fall in a place that's strong and suitable for drilling. Loosen the footbrace bar and readjust the distance from the seat, as needed, to account for repositioning of the brackets.

Use a bullet level and tape measure to make final adjustments before drilling. Sit in the canoe again to verify proper placement. Step back and make sure everything looks good. Take a deep breath and drill the holes.

Dab some epoxy on the footbrace bracket where the bracket meets the hull, so that you have adhesive and rivets working together to hold the footbrace in place. Dab a little clear silicone around the outside of each hole before you set the rivets, to make the holes watertight. Pop the rivets in place. Pour yourself a beer and admire your handiwork.

Whooah boy, putting holes in the canoe!
Scary, but not difficult or or problematical.
TrekScouter described it to a T. A helping hand is worth it's weight in gold, but tape will work. Installed 2 and redid 1 during a refinish.

butthead

Nice! Thanks for taking the time to type that out! Much appreciated!

royalex? kev?

When you are sitting in the boat figuring out where the footrest will be, try a paddle and see where it will enter the water. Will the rivets near where the paddle will enter? You may want to re-position it to prevent this.
On my Prism the rivet is just in the where a bent shaft enters.

It's Royalex. Thanks.

this was my setup when I put a foot brace in my wilderness. a lot of double and triple checking.

I just bought a Wenonah foot brace and I'm going to install it like CampCoffee did here.

Nice way to install the footrest without having to drill through. I upgraded my stock Wenonah foot brace with their adjustable one, using the same rivet holes. I do hit the rivet with the paddle.
It looks like I have a project coming up to revise it.
Does anybody prefer the screw knobs toward the front or towards the back. I find that I like it towards the front so My feet can be against the side of the hull, although it is tougher to make an adjustment.
Also the adjustment screws on the newer version don't seem to keep the brace as tight as the older version. Anybody have an issue keeping them tight and in place? There seems to be a difference in the washer. I am thinking of modifying the adjustment wing nut to something with more leverage, possibly a handle nut with a up/down stroke of 60 degrees or so.
http://www.mcmaster.com/#stainless-steel-handle-nuts/=11n5230

Here is how I went about it Might give you some ideas

quote electbc: "Nice way to install the footrest without having to drill through. I upgraded my stock Wenonah foot brace with their adjustable one, using the same rivet holes. I do hit the rivet with the paddle.
It looks like I have a project coming up to revise it.
Does anybody prefer the screw knobs toward the front or towards the back. I find that I like it towards the front so My feet can be against the side of the hull, although it is tougher to make an adjustment.
Also the adjustment screws on the newer version don't seem to keep the brace as tight as the older version. Anybody have an issue keeping them tight and in place? There seems to be a difference in the washer. I am thinking of modifying the adjustment wing nut to something with more leverage, possibly a handle nut with a up/down stroke of 60 degrees or so.
http://www.mcmaster.com/#stainless-steel-handle-nuts/=11n5230"

add rubber washers, they grip well.

Don't over think it. I did the same with my Vagabond. The main thing is the right height. Thats up to you to decide. Have someone hold the cross bar for you ar different heights to get a general idea.The foot brace is adjustable forward and backwards so lots of wiggle room there. The pop rivets are tight so you really don't need any sealant.I never had any water seep in. But if it makes you feel better go for it. You'll love the benefits of the foot brace

Great info. Thanks, I'm really looking forward to getting the brace installed as I've paddled other canoes that had them and they really help me.

My canoe is Royalex...will I damage it if I sit in it with it on the lawn or should it be in the water?

By the way, Wenonah did send me installation instructions that I would be happy to pass along to anyone who needs them. Just shoot me a private message.

quote Groggy: "My canoe is Royalex...will I damage it if I sit in it with it on the lawn or should it be in the water?"

I sat in mine in the garage.

No problem sitting in the grass Royalex is tough stuff

No problem sitting in the grass Royalex is tough stuff

No problem sitting in the grass Royalex is tough stuff

Groggy: "By the way, Wenonah did send me installation instructions that I would be happy to pass along to anyone who needs them. Just shoot me a private message."

Do you still have those available to share? If so, how do I go about sending you a private message?

By the way, I'm not sure if I'm missing mounting brackets. I have two rails, and the slides and pipe to go inside them, but nothing to attach it to the canoe with. Also, it seems that with just the rails, it won't be long enough to span the gap between the support ribs. This is to go on a wenonah Itasca.

Thank you.

It sounds like you have everything. I was thinking mine came with rivets?
I installed mine on a Bell Magic, and I had one end on a foam reinforced section, and the other was just the kevlar. I was concerned, but it has done just fine. Look at the picture posted above, (Kanoes) I did it the exact same way.